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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-09-25 Daily Xml
Contents
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Motions

City to Bay Fun Run

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. R.B. Martin:

That this council—

1. Acknowledges that this year marks the 50th running of the City to Bay race;

2. Commends the City to Bay for promoting good health and the enjoyment of fitness, supporting athletics communities in South Australia and for providing a platform for fundraising activities by race participants; and

3. Recognises the dedicated efforts of City to Bay staff and volunteers in ensuring that the event is successful each year.

(Continued from 11 September 2024.)

The Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (12:06): I rise today to indicate the support from the Liberal Party (Liberal opposition) for the honourable member's motion to recognise and acknowledge this significant milestone for the City-Bay Fun Run. The City-Bay has long been held as one of the state's most popular and beloved events, and is Adelaide's largest running event and largest mass participation event. It certainly motivates people from all walks of life to come together as a community.

The City-Bay run is organised by a not-for-profit organisation which aims to raise funds to support athletics in South Australia and assist athletes and clubs within the athletics community in South Australia. Aside from the fundraising effort, many fitness clubs, rehabilitation organisations, businesses, individuals and, I also note, multicultural organisations have used the event to achieve personal goals as well as fundraising for their community.

On Sunday 15 September, the City-Bay run held its 50th running to great success. Happy 50th anniversary. More than 25,000 people participated in this year's race across its three-kilometre, five-kilometre, 12-kilometre and half marathon distances. Thanks to the amazing turnout at this year's race, the City-Bay was able to raise an astonishing $455,841, to be exact, so nearly half a million dollars.

I also want to congratulate a couple of my very sporty colleagues who completed the race this year. The member for Morphett, Stephen Patterson, ran in the six-kilometre race alongside his lovely wife, Tammy. Stephen has long been a supporter of the City-Bay Fun Run. As a former footballer, he continues to be a great sportsman. Also, the Hon. Heidi Girolamo made sure that our upper house chamber was not overshadowed and ran a very impressive 12-kilometre race. Congratulations to both members.

The race for the top spots was extraordinarily close, with Isaac Heyne completing the 12-kilometre race in just 33 minutes and 38 seconds, while the runner-up, Jack Rayner, came in just a second behind, a pretty close result. Congratulations to both of them. For the female runners it was Izzi Batt-Doyle who came in the fastest with a time of 37 minutes and 20 seconds, and Jessica Stenson finished closely behind with a time of 37 minutes and 40 seconds. Congratulations to all the fantastic runners. No matter the time set, each participant crossed the finish line with pride and joy.

The City-Bay Fun Run had a much more humbling beginning when it was established in November 1973 by the well-known Adelaide athlete, Bob Clarke, and a volunteer committee. Inspired by the success of Sydney's City to Surf Fun Run, 1,637 participated in the first City-Bay from Adelaide Town Hall to Glenelg Town Hall, with runners paying 50¢ each to enter the race, with funds raised from the event being donated to Athletics South Australia.

Over the many years since, the City-Bay has hit many milestones and achievements. The finish was taken to Colley Reserve and then changed to the Glenelg Football Oval, where it remained for many years. In 1992, The Advertiser was approached to become the major naming rights sponsor and has contributed substantially over the years to help build up the race.

While Lumary is the current naming partner, The Advertiser, through its Sunday Mail, remains an important supporting partner. The excellent media coverage certainly helps to lift the profile of the event and promote the spirit of our community. In 1997, the event adopted the Champion Chip Timing system to enable the event to finish at Moseley Square, where it finishes today. This certainly helps in the event gaining a national profile and attracting elite runners and international entrants.

For its 30th running in 2002, an additional event was added to provide people with an alternative distance, the six-kilometre half City-Bay run. I am glad they did introduce that because in 2009 my husband, Eddie, and I, with a group of friends, participated in the six-kilometre run. Mind you, we walked a lot of the time instead of running—we are not as fit as most. Congratulations for the introduction of a six-kilometre half City-Bay. More than 1,300 people entered this event, contributing to a record turnout of 13,200 participants.

It is truly amazing to look back and see how much this beloved race has grown over the past 50 years to become one of the most widely supported annual events in the state. This tremendous growth and achievement would not have been possible without the tireless effort, dedication and passion of the team behind the City-Bay Fun Run. In particular, I want to highlight race director Joe Stevens OAM. Joe is an institution of the athletics community in South Australia.

