The Bloody Long Walk

The Bloody Long Walk is back on Sunday 23 August, with a 35km course from Belmont to Foreshore Park. It's one of those Newcastle events that's become a bit of a local fixture, and this year it's raising funds for the Mito Foundation.

If you're not familiar with the cause, the Mito Foundation supports research and care for Australians affected by mitochondrial disease. It's a debilitating genetic condition that robs the body's cells of energy, and the money raised goes toward helping people living with it. That's the core of the day: every kilometre you cover helps fund that work.

The course itself takes in a good stretch of the region. You'll start at Belmont and work your way through the Fernleigh Track, then on to the city streets and along the coastline before finishing at Foreshore Park. It's 35 kilometres in total, but the whole point is that you take it at your own pace. You can walk, jog or run, and you can do it solo or as part of a team. There are checkpoints and volunteers lined up along the route to keep you going, and the day is known as much for the community atmosphere as for the physical challenge. It's as much about the people you'll be doing it with as the distance you're covering.

Entry is A$99, and the walk is on Sunday 23 August, from Belmont to Foreshore Park.