THE PUB TO PUB
A casual beer converstation sparked a race between pubs, bringing the community together.
The idea for the "Pub to Pub" run emerged when Alex Gorman, a local publican, and I met for a beer in autumn. Alex had recently opened a pub in Romsey, a town that hadn't had a pub for seven years. He had taken over the Lancefield Hotel two years prior and decided to open a new pub in Romsey, creating a pub in each town.
The Federation Trail, a rail trail-style track running along the roadside between the two towns, has existed for years. With the recent development of the Lanny Run Club, there was growing interest in running around the town. Alex and I, both new to the area and passionate about community building, thought of organizing a run between the two pubs. Inspired by the successful City to Surf run in Sydney, we aimed to create a local event that would bring the community together.
Our goal was to keep it local and attract around 50 to 100 participants. The event gained traction and provided everyone with something to look forward to at the end of winter. We planned the run for spring, allowing participants to run the familiar trail. Options included running from Lancefield to Romsey and back (Pub to Pub to Pub) or just from Romsey to Lancefield (Pub to Pub). There was also a 1.5k kids' run along the Federation Trail.
The event took place on a Sunday morning, encouraging everyone to participate, whether running or walking. Despite the bitterly cold weather, over 300 competitors joined in, creating a strong community vibe. There was a DJ, and I commentated as runners crossed the finish line. We held a presentation for the fastest runners and provided finishing bags with vouchers from our partners. The infamous trophy, a pot glass with the Pub to Pub logo, was awarded to participants, with a new design each year.
After the run, everyone gathered inside the pub for cold beers and meals, wrapping up the event by midday. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and the event opened people's eyes to new possibilities beyond traditional sports like footy and cricket. Special thanks go to the Lancefield Hotel and 1860 Romsey, particularly Ash and Alex Gorman, for organizing the event. Sponsors like Scratch Labs, Woodend Osteo and La Sportiva also contributed, making it a memorable day.
The Pub to Pub run was a fantastic community event that brought people together for a fun and active day. It may have been a million miles away from the World Tour peloton, but there just isn’t a much better combo than a bit of sport and a nice cold beer and a great group of people to do it with!
I couldn’t have been happier with how the first edition turned out and I hope that we can keep the event growing year on year, and we can see even more participants next year, whether they run fast or slow.
Do you want to get involved in the next event?
If you thought the Pub to Pub looked fun and you’d like to come along to the next Life in the Peloton event, then next month why not check out the very first Dirty Docker event in Lancefield?
On Saturday 12th October, we are kicking things off with a 4-6km Cross Country Run. Far from a straight, fast, race, this course includes plenty of obstacles, mud, and twists and turns, keeping things short and punchy!
If you're keen to go hard and give it a crack at the front, then this will test you. If however, you are just starting out then the aim is to have fun and to challenge yourself only as much as you want it to.
This will not be an officially sanctioned race, but closer to an exhibition where it’s all about getting you involved.
All you need is a pair of runners, so bring some along, and give it a try!
We will be having live music, a DJ and of course, a Bar with beer and wine being served! It’s going to be a fun festival, so come down for a run a ride or just to absorb the atmosphere!
Many will be camping the night of a Sunday morning, we will kick off the premier event and ride the best gravel roads up through the Cobaw Forest!
