{"id":118069,"date":"2025-12-12T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/ballarat\/?p=118069"},"modified":"2025-12-11T10:11:34","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T23:11:34","slug":"on-your-marks-for-healthy-christmas-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/ballarat\/news\/on-your-marks-for-healthy-christmas-party\/","title":{"rendered":"On your marks for healthy Christmas party"},"content":{"rendered":"

THIS Sunday will see runners converge on Victoria Park in festive dress-ups for the inaugural Christmas Fun Run organised by the Ballarat Run Club.<\/p>\n

Race distances include a 420-metre micro-marathon for children aged six and under, to a 13-kilometre event, and all funds raised will support the Ballarat Health Services Foundation and Foodbank Victoria.<\/p>\n

Event director Adam McNicol said he is expecting about 250 participants and is hoping to expand the event in coming years.<\/p>\n

“We’re pitching the event as Ballarat’s healthiest Christmas party and that’s where we think over the next few years this event can really grow,” he said.<\/p>\n

“I think there’s a lot of interest with organisations like schools or healthcare providers who are always racking their brains for what they can do as a Christmas party.<\/p>\n

“That’s where we think this idea can really take off. Not everyone needs to run; it’s in Victoria Park, a beautiful place, you can spread out a picnic blanket.”<\/p>\n

Led by the organisers of the Ballarat Marathon, the event will provide a chance for participants to chat to experts about how to best prepare for the event and to ask questions.<\/p>\n

Free 16-week marathon training plans are available on the Ballarat Marathon<\/a> website and begin on Monday 5 January.<\/p>\n

“A local business called Runners Prep is putting the plans together and they will have a tent at the fun run where people can go up and ask them questions to get some advice on their training,” Mr McNicol said.<\/p>\n

“There’s a lot of people that come into running who are new to it, there might be people who have done a five-kilometre or a 10-kilometre before and they want to train for a half-marathon.<\/p>\n

“They are all great runners and really great people to chat to.”<\/p>\n

To register for the Christmas fun run visit ballaratfunrun.au<\/a> or sign up on the day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THIS Sunday will see runners converge on Victoria Park in festive dress-ups for the inaugural Christmas Fun Run organised by the Ballarat Run Club. Race distances include a 420-metre micro-marathon for children aged six and under, to a 13-kilometre event, and all funds raised will support the Ballarat Health Services Foundation and Foodbank Victoria. Event […]<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":211,"featured_media":118072,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-118069","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOn your marks for healthy Christmas party - Ballarat Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Run, jog, or walk! Join the inaugural Christmas Fun Run Ballarat at Victoria Park. Distances for all ages, supporting local charities. 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