By Will Rutherford
Sydney has experienced its wettest start to an August in decades with double the monthly average rain falling in its first 11 days – ruining picnic plans, turning rugby matches into mud wrestling with a ball and washing out the Byron Writers Festival.
Despite this Sydney’s City2Surf participants were braced to brave the rainy conditions, though the weather held clement for most of the race as participants ran, jogged and walked along the snaking 14km route from the starting point at Hyde Park to the finish line at Bondi Beach.
The fun run began over half a century ago in 1971 with a little over 2000 participants. This year, the 54th since its inception, a record-breaking 90,000 entrants took to the Eastern Suburbs’ highways and streets.
One notable entrant this year was Robyn Smith, who works for a charity called Inherited Cancers Australia. Robyn underwent a double mastectomy in 2019 and ran her race topless with the words “Flat Out of Funding” temporarily tattooed on her chest.
Cumulatively Robyn and the 89,999 other participants helped raise over $4 million in donations for charity, making the day a bright one for many, even without the sun.
Featured image: A break in Sydney’s rain and the City2Surf pack. Photos: Will Rutherford
