The Ballina Athletics Club has started its winter series of weekly cross country runs at Shelley Beach and is expecting up to 300 regulars in its 41st year.
‘Our first run was at the end of March and 200 runners registered. We expect this to build up to 300,’ the club’s Janice Saxby said.
‘We have three distances: one, three or six kilometres that take in the beach and some hills. The long run goes out to Flat Rock and takes in some of the new shared path as well.
‘People are welcome to walk or run any distance, and we have a handicap system to determine the results across all distances.’
Janice has been with the club since it reformed in 1980 and is looking forward to celebrating its 41st birthday, after cancelling last year’s activities owing to COVID-19.
‘We used to take our children along in the early days, and we just kept going on with it,’ she said.
The runs take place each Sunday, rain, hail or shine.
‘Sometimes it can get a bit trying, but people know it is always going to be on,’ Janice said.
All are welcome to join in and are encouraged to bring everything they will need on Sunday mornings from 8.30am.
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