Helping out at the City to Surf

The City to Surf is an annual 14km fun run from the centre of Sydney to Bondi Beach.  A huge community event with about 85,000 runners it raises millions of dollars for charity.  Let me try and paint you a picture of my involvement in the race this year…

It was Sunday so we pottered down for our regular harbour swim, getting across the main road before the race started.  The Fire Service Brass Band was set up (playing Eye of the Tiger) on the large traffic island in the middle of the road, building up the atmosphere and getting ready to entertain the crowd.

Had my usual dip and the lead runners sprinted past.  Suddenly caught a whiff of something about 400 metres away.  Off leash I looked at my owner and looked back toward the road wistfully.  Looked at her again, saw her coming towards me with the leash and raced off, nose in the air.  Dodged the normal park users, squeezed past the six-deep spectator crowd, bounded through the streaming runners (got kicked accidentally a few times) and onto the traffic island.

Driven mad by smells I wove in and out of the brass band (now playing Another one bits the dust), knocking over a few music stands and finally found the Fire Service barbeque men, who were handing out free hot dogs to the runners (many of whom were walking).  Quickly hoisted myself up on the hot plate and ate a metre of sausages. Chomp, chomp – a morning of careful grilling all gone.

A burly firemen with a handlebar moustache collared me with part of a fire hose until my frantic owner arrived on the scene, pushing past the race marshalls who were shouting at her to ‘get off the course’.

Was so happy to see her because I felt quite sick. Sat down and refused to move so the burly fireman picked me up and deposited me, through the throngs, on the other side of the road.  Lay down in a pained heap, spectators laughing at my owner (not me of course) and after about half an hour of coaxing headed slowly home.

Thankfully no news item stating ‘Labrador creates havoc in major running festival’ and no footage taken by the circling helicopter either.  Could have been a lead news story though…just another day in the life of Ruby.