THOUSANDS of runners, walkers and fancy-dressers will take in one of Newcastle’s most scenic coastal routes on Sunday, despite a change of course for the NewRun festival to avoid road works.
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The festival’s 10 kilometre run, the Newcastle Herald Hill to Harbour, will begin as normal at the foot of Memorial Drive, Bar Beach, in Empire Park and wind up Memorial Drive past the Strzelecki Lookout.
Runners will crest the hill and descend through King Edward Park, but road and structural works will prompt a detour through Watt, King and Pacific streets to slice off inaccessible parts of the coastline.
The race field will stream past Newcastle Ocean Baths and Nobbys beach, then run surrounded by ocean on the Nobbys breakwater, and finish on the Market Street lawn after a return leg through Honeysuckle and Queens Wharf.
The Hill to Harbour is the festival’s marquee run and starts at 8.30am. Runners will set off after some of the festival’s half marathon field, which starts at 7am, has finished.
A flatter 5 kilometre run starts at Queens Wharf at 7.50am, head east to Nobbys and double back along the Honeysuckle foreshore, while a “2K4Kids” starts at Queens Wharf at 10am.
Drink stations will be manned by Newcastle’s various social running clubs, such as the Newcastle Flyers, the all-female Night Striders, and the Wooters, known for their distinctive battle cry.
Dave Robertson, the Newy parkrun organiser, said the course stands out among Australian fun runs for its views and the steepness of its hill, and calls for shrewd tactics.
“You want to avoid going out too fast, which is something we all do. Having that hill there, in a way, forces you to pull your head in,” Mr Robertson said.
“But you can afford to be pretty out of breath when you get to the top of the hill, because you can get your breath back during the coast downhill through King Edward Park.”
Race novices at the start line, especially, tend to be overawed by the hill.
But most runners will finish the 10km within an hour and a half, Mr Robertson said, and won’t need any sustenance beyond a light breakfast.
“My advice would be don’t go too crazy the night before, and eat a banana or a bit of toast.”
Showers and 21 degrees are forecast for Newcastle on Sunday, but with an expected maximum 5mm of rainfall, most likely in the evening.
Daylight saving time ends at midnight on Saturday, meaning clocks are wound back one hour.
Online NewRun entries have closed, but runners can enter in person on Saturday and Sunday at Queens Wharf and Cooks Hill surf club. More details are at newrun.com.au.
Race results will be published on Sunday at theherald.com.au.
Newcastle road closures on Sunday for NewRun
The following streets will be closed for the Newrun festival between 5.30am and 11am on Sunday.
• Memorial Drive, Bar Beach, between Kilgour Avenue and High Street
• High Street, The Hill, between Memorial Drive and Anzac Parade
• Cliff Street and The Terrace, The Hill, between High Street and York Drive
• York Drive, Newcastle, between The Terrace and Reserve Road
• Reserve Road/Ordnance Street, Newcastle between Newcomen and Watt streets
• Watt Street, Newcastle between King and Ordnance streets (access to James Fletcher hospital will be maintained)
• Church Street, Newcastle, between Bolton and Watt streets
• King Street (westbound), Newcastle, between Watt and Pacific streets
• Pacific Street (southbound), Newcastle, between King and Ocean streets
• Ocean Street, Newcastle, between Pacific Street and Shortland Esplanade
• Shortland Esplanade, Newcastle East, between Ocean Street and Nobbys Road
• Zaara Street and Moroney Avenue, Newcastle East, between Scott Street and Shortland Esplanade
• Wharf Road, Newcastle, between Argyle Street and Nobbys Road
• Watt Street, Newcastle, between Scott Street and Wharf Road
• Horseshoe Beach Road and Pasha Way, Newcastle East, (including adjacent parking areas)