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Revealed: the Sydney suburbs with the fastest City2Surf runners
By Matt Bungard
People come from all parts of both Australia and abroad to run the City2Surf, but which suburbs of Sydney run it in the fastest time?
The question takes on extra significance this year in the first ever "virtual" City2Surf, in which thousands of runners will chart their own 14 kilometre course in their suburb or hometown.
Nicole Maron, who is doing the virtual City2Surf this year, runs at Queenscliff Beach.Credit: Brook Mitchell
While elite runners can clear the course in less than three minutes a kilometre, the average pace for a casual but regular runner would hover between four-and-a-half and six minutes a kilometre.
The average pace in each postcode is dragged down by the large number of people who choose to walk the course. Only two postcodes managed to clock in at under seven minutes a kilometre, with Manly the fastest suburb in 2019, at an average of six minutes and 38 seconds a kilometre.
The 2021 postcode, which encompasses Moore Park and Paddington, was second, at six minutes and 55 seconds.
Fastest City2Surf runners by Sydney postcode
- 2095 – Manly (6 mins, 38 seconds per km)
- 2021 – Moore Park, Paddington (6:55)
- 2010 – Surry Hills, Darlinghurst (7:02)
- 2042 – Newtown, Enmore (7:02)
- 2026 – Bondi (7:04)
- 2011 – Woolloomooloo, Potts Point (7:04)
- 2034 – Coogee (7:05)
- 2024 – Bronte (7:08)
- 2031 – Randwick (7:12)
- 2016 – Redfern (7:12)
The suburbs in NSW which had the most number of people registered over the past 20 years were Bondi, Randwick, Surry Hills and Darlinghurst, and postcode 2065 which includes St Leonards, Crows Nest and other suburbs in northern Sydney.
Nicole Maron, 41, is a Manly local who rekindled a love of running after leaving school. She first competed in 2005, and has completed the race eight times since. She has run with family, friends and the Manly Beach Running Club. Last year she clocked the very respectable time of one hour, 19 minutes and 19 seconds.
"Normally when I'm training well I go early in the morning, and even at like 5am there are people out running in Manly - and a couple of hours later, it's even busier," Ms Maron said. "If you're going to do any fun run, why not do the best one available? It's such an iconic race."
Ms Maron says she is yet to map out a course for this year's virtual race, which takes place on October 18. "I'm torn between making it easy for myself or running with some hills," she says.
She also gave a special mention to her two sons, Owen, 9, and Eddie, 7.
"They help keep me training and often run a couple of kilometres with me," she said. "We love to run together and I can't wait to run the City2Surf with them when they're older."
Owen and Eddie will join an existing 2,256,375 people have registered for the City to Surf between 1971 and 2019, running a combined distance of more than 31.5 million kilometres.
People representing 82 different countries have participated in the City to Surf since 2000, with New Zealand, USA, UK, Hong Kong and Singapore the top five for international entrants.
More than 120 people overseas have signed up to run this year's "virtual" City2Surf in their country.
Event organisers Ironman Australia partnered with SAP to analyse data from the last 49 years of the event to provide insights into the world's largest fun run. Entries are open now for The Sun-Herald City2Surf, which will be held on October 18.