Great Anzac Run 2008 - Gallipoli to London
It has been said that the sum total of those who went before us are reflected in the values and attitudes of subsequent generations. Such is the case with those first ANZAC’s that landed on foreign shores all those years ago. It is the belief of the Melbourne Fire Brigade Charity Running Club that the sacrifice and commitment made by our forbears must be reaffirmed and honoured by this and subsequent generations to ensure that the flame that was kindled in Gallipoli and exploded in the field on the Western Front burns bright in the hearts and minds of every Australian today irrespective of where they came from.
The Melbourne Fire Brigade Charity Running Club is committed to ensure that this flame is never extinguished and to that effect the club has over the last 3 years organised a Charity run from the Australian War Memorial in Canberra culminating at the MCG on the traditional Essendon Collingwood clash. For these efforts in 2006 the RSL bestowed upon the running club the “ANZAC of the Year Award”, an award that every member of the club holds dear to their heart.
In 2008 the club, in honour of those who went before and to ensure that their collective memories are never lost, will undertake an epic journey running from Gallipoli to London through the fields of Flanders and the holy battlegrounds that Australians fought and died in. We do this to ensure that as a community we never forget the foundations upon which our privileged lifestyle is based, and to ensure that these sacrifices are never, never taken for granted.
To help promote the run, we are gaining airplay on 3AW though David Mann, and Channel 9 will be following some of our training runs which will take place in such places as the Dandenong’s and other mountainous locations, and at the Essendon and Collingwood Football clubs who will be giving us motivational and nutritional talks. We will also be attending a ceremony given by the Lord Mayor John So and may also be having a sportsman night with such people as Cathy Freeman (who will be joining the run), Eddie McGuire, Ron Barassi and others of this ilk. We are in discussion with Channel 10 regarding a direct cross from ANZAC Cove in Gallipoli on the morning of ANZAC day and have the possibility of Channel 7 also doing a weekly ‘catchup’ on Sunrise to see how we are all going. The website will contain a ‘blog’ and at this stage, will be updated daily with current location and events occurring along the way. The run is expected to go for 22 days (April 25-May 17) and the team members going number 40 people in total:
- 28 Runners
- 8 Run/Support
- 4 Museum staff (driving an antique Hotchkiss Pumper)
