That’s the message from Greater Bank Dubbo Fun Run coordinator Jane Fardell, with the 2017 event at Barden Park designed to accommodate runners of all abilities, Olympians to beginners. 

Rio Olympian Ben St Lawrence will be at the run, but Fardell is anticipating the event – which will be running races in two kilometre and four kilometre distances – will attract plenty of first-time runners and those who are keen to get back into recreational running.

In fact, that’s the idea.

“We really want to get everyone down to have a look at the new athletics track, have a run on it and understand it’s not just there for runners with spikes and Olympians … we’re trying to get rid of that stigma. This facility, it’s there for everyone,” Fardell said.

“Athletics NSW has been running a program for the last few months designed to get people who used to be involved in recreational running, back into the sport.

“It happens, people take a break from it for whatever reason, and never get back into it.

“We want to encourage those runners, and anyone who wants to come down and have a look at the venue, to come down on Sunday … come and do something different on Sunday morning.”

St Lawrence will be at the event to help Fardell run the day, with the fun run part of the RunNSW series, one that consists of 17 races across NSW, involving more than 19,000 participants, and one the 2016 Olympian is helping coordinate. 

The series is held predominantly in regional NSW, with runners from across the state expected to flood Dubbo.

The 2km run (five laps of the track) will start at 8am, while the 4km (10 laps of the track) distance begins at 9am.

Both races will begin in waves, with the first wave set to run for prizes, the second for avid park runners and the third waves will be for new runners, or fun runners.

Fardell said the emphasis on Sunday’s run was community participation, adding you don’t need to be a world class athlete to the first class facility the city has in the form of Barden Park.

“We really want to see people who used to love their running get back into it and Sunday is a great place to start,” Fardell said.

“Who knows, you complete the two kilometre run, then next is the four kilometre and then it grows from there.

“It’s about getting in there and having a go and, for us, showing everyone in Dubbo what a great facility we have here for everyone.”

Registrations will be open until Sunday, with running to kick-off at 8am.