Training & Runs

Regular SFR Runs

Whether you are a beginner, a retired runner, a fun-runner, fitness freak, competitive short/medium/long-distance walker/runner/cyclist or you just enjoy having brunch with bunch of great friends — you are welcome.

Monday evening

6.30pm Centennial Park:
Training with professional coaching

Training lasts about 1 hour and covers all sorts of facets to gain maximum results, $5.

Meet near the fountain at the Paddington Gate (corner Oxford St/Lang Rd) - about 100m down from the gate.

There is no car access after sunset through Park gates in Winter. Park your car outside during the Winter season! In Summer - park inside.

Wednesday evening

6.30pm Centennial Park:
5K run in the Park

Meet near the fountain at the Paddington Gate (corner Oxford St/Lang Rd) - about 50m down from the gate.

No car access after sunset through Park gates. Park your car outside during the Winter season.

Saturday morning

8am Centennial Park:
12K run

Run to the coast and back to the park. Meet near the fountain at the Paddington Gates (corner Oxford St/Lang Rd) - about 100m down from the gate.

Please see weekly E-news for full details.

9am Centennial Park:
CLUB 5K run / walk

Meet near the fountain at the Paddington Gates (corner Oxford St/Lang Rd) - about 50m down from the gate.

Breakfast at the Centennial Park caravan in good weather, or otherwise at a cafe after the run!

Sunday morning

Held weekly but special monthly runs are held in Iron Cove Bay and other locations such as Clovelly (in Summer so we can grab a swim post run) or Maroubra from time to time.

Individual program: Check weekly news page, call Wayne or get information on Saturday mornings in Centennial Park

Marathon training

Periodically, there is Marathon training for such events as ‘Six Foot Track’ or ‘Sydney Marathon’. Please check the weekly E-news for meeting time and route details. The group meets at Centennial Park and aim to finish the runs at 9.30am, in time for club announcements. Please email Gavin for more details.

Other Regular Events

Track & Field

Tuesday and Thursday:
Track training

6pm at ES Marks Field, Boronia St, Kensington. Fees apply.

Contact Matt Lynch for further information (+61 412 080 969).

Cycling

Sunday: Some of us cycle in (or from) the Park as as part of the regular training . Please be aware that these tours are not lead and therefore not covered by the club’s insurance.

Cycling, Swimming, Triathlon and Biathlon

Some Frontrunners are also members of Sydney’s swim- and triathlon clubs. Contact Cathy or Sally for details.

Frontrunners’ History

When did Sydney Frontrunners Begin?

I have been asked this question many times and I cannot give an actual date. A few years ago some of us spent some time doing research in an attempt to prepare archives on the club. From this research I guess that the Club grew from members of the Sydney Gay Sports Association who staged the first Mardi Gras Fun Run in February 1985. There was obviously a very strong cross membership between SGPA and Sydney Frontrunners.

The following article, which appeared in Campaign in April 1985, reports on the event.

SYDNEY: While to most the weather may have looked below standard, the morning of February 17 was ideal for running. This was the day of the first of Sydney Gay Sports Association’s fun runs.

The run started in Centennial Park and finished at the Gay Business Fair in Green Park. The field of 28 runners had to complete one lap of the park before making their way to Green Park via Moore Park Road, Fitzroy, Crown and Burton Streets. The run started on schedule at 11am with running times varying from 28 min to 43 min. The total length of the run was 7.8km.

All-round sportsperson Troy Cooper was first to the finish line and was declared overall winner. The winners of the different categories are listed below though unfortunately there were no women entrants in the under-25 and over-40 categories.

Men’s U25: Troy Cooper, 28 min; Men’s 25-40: Robert B, 29 min 50 sec; Men’s over 40: Ray G, 36 min 16 sec; Women’s 25-40: Liz V, 34 min 29 sec; Special; Doris Fish, 34 min 25sec.

Following the success of this run the SGSA organised two training runs for the City to Surf and also a Fun Run on the 23 June 1985 in Centennial Park as part of AIDS Awareness Week.

So when did Sydney Frontrunners form as a club - still none the wiser, but I did find an article in the Star Observer in September 1985 which claims that “Established for several years, Sydney Frontrunners usually make a regular run in Centennial Park early each Sunday.” Journalistic license perhaps?

Oral history seems to indicate that athletes returning from Gay Games 1 in 1982 may have formed a loose organization of runners which eventually became Frontrunners.

Dennis J