Sydney10 Stories
For many of us, this is the return of road racing for the first time in 2021. Over a thousand runners raced in the 5k and 10k events. Whether it was a PB or not, this experience certainly reignited the racing spirits within the community. The Ups and Downs – Jeff Chong
“In the end I finished around 75 seconds slower than my PB on a course where most people would run a PB. But that is what racing is all about - pushing yourself while finding that sweet spot to not blowing up, and learning from the ups and downs. And hopefully amidst the ups and downs, it’s an upward trend.”
– Jeff Chong
The Comeback – Daniel Baluyot
“After such a bad 2020, where I spent a good 8 months dealing with an autoimmune illness and then injury, it was a big confidence booster to be able to run 39 min off just two months of training back with the squad. The road season's just beginning and I've never been this fit early, so I'm excited for what's to come.”
– Daniel Baluyot
The Best Teammates – Jessica Burke
“Leading up to Sydney10, I wasn’t sure if I would be having the best race. Due to my work hours over the last few months, if I fit in a run during the day it would have to be either before work with a 4:45am wake up or 7:00pm after work. I had been struggling to find the motivation to run during these hours, especially since it was always dark outside.
Thankfully, I have a really supportive circle around me that allowed me to see this race as less of a chance to PB and more to just have fun, challenge myself and support my friends.
I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the day, and I was so surprised and touched by how many teammates stopped to cheer me on through the 10km route. It really helped me get through it all when I was hurting and more importantly showed me the most rewarding part of these races: teammates coming together to help each other reach their goals.
At the end of it all, I was actually rewarded with a huge and unexpected PB. It’s made me so happy that all the hard work put in during the runs in the early hours of the day have paid off! It was also fantastic to see so many teammates experience the same outcome.
I can’t wait to dig a little further into my training over the next few weeks to have more races like this.”
– Jessica Burke
Battling through the Mental Wall – Ji Sheng
“A year into my running journey towards an ultramarathon - I’ve collected a myriad of injuries and pulled out of races at the slightest hint of pain. Sydney 10 was going to be a measurement of my progress and a celebration after a month of injury-free training. At the 6km mark, I felt the dreaded pain in my right arch and quickly had to stop to massage my foot. I cried a little and complained a lot, but I fought through till the end. Although it physically wasn’t an ideal race, I’m certainly proud of myself for battling through the mental wall. It’s just another little step towards the torture that is ultra running ✌🏻”
– Ji Sheng
My First Experience as an Event Photographer – Natalie Wong
Hello, this is Nat 👋🏻 Thought I will share my experience at Sydney10 as a photographer.
This was my second time doing photography for road races. And this time I was asked to be one of the 5 official photographers.
My day started as early as the runners (5:30 am), I started working as soon as I got there, from warm-up (anxious faces), the starts (excited crowds), mid-race (runners zooming down the road), till the finish line (endless wave of runners coming down the track through the mist). As much as I love seeing awesome running forms and speed, I love those moments of pain and emotion at the end, as one finished with nothing left in the tank, also the joy and relief each one has as they celebrate with their friends and family.
The race might have ended before 10 am, but my day went on till midnight. I know it sounds stupid but why did I spend hours and days editing each photo when you aren't even paid extra for having ‘quality edited’ photos? But was it worth it?
This experience was more than that. I wish I was running out there too, but my time and effort brightened someone’s day, framed those special moments that their months and years of hard work led them to.
