How to Nordic Walk with 75,000 Other People

Clutching your Nordic Walking poles, pack a bag, take a car, a plane, another car, a train, a ferry, another train followed by a short walk and you will find yourself near the Hyde Park Barracks in Sydney ready, with 75,000 other people, to walk the 14 kilometres of the annual Sydney City to Surf.

 Having taken part in a number of crowded events such as Auckland's Round the Bays, the Auckland, Rotorua and New York marathons, we feared that using the poles would be difficult at the very least.  Even joining the last group of 20,000 in the staged start meant that we were shuffling along, holding the poles out of the way, getting ready to head down William Street.

So it was with some surprise that after only 500 metres, we found that we had sufficient space to tentatively start using the poles.  Even more surprising was that we were passing people as we climbed up the first hill towards the Kings Cross Tunnel.

Sydney's City to Surf is billed as the largest fun run in the world.  (This is only possible as so many people don't formally enter the Round the Bays!!)  It is a dedicated fund raiser and this year almost $2 million was raised for a range of charities.  It follows a course through Elizabeth Bay, Double Bay and Rose Bay before heading up "Heartbreak Hill" to Vaucluse.  It turns south through Dover Heights to finish at Bondi.

The value of the poles was clearly evident as we powered past the many runners and walkers who found that Heartbreak Hill lived up to its name or who struggled on the undulating course.

About halfway through the course, June came upon Dwayne Fernandez.  Dwayne has had both legs amputated and walks on prosthetic legs.  He was finding the going tough.  He was lathered in sweat and his back was hurting as he rocked from side to side to bring his legs forward.

June offered him her poles and he willingly accepted.  Over the rest of the course, he received a one-on-one coaching session and quickly picked up the correct technique.  The transformation was truly amazing.  He began to harness the power in his upper body with the poles which  promoted a more normal walking style.  His upper body movement stabilised and he was able to generate a 'go forward' momentum through his arms to the poles.  His stride lengthened, the effort was reduced and the back pain disappeared.  He finished looking fresh and was an enthusiastic convert to Nordic Walking (he now has a pair of poles.) 

It is clear that in events with a large crowd, Nordic Walkers need to be mindful of the people around them.  The best strategy we found was to spot the gaps ahead and then accelerate through them, ensuring that there was sufficient space between the poles and the people behind before moving in front of them.   Where there was not sufficient space, the poles were simply lifted up and we walked without them.  The further into the event, the less often this was necessary.

At various points along the course there were spectacular views. The weather was fine, although chilly at the start.  (Yes, Sydney does have frosts!!)  As we came over the last hill into Bondi, the beach looked stunning.  The event was great and very well organised. 

There was a real interest in the poles from other participants - particularly as we were passing them!  If you are going to demonstrate the benefits of Nordic Walking, why not do it to 75,000 people at once?