{"id":208530,"date":"2018-05-14T17:44:25","date_gmt":"2018-05-14T07:44:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=208530"},"modified":"2022-05-09T21:15:59","modified_gmt":"2022-05-09T11:15:59","slug":"runners-get-in-the-pink","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2018\/05\/14\/runners-get-in-the-pink\/","title":{"rendered":"Runners Get In The Pink"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Walkers and runners converged on Wondai on Sunday morning to take part in this year’s Mothers Day Classic, which was held on the South Burnett Rail Trail for the second year in a row<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

May 14, 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n

More than 100 people donned pink clothing and turned out to Gordon McKell Park next to the Timber Industry Museum in Wondai on Sunday morning to help raise funds for breast cancer research.<\/p>\n

They were part of a much bigger group of 100,000 Australians taking part in this year’s Mother\u2019s Day Classic, an annual fun run\/walk that has grown over the past 21 years into a national community event held all around Australia.<\/p>\n

This year in Queensland, Mothers Day Classics were run in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and in 17 regional locations around the State, including the South Burnett.<\/p>\n

The Classic was first brought to the region by the Go Getta Girls running group in the late 2000s.<\/p>\n

It was held in and around in Kingaroy’s Memorial Park until last year, when its organisation was taken over by the Kingaroy Nutters running group.<\/p>\n

They moved the event to Wondai, partly to take advantage of the (then) soon-to-be-opened South Burnett Rail Trail, and partly to save the mounting traffic control costs of staging the event in Memorial Park.<\/p>\n

This year, the Classic had its second Wondai outing and participants travelled from as far afield as Yarraman and Moffatdale to take part.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gordon McKell Park began to fill up with people soon after 8:00am, and volunteers took registrations for the Classic’s 4km and 8km runs and 4km walk until 8:45am.<\/p>\n

This was followed by a short speech about the National Breast Cancer Foundation, the not-for-profit organisation who are the event’s beneficiaries, and then a minute\u2019s silence to remember those who have suffered or passed due to breast cancer.<\/p>\n

After this, the Classic got underway with a group warm-up to the sounds of \u2018The Macarena\u2019 blasted over a portable PA system.<\/p>\n

This year, a small group of about 20 runners tackled the 8km course, followed by a much larger group of about 80 either running or walking the more leisurely 4km course.<\/p>\n

Most participants dressed fully (or partly) in pink to show their support for the Breast Cancer Foundation\u2019s research efforts.<\/p>\n

Mother\u2019s Day Classic local ambassador Cr Ros Heit said this year\u2019s event was hoping to raise more than $1.8 million across Australia.<\/p>\n

Since 1998, the Mother\u2019s Day Classic has raised at least $33.2 million nationally, and more than 1.27 participants have taken part in it.<\/p>\n

Together, they have walked or run 6.5 million kilometres, the equivalent of eight return trips to the moon.<\/p>\n

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Tarong’s Alwyne Mansell donned Relay For Life colours, while acting Breast Care Nurse Sue Cox wore her McGrath Foundation shirt to this year’s event<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Tammy McGuire and Paul Shaw travelled from Yarraman to take part in this year’s Classic<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Romana, Athena, Peter, Pam and Xanthe Ricketts, 3, came from Moffatdale<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Wondai Lions Kareen Leijh, her son Joseph, Kathi Close, Fred Law and grill captain Terry McMaster were on hand to serve up barbecue breakfasts to hungry walkers and runners<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Brett and Joey Reeve came along with Melissa Venn and (middle row) Stacey Venn, 12, sister Tess and friend Akala Smith and (at front) Lindsey Venn, 7<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Lacy Lee, 11, came along with mum Heidi and brother Reagan, 10, dressed in some very striking headwear<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Before the runs and walks got underway, participants warmed up with some classic dance tracks broadcast over a portable PA system<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Runners tackling the 8km course stepped off first …<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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… followed by a much bigger group of walkers and runners tackling the more leisurely 4km course<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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