Last Minute City2Surf Tips from a True Blue Champion

By Madeleine Gray on August 10, 2016 in People

Are you a runner, or just someone who likes to watch others suffer? Either way, this is the month for you. Come August 14, Sydney’s streets will once again be chock-a-block with sweaty-chested Lycra wearing runners battling it out in the annual City2Surf.

These days it seems as though you can’t throw a jalapeno without hitting a marathon or charity race in Sydney, but there is no question that the City2Surf is the jewel in the fun run crown.

Established in 1971, the race sees amateurs and elite athletes alike strut their stuff all the way from Hyde Park to Bondi Beach. It’s now the biggest fun run of its kind in the world, and races have hosted up to 80,000 competitors in previous years.

27 year-old local legend Lara Tamsett has won the race both times she has competed in it (2010 and 2012), so she’s a chick who knows where it’s at when it comes to taking on the 14 kilometre course.
She stresses that what makes the City2Surf different to any other race in the world is “the fact that you are cheered from start to finish”.

So how early do you have to start preparing if you want to have a real crack at securing the title?
“I will factor in the demands of the race about three months out, and start incorporating that into my training,” Ms Tamsett told The Beast.

According to Ms Tamsett, doing extra hill work in the months leading up the C2S is crucial.
“You have to get ready for Heartbreak Hill,” she said.

And no, that doesn’t mean getting a chocolate shot from Perfection Chocolates at the base of the famous Rose Bay incline.

Ms Tamsett believes a non-elite athlete can get fit enough to finish the race in six to 12 weeks, so if you’re yet to start training, you could be in for some pain.

“Obviously, the longer and harder you train, the faster you will go on race day,” she said.

If you want to imitate the diet of a champion, Tamsett reveals that her go-to pre-race brekky is a banana on toast with honey.

In terms of strategy, if you’re an amateur, just try not to pass out. If you’re in it to win it, it’s best to heed Ms Tamsett’s advice.

“If it looks like it will be a close race, I will generally sit in the lead pack, and try and conserve my energy as much as possible for a strong finish,” she said.

“If it’s just me against the clock, I will work out my target time and splits before, and make sure I run an even-paced race. I would also try and sit off a few men to help pull me through.”

Ms Tamsett isn’t racing this year due to a few injury setbacks, and neither are a bunch of top athletes who’ll be over in Rio, so that means that the title could realistically be yours for the taking (at least until Tamsett triumphantly returns next year).

So pick a charity – the Black Dog Institute’s ‘Exercise Your Mood’ initiative is a Tamsett favourite – and get running. We’ll greet you with a cold beer at the end.