WE HAVE a big chance ahead to really build on Ballarat's running reputation with a simple nod, hello or cheer. If we want to keep building our major running event in Ballarat, we need to seriously consider this.
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Leading running forum Runner's Tribe has put hello etiquette back in the spotlight this month. From the outside, this might not seem like a big deal but for those who regularly get out running or walking, this can boost performance.
A "keep going" or "hello" from a stranger can add a pep in your step, especially on struggle days. And it is nice to pay it forward unconditionally, too. Sometimes it is just the unspoken acknowledgment for getting out there and having a go.
Hellos might not necessarily cut it practicality-wise on event day.
This does not mean we abandon the concept altogether - it matters.
Our big chance is in shaping the vibe on course this Sunday in Run For A Cause.This starts with good ol' fashion manners.
A "thanks" to a course marshal where you can or those handing you a drink adds to the positive vibes out there. Plenty of runners already do this - just visit parkrun on a Saturday. We can always do better.
We know everyone out on course is a giving person for the very fact they got out of bed to help make a difference in a community charity race early on a Sunday morning.
But unless you are out there busting to win the event, it is worth taking the time to give a little.
The Courier's build-up to Run For A Cause is delivering plenty of motivation whether it is run clubs at school like Ballarat Clarendon College or a school rally from Roving Maggie at Black Hill primary (stay tuned online); setting goals with work colleagues or setting examples for clients; looking to inspiration in your family; or, comparing what is possible to Eliud Kipchoge's revolutionary sub-two hour marathon.
Not to mention supporting this year's partner charities to ensure all children in the region are school-ready.
Everyone out on course this Sunday will do so for their own reason to help make a collective difference in Ballarat.
This is the second Run For A Cause with The Ballarat Foundation picking up in the footsteps of the now-defunct Run Ballarat, which had big support from the region for six years.
Run For A Cause will re-introduce the city's first half-marathon in almost a decade.
Ballarat is a city with a rich running history, highly-regarded on a national and international stage for our runners and as a training base gem with great trails and paths in our backyard.
This city deserves a half-marathon. To keep a half-marathon, we need to support it.
We can definitely do this even if we are not running the half-marathon on Sunday. A cheer, a clap, a "keep going" to half-marathoners you see out on course matters. Word spreads if you have a fun run out there.
In turn a little extra support, give or take, could entice you to move a little out your comfort zone - no matter the distance - and keep this city on the move.
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