WARM, blustery and occasionally dusty conditions on Sunday didn’t deter hundreds of people from Coonamble’s first Colour Run, a new twist to the annual Walk the Loop fundraiser for the Cancer Survival Fund.
Outside the Coonamble Golf Club, branded merchandise was on sale along with the usual cakes and plant stall.
Before the runners, walkers and the odd few in golf buggies were allowed to depart, a warm-up Zumba session was held by Tracy and Erica from Dubbo.
They were assisted by Mark Vaughan, Luke Browne, Aaron West, Mark Ewers, Josh Gersohn who also led the boys in a dance-off.
Master of Ceremonies, Matthew Cock introduced 2017 Citizen of the Year Andrew Shearer who pointed out the level of commitment by the volunteers to make our community a better place to live.
The crowd was chomping at the bit to get moving so the first group who were keen to run the course, were led out by Brittany Baker. The rest of the field departed in groups of thirty or so and people of all ages, including many families, headed out.
A series of five obstacles and seven colour stations had been set up around the golf course, all manned by a team of additional volunteers amounting to about thirty new hands on deck.
The obstacles involved a tyre run, a crawl under low ropes, climbing a big pile of black dirt followed by a shimmy through a tunnel of tarpaulins, a zig zag between 44-gallon drums, wrestling a parachute in the sand bunkers, a rope maze and finally a step through some big tractor tyres.
At station five, RFS volunteers Marty Harrison and Neal Coombes gave people a freshen-up with the fire hose and at each station participants were egged on by the volunteers who dowsed them with colour.
Those seeking a calmer experience took a spectator stroll around the course.
Committee member Anne Mackay was apprehensive about the supplies of the luminous coloured powder to be expertly squirted by the volunteers.
“I ordered enough for 120 people,” she said “And by 10.30 we’d had 350 registrations.”
As it turned out the powder stocks lasted the distance with enough left over for a massive colour throw at the end.
The five kilometre course seemed to take no time, despite a vigorous head wind and dust.
Participants were welcomed back to the golf club by the smells of the Lions Club barbeque and Smartkids popcorn and donuts.
Mrs Wh11ppy’s icecream van had a constant queue.
A final Zumba session and the group colour throw really made sure that there were few cleanskins in the vicinity.
The tally of registrations on the day was close to 370 people, a record for the Walk the Loop.
Treasurer of the Cancer Action Group Anne Mackay says the day provided a welcome injection of funds for the Cancer Survival Fund with around $12,000 raised before costs.
“The Committee were just amazed at the turnout,” said Mrs Mackay.
“We normally get around 150 people to the Walk the Loop,” she said.
“People came from Lightning Ridge, Walgett and Armatree.”
“And we’re grateful to everyone who helped us, especially Coonamble Golf Club who were such good sports.”
It was clear that an enormous amount of behind-the-scenes work had been done ahead of the day.
According to Mrs Mackay the help just kept coming.
“There were even a few sneaky people who went around the course afterwards and picked everything up before our ‘official’ cleanup team could get there,” she said.
“It was all cleaned up so the golfers could tee off at 1pm.”
“We’ll definitely do it next year.”
Mrs Mackay has hinted that the organisers are already discussing how they will ramp up the fun factor for the 2018 event.
No doubt a number of participants weren’t allowed in the car and had to walk some extra distance to get home and many mothers will be wondering about the promised ease of removal of the colour from skin, hair and clothes.
