While security measures have forced the cancellation of this year's Bendigo Bank Fun Run, organisers are determined to find a way to bring it back in the future.
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Bendigo Health fundraising advisory board chairman Scott Elkington said organisers would continue to look at ways to ensure the run could be held again.
"We're committed to continuing the fun run, but we've got to find viable ways of doing it," Mr Elkington said.
He told the Bendigo Advertiser the measures were considered necessary to ensure optimum safety for the public at the event.
"People's safety's got to be first and foremost," he said.
The measures were based on documents that included Victoria Police's counter terrorism strategy and the Australia-New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee's guidelines on hostile vehicles in crowded places.
Part of the cost would have been for the installation of bollards, which would have stretched into the tens of thousands of dollars.
Mr Elkington said the course also required 40 vehicles, including trucks, to be placed along it - which brought other challenges.
The organising committee looked at other options, he said, such as moving the run to a time when another event was on to capitalise on infrastructure already in place or rearranging the course, but did not have time on its side.
Earlier this year, the Bendigo District RSL branch president Peter Swandale expressed concern about the financial impost of such new measures on community groups when the Bendigo and Eaglehawk Anzac Day marches were rerouted to allow for concrete safety barriers.
City of Greater Bendigo chief executive officer Craig Niemann said the major cost associated with the new measures was the movement of barriers.
Mr Niemann said the council - which had had to introduce new security measures during events already this year, including Australia Day and the Easter celebrations - continued to work on managing events while meeting safety requirements.
It was disappointing the run was cancelled, he said, but the council understood the difficulty of the decision and why it was made.
EARLIER: THE cost of anti-terror measures to protect runners from possible attacks by vehicles will stop the 2019 Bendigo Bank Fun Run from going ahead.
The event has been running for the past 12 years as Bendigo Health Foundation's major yearly fundraiser.
It is the first time the anti-terror steps have been required.
Bendigo Health fundraising advisory board chair Scott Elkington said a course of its size, which used public roads, was difficult and costly to secure.
He said the cost of implementing new anti-terror measures meant the event was not feasible as a fundraiser.
The time required to set up and pack down barriers was another consideration.
"We are disappointed that this great event is being cancelled but safety is the number one priority," Mr Elkington said.
The fun run was planned for November and registrations were to open this month.
Last year's fun run attracted more than 2000 participants and raised more than $86,000.
The event was to include a relay and runs of 21.1 kilometres, 15 kilometres, 10 kilometres and five kilometres.
This year, the focus of the run's fundraising efforts was to be Bendigo Health's mental health services.
Mr Elkington thanked the event's sponsors for their support, particularly naming sponsor Bendigo Bank and the City of Greater Bendigo.
"A special thank you all our volunteers and our long time course director, Hunter Gill, who worked tirelessly for many years to create a great course and a wonderful event for our community," he said.
He said there were a number of other fundraising ideas to ensure the foundation could buy specialised equipment for the hospital.
Bendigo Bank sponsored the event. A spokesperson said the bank had supported the fun run for more than a decade.
"While we respect the decision and are disappointed the event has been cancelled, we look forward to continuing to support the Bendigo Health Fundraising Advisory Board and Bendigo Health patients through other initiatives such as Bendigo Bank House," the spokesperson said.
Mr Elkington said the fundraising team would soon launch a new raffle via its Facebook page to raise money.
Take a trip down memory lane
Look back at the fun runs from the past seven years
2018: Thousands of runners took to Pall Mall in a riot of colour for the annual Bendigo Bank Fun Run. Nine-year-old Maurice Nihill might be young but that didnt stop him coming second in the five-kilometre run.
2017: An emotional Kirsty Williams cheered on about 100 participating family members from beside the course, many of whom wore shirts with the message #runforjude. The contingent ran in memory of Kirsty's aunt, Jude Eddy, who died from breast cancer in May this year. The late Ms Eddy ran the first ever Bendigo event, shortly after she was diagnosed with the disease.
2016: Sporadic showers and pesky mosquitoes could not wipe the smiles off the faces of participants and supporters alike at the Bendigo Bank Fun Run. This year saw a new event added to the schedule to pay tribute to a much-loved member of the local athletics and sporting community. The Tracy Wilson relay saw teams of four share the distance of 21.1 kilometres in memory of Mr Wilson, who died of cancer.
2015: Runners tackling the new half-marathon course were the first to leave the Pall Mall starting line at 7am. Hundreds of runners of all ages and abilities lined up for the annual fun run.
2014: The Bendigo Bank Fun Run was more than just a running race. The event brought a whole community together at the weekend. Rex Walker dressed up as Spiderman. "The full lycra suit made me cut through the air and go faster," Mr Walker joked. "Super heroes don't always win but they get involved.
More to come
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