‘They’ll think you’ve lost the plot’: Why an iconic Adelaide event was nearly a false start

The City-Bay Fun run attracts tens of thousands of runners and spectators every year. But the man who created the iconic SA event was forced to train in the cover of darkness. Here’s why.

It’s an SA institution that attracts tens of thousands of runners every September.

But when Bob Clarke came up with the concept of a City-Bay fun run in 1973, jogging was such an obscure past-time he wouldn’t train until after dark for fear of being seen by his neighbours.

For among the genteel folk of Adelaide at the time, running was seen as an activity for either criminals or the criminally insane, and there was no way Mr Clarke’s family wanted anyone to discover his new passion.

“When Dad first started training to do a marathon, my mother used to say to him: ‘Oh Bob, you can’t be seen by the neighbours going out running – they’ll think you’ve lost the plot’,” Mr Clarke’s son Peter recalls.

“I was just not something that you did back in the mid 60s. But things started to change in the 70s, and almost a craze started to develop.”

Bob Clarke came up with the concept of a City-Bay fun run in 1973. Picture: Tait Schmaal.

It’s a craze that the event Bob Clarke instigated has helped fuel and organisers of this year’s 50th running of the City-Bay have set their sights on attracting 50,000 participants.

That number is a far cry from the 1600 or so who gathered in front of Adelaide Town hall for the inaugural event in November, 1973, just 11 weeks after Mr Clarke came up with the concept.

Bob Clarke was 41 when he took up running in 1966, with an aim to prevent the middle-age spread that afflicts so many. He ran his first marathon later that year, joined Adelaide Harriers and in June, 1973, floated with the idea of a mass-participation fun run from Adelaide to Glenelg.

He took the idea to SA Amateur Athletics Association but they couldn’t help because such an event would breach strict amateur codes, so he created his own committee – and one of the favourite annual events on the SA calendar came to life.

“He loved running, but his motivation was multifaceted,” Bob Clarke’s son Peter told the Sunday Mail.

“He wanted to get more people involved in doing fitness activities and he wanted to bring it in as a family event, where family, friends, work colleagues … everybody could participate.”

For Peter Clarke, now 71, his siblings Geoff, 75, and Brian, 66, the Luminary City-Bay Fun Run is an annual and sometimes emotional reminder of the legacy their father left the state.

Bob Clarke pictured with a painting of the event. Picture: Supplied.

This year, the 50th running of the event, will be even more special than usual. About 25 family members will don commemorative shirts and participate in the event’s 6km walk.

Bob Clarke died in 2016 aged 91. He was 73 when he ran his last City-Bay, which he completed in 59 minutes – a remarkable time for his age.

He also ran in the first two events despite carrying the responsibility of being race director. Peter Clarke remembers his father taking to the microphone to address the runners from the Adelaide Town Hall balcony before rushing down with 30 seconds to spare and joining the throng.

The 1974 City-Bay was an extra special one for the Clarke family, when Bob and his three sons all competed. Bob, of course, was the first of the quartet to arrive at Glenelg.

By 1975, the combination of entrant and race director became too much, and Bob Clarke concentrated on organising the event for the next decade before returning as a competitor until his last run in 1998.

The idea for the City-Bay came when Mr Clarke saw the success of Sydney’s City2Surf, which started in 1971.

“I thought, well, if they can do it, we could do with one here,” he later said. “I thought we could get more people involved in athletics, we might be able to raise a dollar or two, so I spread the word that we should have a fun run.”

Mr Clarke hooked up with John Fischer, general manager of News Corp’s afternoon newspaper The News, who jumped at the chance to get behind the event. The News, and its sister paper the Sunday Mail, have supported the City-Bay ever since.

John Fisher presenting the 1982 City-Bay Fun Run cheque to SA Athletics Association president, Lloyd Snelling (c) Bob Clarke.

Mr Clarke’s tenacity in creating such a big event in the space of 11 weeks is a source of wonder for current organisers, who start their planning process 12 months out.

The scope of Mr Clarke’s achievement is detailed in a new documentary by Adelaide filmmaker Johnny Taranto which will air on Channel 9 on Sunday.

Radio personality Ryan Fitzgerald host the show, called City-Bay: 50 Years and Running, which also features Olympian Jess Stenson, three-time winner Grenville Wood and archival footage and pictures dating back to the first event.

Mr Taranto said the City-Bay was another example of Adelaide punching above its weight.

“On a per-capita basis, the City-Bay is arguably the most popular fun-run in the world,” he said.

“To think that this is all attributable to the vision, motivation and unshakeable determination of one man in 1973 makes this story even more remarkable.”

Chairman Daniel Chaffey Hartwig said the City-Bay board commissioned the documentary to mark the 50th running of the event.

“When we had a look back through all the Sunday Mail and news archives, and the Channel 9 footage, I think everyone was a bit overwhelmed with what was found,” he said.

“Just trying to get it all into one place has been an incredible unearthing of treasure. The final product shows the immediate enthusiasm that Adelaide had for the event, right from 1973.

“And it captures the fun of it more than anything, and shows once and for all that it’s not an elite running race, but a community – it’s a real community-owned event.

Mr Chaffey Hartwig, who ran his first City-Bay in 1990, said the run was one of the most inclusive events in SA.

“I think it just goes to show the power of one person’s idea,” he said. “It has touched probably about 1 million participants by now, not to mention all the charities and everything else that benefits from the run these days.

“I don’t think Bob would have any idea how big the legacy would end up being.”

City-Bay: 50 Years and Running will screen at 4.30pm on Sunday, July 21 on Channel 9.

Tens of thousands of runners and walkers are expected to turn out for the 50th running of the beloved event, supported by the Sunday Mail. Participants can opt for the classic 12km, as well as 3km, 6km and halfmarathon distances, and raise fund for charity. All will earn a souvenir medal. Register now.