Beachside Events

On May the 17th, I completed the Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon run in Sydney!! OMG, did I just say that? I wasn’t dreaming? It still feels a little surreal!

I completed the event on a Sunday morning with a bunch of fellow Beachsiders. It was great to do it together with people who have not only become great friends but feel like family.

The event was great and planned very well, loads of supportive volunteers and the atmosphere was amazing. People  were cheering as they ran and were helping to inspire others to keep moving. Close to 12,000 people started and around 9,000 crossed the finish line.  It was a great course with a few hills (but nothing crazy) and loads of sights to see around Darling Harbour and through the city. I would highly recommend the event to anyone wanting to do a half marathon – they even had a relay option of 7km and 14km if you haven’t quite mustered up the courage to do it solo.

My Beachside running buddy, Emma, ran with me the whole way. It almost didn’t even feel like we were running a half marathon, chatting and laughing most of the way. The other parts were filled with pain, sore feet, sore legs, stiff shoulders, but all that could be ignored when you have the support of a wonderful friend and team behind you. I could not have even thought of doing an event like this let alone actually completing it. Couldn’t have done it without you, Emma!

And I couldn’t have dreamed of doing a full marathon without you, Kieran or my Beachside Family. I’m so proud of myself and everyone who went. Thanks to Pete and Mandy, Lauren, Rob and Michelle, for making it a fantastic day. I’m still coming to terms with our achievement. We just ran a half marathon!! I’m a half marathon runner now! Woohoo! You really don’t know what you can achieve until you give yourself the chance to try.

Danielle Hansen

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