Blue Lake Fun Run

Organisers looking for more team entries from schools, community groups & businesses

Nominations are now open for the 2023 OneFortyOne Blue Lake Fun Run as organisers look to attract at least 1000 participants for this year’s event, which is set down for Sunday, November 26.

While they are hopeful of the usual influx of individual competitors the event has attracted since its inception in 2010, they are focussing on attracting more teams (10 or more partipants), returning to the halcyon days of pre-COVID events when a large number of schools, sporting clubs, community groups and businesses entered as teams in the event.

There is a $5 discount per entrant in a team entry.

2023 marks the second year of the half marathon course being part of the event, which doubles as a community fundraiser, handing out thousands of dollars to community groups and projects, and that is another aspect of the 2023 Blue Lake Fun Run than organisers are hoping will see an increase in participants.

The 2023 half marathon course has also been slightly altered from the inaugural course last year.

The original three distance events are again at the centre of the fun run with 10.4km (Warwar); 6.8km (Berrin) and 3.2km (Thugi Dash) on offer for everyone, whether they are serious runners looking to compete against the clock or whether a family, who wants to walk the course as a fun fitness activity.

It is, and always has been, an inclusive event catering for all fitness levels and is run by the Lakes Rotary Mount Gambier club.

Blue Lake Fun Run committee chair Mark Praolini has encouraged everyone interested in being part of the 2023 event to stay up to date with all information via the fun run’s website and social media channel.

Organisers are looking for more volunteers for the 2023 event.

“Rotary runs the event but you don’t have to be a Rotary member to get involved and help and we are hoping people from the community will put their hand up to come and help with this fantastic community event,” Mark said. “There are a number of jobs that need doing both before the day and also during the event.”

OneFortyOne is the event’s major naming sponsor, while the City of Mount Gambier is a major sponsor and Carlin and Gazzard is a Gold Sponsor, while there is a raft of other businesses and individuals that provide both financial and in kind support to ensure the event can be run.

Each of the four distance events also have sponsors – Empak Homes; the De Bruin Group; UniSA and Illumident.

Running singlets with a new design are on sale for the 2023 Blue Lake Fun Run, with EB Graphics having brought the new merchandise to life, with all participants receiving an environmentally friendly medal to commemorate their efforts at the end of the run.

There will also be the usual water and fruit station at the end of the run, with the usual onsite catering, including a coffee van at the Cave Gardens as well.

“We also really appreciate the support of Elders, who allow us to use their undercover carparking area,” Mark said.

There are prizes for competitors across all distances and organisers are also working on something special for the event’s youngest competitors (under 8).

Domestic violence, which is a focus of Rotary in 2023, will be one of the local causes to benefit from the proceeds of this community fundraiser.

“It is just such a great community event focussing on health and fitness but also raising funds for important community projects,” Mark said.

Head to the Blue Lake Fun Run to enter the 2023 event.