Steep street race up and running

By Dion Teasdale
WARBURTON Up and Running is, well, up and running again.
The community fun run event is back for its third consecutive year.
Following its success over the past two years, the event program has been expanded to become a two-day community festival.
This year, the event will be staged over the weekend of 4 and 5 March and it will incorporate four major races and a program of community activities.
There will be more than $6,000 worth of prizes to be won throughout the weekend, including air fares to compete in a community race in New Zealand later in the year.
Saturday, 4 March will see the staging of the Warburton Martyrs comprising a series of novelty and competitive races up Martyr Road, one of the steepest residential streets in the world.
Prizes for the open age event include return air fares for the fastest male and female to Dunedin, New Zealand, to take part in the Baldwin Street Gutbuster, New Zealand’s steepest street run.
In the lead up to the staging of the Warburton Martyrs at 6pm, a range of novelty races for children and school groups will be held, including an egg and spoon race, a bucket race and a race for residents in the 3799 postcode.
A community market featuring local produce, bargain stalls and activities for kids, including a jumping castle, merry-go-round, and face painting, will be staged near the bottom of Martyr Road from 2pm.
On Sunday, 5 March, two fun runs, one 10km and the other 5km, will be staged through Warburton township and along the Yarra River.
A 2km fun run for children under 14 and a 5km walk is open to all ages and will also be staged on the day.
“There will be some great prizes for the fun runs on the Sunday, including cash and accommodation packages worth $500,” event organiser David Allen said.
“There will also be a series of on-the-spot prizes awarded throughout the weekend, so a competitor might come in last in their race but still win something.”
Fellow event coordinator Jesse James said the event program has been expanded to add to its appeal.
“We’ve added the kid’s run and the 5km walk to this year’s program to entice more families to the event,” he said.
“We want people to see the event as a great opportunity to visit Warburton, spend the weekend checking out the town and be active and participate at the same time.”
Mr Allen said the event attracted about 300 competitors last year and organisers were confident of more this year.