For Saint Patrick’s Parish Primary School pupil Jemima, running is an energising way to start the day.
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The grade four pupil has been getting up early twice a week to participate in the school’s run club.
“We did it this morning and I feel like I am actually awake,” Jemima said on Thursday.
Jemima runs alongside her friend Jo, also in grade four.
Jo has been running with the club for almost two years. It has now grown to around 20 participants with a strong base of regular families.
It is a great way for students to be active before school and go for a run to start the day.
- Kim Whittle, sports coordinator
Saint Patrick’s Parish Primary School sports coordinator Kim Whittle said she started the run club to help pupils train for cross country events, but she had seen many pupils who had not been runners in the past get involved.
“There are a group of faithfuls now who run and lots of their little brothers and sisters do it as well,” she said.
“It is a great way for students to be active before school and go for a run to start the day. They are also learning how to run safely in the street and give way to other pedestrians.”
Ms Whittle is working with run club participants to get a team together for Run for a Cause.
The event on November 18 has been organised by the Ballarat Foundation, to fill the gap left by mass-participation event Run Ballarat.
Watch the video on Run for a Cause below
It will raise funds and awareness for food insecurity in the region.
More than 12 per cent of people in Ballarat present to food charities each year. More than one third are children.
Run for a Cause will feature a 5km and 10km run, a 5km family walk and 1km children’s dash based at Victoria Park and taking in Lake Wendouree. The flat course is designed to suit all abilities.
Keen Saint Patrick’s Parish Primary School runners Xavier and Callum are pushing to run the 10km course.
Others in the club are more set on the 5km route.
But Ms Whittle said all would learn about the cause behind the event in their running preparations.
The Ballarat Foundation has set a $90,000 fundraising goal to help its six charity partners deliver food relief.
Charity partners include Uniting Ballarat, Ballarat Community Health, Food is Free Inc. Anglicare Victoria, Ballarat Community Centre and Salvation Army Ballarat.
Watch the Ballarat Foundation’s video on food insecurity in Ballarat below
Survey results reveal 78 per cent of people who are food insecure in Ballarat experience moderate to severe hunger, and 80 per cent ran out of food and could not afford more.
Of the 100 people surveyed presenting to charitable food relief, 26 per cent went to sleep hungry almost every week. Almost 75 per cent had gone one to two days without eating in the past week.
For more details and to enter visit run4ac.org.
Key run details you need to know
DATE: Sunday, November 18.
THE CAUSE: food security in the region. Money raised helps support The Ballarat Foundation’s charity partners working in this space.
RUNS: 10km and 5km, which have been trimmed to what Ballarat is used to. Distances fit more in line with other fun runs, personal running goals, ParkRun distance and even what is contested at Olympic level.
FAMILY: There will be a 5km walk, suitable for people with prams, and a one-kilometre children’s dash.
COURSE: Start and finish events precinct in Victoria Park. Race ambassador Julian Spence said the course needed to be a little difference to what Ballarat is used to running, for example ParkRun, and include the iconic Lake Wendouree. The course is also flat to suit all runners, from those pushing for a fast run to those keen to get moving.
TRAINING: The Courier will feature Spence’s weekly training programs to help get you started. The Running Company is hosting a beginners’ group on Wednesday evenings from the store at 6pm. The Athlete’s Foot Ballarat is also running a couch to 5km program to the event on Tuesday evenings.
RUN EXPERTISE: Hometown Olympic marathon hero Steve Moneghetti and fellow marathon runner Julian Spence (The Running Company Ballarat) are event ambassadors.
BACKGROUND: The Ballarat Foundation announced in late July it would host the community event to help fill the void of a disbanded Run Ballarat, which raised more than $1million for the Ballarat Health Services children’s ward redevelopment in six years. The children’s ward opened in June.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED: Registrations are open at www.run4ac.org.