Pandemic Can't Stop Pink Runners - southburnett.com.au

Wondai resident Liz Nicholson and son Ben were getting into the classic running spirit on Sunday morning

May 11, 2020

It wouldn’t be Mother’s Day without runners donning outrageous pink outfits to raise vitally needed funds across Australia for cancer research.

South Burnett runners and walkers have always been eager participants in the annual Mother’s Day Classic, a national event which is Australia’s largest individual breast cancer fundraiser.

The South Burnett’s event was initially organised in Kingaroy by the Go Getta Girls but was shifted to Wondai and the South Burnett Rail Trail in 2017.

The Kingaroy Nutters running club has been responsible for it ever since … but COVID-19 threw a spanner in the works for their 2020 plans.

All official Mother’s Day Classic events across the country had to be called off, but runners were urged to take part in the “Mother’s Day Classic Virtual 2020” at individual venues of their choice – ranging from lounge rooms and backyards to parks (where open).

A “little” thing such as a global pandemic couldn’t stop some of the South Burnett run’s regular Mother’s Day Classic participants from donning their pink costumes for a string of unofficial – and socially distanced – runs on Sunday morning.

Individuals and small family groups turned up in Kingaroy, Wondai and Proston to take part in “virtual” runs.

The South Burnett Rail Trail was a popular choice in Wondai with a number of runners taking the opportunity to run either 4km or 8km lengths at random times.

Funds were raised by individual runners registering their participation online.

“A few people chose to run on the Rail Trail,” former councillor – and regular runner – Ros Heit said.

“They then posted their photographs on to the Mother’s Day Classic Facebook page.”

MDC Virtual 2020 organisers said “tens of thousands” of runners took part in similar virtual events across the country on Sunday.