2014 Gallipoli Fun Run

About the event:

Athletics WA and the Returned & Services League of Australia Limited (RSL) have developed a joint initiative named the BankWest Gallipoli Run which has been held annually on the nearest Sunday to ANZAC Day for the past eleven years. The event is designed to celebrate the ANZAC spirit where the community can show their support for the ANZAC tradition. The BankWest Gallipoli Run is a 5 mile (8 kilometre) event in recognition of the distance our ANZAC heroes were expected to march to achieve victory after landing at Gallipoli.

The event’s focus is family involvement and participation, offering an opportunity to reaffirm Western Australia’s involvement in healthy and enjoyable physical recreation.  Part proceeds from the BankWest Gallipoli Run are donated to the RSL and Legacy, in keeping with the ANZAC spirit.

The Cooper Partners Team:

 Cooper Partners had a team of 8 participants on the day. All put in a great effort on the day and posted fantastic times, which they should be proud to have achieved.

Tales from the day:

 As families enjoyed early morning breakfasts in the park around us, we warmed up for the event with star-jumps and lunges under the direction of some Western Force players who were doing their best impressions of drill sergeants training an army before battle. After the playing of the last post and a moments silence, at the sound of the starters gun we leapt into action. Well, maybe not “leapt”, instead we slowly shuffled along with the crowd, trying to find some free space to kick out our strides, getting into sync with the playlists streaming into our earphones.

We bravely battled what felt like never-ending steep and treacherous terrain, although in reality was not much more than a long (never-ending!), gentle upward sloping road with a few twigs and leaves scattered here and there, enjoying the unseasonably warm morning sun beating down on us on our run through Kings Park, as we focussed ahead on the much promised downhill leg of the run, before taking to the second lap of the course – uphill again!

Calls of encouragement were shared amongst the team as we spotted each other in the pack, and after 8km, with almost another kilometre thrown in for good measure, at last the finish arches were in sight, and it was a good feeling to run down the final leg towards the finish line, being cheered upon by our fellow team members that had already crossed the line.

All in all, a fantastic effort by every participant, and we are proud to have been represented in this event by so many of our own staff.