The staff at Brisbane Waters Private Hospital are putting on their running shoes and raising money for local charities at the Bay to Bay Running Festival on June 20.
The running festival is one of the Central Coast’s most significant community events with over 3,000 runners and hundreds of volunteers participating in various running activities across the day.
Organised by Terrigal Trotters running club, the festival includes a Half Marathon, 12 km Fun Run, 5km Walk/Run, and the 2km Kids’ Run, all of which follow the waterfront recreation path between Woy Woy and Gosford.
Brisbane Waters Private Hospital and other Healthe Care Central Coast hospitals, including Gosford and Tuggerah Lakes, are participating and sponsoring the event.
Healthe Care Central Coast Regional Manager Matt Kelly said it was the seventh year Healthe Care had supported the important community event.
“If the last year has taught us anything, it is that finding ways to look after our own health as well as the health of our loved ones is more important than ever,” Kelly said.
“Encouraging our community to get active alongside our staff and their families has the potential to generate innumerable benefits, and I’m looking forward to hitting the pavement alongside our staff from all our Central Coast sites to support this event.”
Race Director Neil Prosser was looking forward to the upcoming event in June, which was previously cancelled last year due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“The organisers of the event, Terrigal Trotters running club, have developed a COVID safe plan that will see race starts spread out to ensure social distancing,” Prosser said.
“In 2019, the event raised more than $130,000 to donate to local community groups and charities.
“In 2021, the festival charity partners are the Aspire program for supporting high school girls and Camp Breakaway, an organisation that provides respite services for adults and children with disabilities.
“Entries for the event have been open since March 1, and it’s clear that many runners and walkers are excited at the chance to participate in such an iconic event.”
The Bay to Bay Running Festival started as the Bay to Breakers in 1989 that ran from Gosford to Terrigal; as the event grew, the course was updated in 2003, following the current waterfront route, with all races ending in the Central Coast Stadium for a grandstand finish.
For more information or to register for the running festival, visit baytobay.org.au.
Hayley McMahon