In addition to his leadership in organising the City-Bay Fun Run, Joe has served as president of Athletics South Australia, vice-president of the South Australian Olympic Council, board member of the Australian Commonwealth Games Association (SA Division), and board member of Sport SA. Joe was awarded his Medal of the Order of Australia during the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2021 for his services to athletics. He also officiated at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and both the 2006 and 2018 Commonwealth Games. Previous awards for his commitment to athletics include Official of the Year for Athletics Australia in 2010, and the same award for Athletics SA in 2003.

I want to take this opportunity to commend the most important people, and that is all the participants, the thousands of participants. Each year, tens of thousands of participants of various ages, backgrounds and abilities show up to make this race the spectacle that it is. Without the constant love and support that the City-Bay receives from South Australians, this race would not have reached such heights and also raised so much funds for charities that it has over five decades.

Once again, my sincere appreciation and congratulations to the organisers, volunteers, participants and sponsors of the City-Bay Fun Run: a very happy 50th anniversary. I would like to thank the Hon. Reggie Martin for bringing this motion to the chamber, allowing us to all contribute to this congratulatory message.

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO (12:14): I would like to thank the Hon. Reggie Martin for bringing this excellent motion to our chamber today. It is a privilege to speak on the 50th anniversary of the City-Bay, which I had the pleasure of attending on Sunday 15 September. This year I ran the 12 kilometres alongside my Aunty Cathy. My cousin Eugene started with us but was significantly faster and left us behind very quickly.

What a remarkable event! I have participated in the City-Bay many times, both running and walking, and I can confidently say that this year's event was by far the best.

The Hon. E.S. Bourke: Is that because you got the best time?

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO: No, it was far from my best time, but it was still quite enjoyable, thank you. It was so well organised and the weather was perfect, so it was a very enjoyable run. Running alongside 25,000 other South Australians from King William Road, through Anzac Highway and down to Jetty Road in Glenelg was fantastic. The atmosphere was electric, with bands playing and people singing along Anzac Highway and plenty of water stops, supported by hundreds of dedicated volunteers. There were even ice blocks and fruit available for participants, adding to the incredible sense of community spirit.

What I loved most was seeing so many families running together—children, families, people of all ages, dressed up in costumes, many raising money for charities close to their hearts. Running the City-Bay is not just the physical challenge; it is about connecting with the community and sharing an experience that brings us all together. For me, it has become a cherished family tradition with my aunty and my cousin. My daughter, Olivia, is very keen to join us next year. She watched one of her friends from school cross the finishing line and was inspired to take part herself. It is moments like these that show the lasting impact of this event, not just as a race but also an inspiration for the next generation. I do hope that one day my husband, Lee, will join me as well to run the 12 kilometres, but time will tell.

I would like to congratulate City-Bay on all the fantastic work they do in arranging this enormous event every year. Fifty years is an extraordinary achievement. I look forward to many more years of this great tradition, and I hope to be running the City-Bay during the next 50 years.

The Hon. S.L. GAME (12:16): This year marked the 50th running of the City-Bay Fun Run, a remarkable milestone for one of South Australia's most cherished community events. The City-Bay has consistently promoted a culture of good health and the enjoyment of fitness, encouraging thousands of participants to embrace an active lifestyle. It has been pivotal in supporting athletics communities across South Australia, fostering a sense of unity and healthy competition.

The ongoing success of the City-Bay is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the staff and volunteers, whose efforts each year ensure the smooth running of this beloved event. Their commitment has allowed the race to grow in scope and impact, benefiting the entire South Australian community.

The Hon. R.B. MARTIN (12:17): I want to thank the Hon. Sarah Game and the Hon. Jing Lee for their contributions and also the Hon. Heidi Girolamo. I probably will not be there in 50 years' time to watch you run it for the 60th time, but if I am, I will be there to cheer you on. I do appreciate your contributions. The City-Bay Fun Run is an amazing event with a long history. Tens of thousands of people get out there every year and run it, but it is also the lead-up to it as well. Often The Advertiser puts programs in to encourage people to get out there and get fit and healthy, so it is a great community event.

To all the organisers and the volunteers who put this event on, it is an event which is bigger than Ben Hur to make it happen. So much goes on behind the scenes that people are not familiar with. They do an amazing job year after year to make it happen and to be a success, so congratulations to all of those people who have put on the event—the volunteers who dedicate their time, the supporters, the sponsors and all those people who participate. I mentioned in my original speech the huge contribution that Joe Stevens has made to athletics in South Australia, and I appreciate the other people who mentioned him as well. He does a fantastic job as the race director and will continue to do so. With that, I urge people to support the motion.

Motion carried.

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