He may be taking part in a Dubbo event this year, but it's another eight years before John Berry plans to visit the city.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Berry is the Dubbo Stampede's first international participant. He'll be taking part in the 10 kilometre Cheetah Chase - although hasn't ruled out going further and doing a half marathon - from Swindon in England.
"I passed through [Dubbo] in 1995 on a bus between Sydney & Broken Hill, but it would have stopped there in the middle of the night," Mr Berry said.
"You are on my list for a visit in the future though, as you're lucky enough to have a total solar eclipse heading your way in July 2028. I've seen seven total eclipses so far, from as far afield as South Africa, Libya, the USA and Mongolia, so if it looks like the skies will be clear in Dubbo, I could be also heading your way."
ALSO MAKING NEWS:
Having only seen Dubbo in the dark from a bus window it may seem strange he's taking part in the city's run. But Mr Berry found out about the event from Dubbo Stampede secretary Yvette McDonald, whom he met back in 1994 when they climbed Mount Kilimanjaro together.
"I saw on Facebook that the Stampede was being run as a virtual race this year and that it's possible to complete it anywhere in the world," Mr Berry said.
"I mentioned to Yvette that I was thinking of entering and she told me that I would be the first overseas person to do so if I did. That was enough to get me to enter - that plus the lure of possessing a very limited edition t-shirt."
Running events are nothing knew to the Swindon resident. He has been running since 2008 and likes to enter three or four races a year. While they're usually 10 kilometres, sometimes he does half marathons or an occasional cross-country run.
Mr Berry said he tried to run two or three times per week and it helped if he had an event to aim for.
"Now that lockdown is easing, my son, Isaac, is back at nursery making it easier for me to get back to the two or three times a week training. Some mornings I will run home after dropping him off at nursery in order to get 5km or so in before starting work," he said.
For his Stampede run, Mr Berry plans to follow the 10km route of cancelled race along a former railway close to his house. He won't be able to start his race at the Australian time - when it will be 11.30pm in the UK - but plans to complete the event on Sunday morning UK time.
"I think this year is the perfect year to get more international participants to participate in the Stampede because the main obstacle - getting to Dubbo - has been taken out of the equation," Mr Berry said.
"With mass-running events still not possible in many countries, it's a good way to get involved."
More information on the Dubbo Stampede is available on its website.