After a two-year hiatus, the 2022 Canberra Times fun run was arguably the best yet, with perfect weather, 3700 participants and more than $45,000 raised for well over 100 charities.
While Canberra has been battered by cloudy weather for the past few weeks, the rain stopped on Sunday morning to let sun warm the backs of runners and walkers.
They moved around the lake, which glistened like glass under the clear sky, and past iconic Australian monuments like Parliament House and the Carillion.
See the full list of race winners and times below.
Regardless of how fast or slow, long or short participants went, they were greeted cheers, cups of water, a medal and optional crisp Capital Brewing pale ale at the finish line.
By midday Sunday, $45,000 had been raised for 114 charities, more than double the initial fundraising goal of $20,000.
Charities with the most money raised included Mental Illness Education ACT, the GI Cancer Institute, Bowel Cancer Australia and R U OK.
Maria and Warren Lewis came to Canberra from Sydney for the 5km race to support their 50-year-old son Justin Higgins, who is raising awareness about a rare cancer.
Mr Higgin's wife Colleen and daughter Madeleine, 14, ran the 10km race wearing "I heart Higgo" shirts to fundraise for the GI Cancer Institute. They had raised more than $6000 on Sunday.
Charities which raised the most money
- Mental Illness Education ACT (MIEACT) - donate here
- GI Cancer Institute - donate here
- Bowel Cancer Australia - donate here
- R U OK - donate here
- Australia Cancer Research Foundation - donate here
- Make A Wish Australia - donate here
- MS - donate here
- Orange Sky - donate here
- Black Dog Institute - donate here
- The Fred Hollows Foundation - donate here
"We started off trying to raise $700, and then it just blew out," Mrs Higgins said.
"The run was so fun. My daughter took off and she did a really good time. There was a few friends of ours who joined as well, and we just made it fun."
Mr Lewis said while he was 79 years old and under doctors' orders not to run, he couldn't miss the event.
"This is a special run for us," he said.
It was the first time Ms Lewis had been around Lake Burley Griffin. She said the weather was "perfect".
"I've really enjoyed it. It was very well organised," she said.
The fun run was also special for a group of frame runners, who were able to participate in a Canberra race for the very first time.
Organised through I Can Run ACT, it allowed people with limited mobility to race using a running frame.
Paralympian Rosemary Little, who won the 5km wheelchair race, came down to Canberra to support the frame runners she helps virtually coach and mentor.
Canberra 16-year-old Eireann Wood came second in the category, despite it being her very first fun run, and her usual distance being two kilometres.
"It's really fun getting awareness out here that frame running does exist, that people with disabilities have the opportunity to do stuff like able-bodied people," she said.
"I want this kind of thing to happen everywhere ... in the world, just to show people that you can do it."
Elizabeth, 7, and Samantha Stoddart, 9, also ran in the children's 2km race using frame runners.
The sisters have charcot-marie-tooth disease, a genetic condition which affects nerves in feet, hands, legs and arms.
They said they loved being able to run fast and compete in their home town.
The new half marathon distance also proved very popular with 1000 runners signing up, Sole Motive CEO Lisa Holmes said.
"It's great to be back. The running community has really got behind the event and supported it by showing up today," she said.
"This year, for the first time, we introduced a half marathon distance to the event which has proven really popular."
The fastest female in the half marathon was Rachel Waters, with a time of 1 hour 26 minutes, 16 seconds. Sarah Bevan and Olivia Cameron came second and third respectively.
Ben MacCronan came first in the men's half marathon , making a time of 1.09.42. He was followed by Luke Smith and Josh Hudson.
Place getters
Half marathon male
- Ben MacCronan 1:09:42
- Luke Smith 1:12:44
- Josh Hudson 1:14:53
Half marathon female
- Rachel Waters 1:26:16
- Sarah Bevan 1:33:24
- Olivia Cameron 1:34:09
10km male
- Michael Chapman 32:41
- Adam Rudgley 33:19
- Conor Sproule 33:51
10km female
- Paige Cambell 33:42
- Marnie Ponton 33:56
- Thandi Murada 36:51
10km agender
- Mat Lambert 42:38
- Aaron Porreca 50:41
- Jacob Bunday 51:54
5km male
- Simon Rogers 16:01
- Matt van Arkel 16:26
- Daniel Randall 16:26
5km female
- Capella Maguire 18:54
- Katie Thurber 19:34
- Melissa Oloyede 20:16
5km agender
- Kristina Guillen 25:08
- Sam Launt 26:02
- Stella Abeysinghe 28:185K
2km female
- Olivia Nicol 07.17
- Mae Smith 07:59
- Imogen Maidment-Ponton 08:07
2km male
- Samuel Nicol
- Nicholas Christian
- Max Trew
5km wheelchair
- Rosemary Little 24:53
- Eireann Wood 29:12
- Amy Tobin 51:29
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