THERE'S much more to the Mount Panorama Punish than a bunch of runners taking on the great heights of the city's most famous landmark, race director Jenn Arnold says.
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A group from Queensland who took part last year provided an example of how the event provides a number of spin-off benefits to the city.
A runner from Ipswich who had previously raced the Punish organised for a bunch of mates to take part as he did it again, according to Ms Arnold.
"So they got a mini bus, booked out three or four hotel rooms here in Bathurst and really made a weekend of it.
"They talked about going to the Beekeeper's Inn [on the Mitchell Highway at Vittoria] for brunch on one of the days and they'd organised three lanes for tenpin bowling, so they really made a weekend of coming out to Bathurst all the way from Ipswich."
The Mount Panorama Punish was recently announced as the recipient of a $20,000 grant from the NSW Government to be spent on marketing and Ms Arnold says that money will be used to keep up the event's momentum.
"This is the first time that we've been awarded the grant through [tourism body] Destination NSW," she said.
"We'd applied in previous years, but for one reason or another, this year was the winner.
"When it's all said and done, it's a boost to the local economy because that's where I spend the money on marketing."
Drawing people to the city, and the region, to take part in the event is satisfying because they "book hotel rooms and eat in restaurants and go to cafes and do some shopping and fill their car up with fuel and all those sort of things that make a difference to small businesses here in Bathurst", Ms Arnold said.
The 2024 edition will be the first since the death of Ms Arnold's partner and co-race director Stephen Jackson.
Mr Jackson died in hospital in Canberra on February 26, a day after he was involved in a single-vehicle car crash between Canberra and Bathurst.
Ms Arnold was also in the car and spent time in Canberra Hospital afterwards.
"He and I founded the Punish together, so we're sort of referring to it as the Stephen Jackson effect, with a lot of people wanting to come and support what he was doing, what we were doing together and to support our event," Ms Arnold said of the interest this year.
"Which is really lovely. It'll be a nice way to honour him and remember him.
"I've got some support from Sydney Striders. He was the president of Sydney Striders for some years - a running club in Sydney.
"They're being really supportive and helping me through it and offering a hand, so that's nice."
'Saw the potential'
SEVEN events in, Ms Arnold is not surprised by the success of the Mount Panorama Punish.
"To be honest, we [herself and Mr Jackson] saw the potential for it," she said.
"There's certainly lots of local fanatics that are keen to run around the Mount, but it's being able to run Australia's premier motor racing circuit, run the Mount, that is a pretty big drawcard.
"To have access to it without traffic is a really exciting time.
"There's hardcore runners who like to do it, but there's also hardcore motor racing fans who see the novelty of it, being able to race around the Mount."
The event attracts regulars, but also newcomers - such as the Ipswich contingent or a group from Wagga Wagga last year.
"Someone had run the Punish a couple of years - he used to live here in Bathurst and moved to Wagga," Ms Arnold said.
"So he then convinced all his new running mates that they had to come up.
"They all had team shirts made for the event. So that was nice to see."
As a Bathurst Regional Council Destination Event of the Year winner a number of times now, the Mount Panorama Punish aims to be worthy of that title, Ms Arnold said.
"It's not just people coming up for a one and done and spending their money on their entry fee and heading home again.
"We like to encourage people to see what else Bathurst has to offer.
"We've got dinner at Reckless Brewing the night before the Punish.
"We have bib collection there; people can collect their bibs and merchandise.
"But we make an event of it - encouraging them to stay for dinner and having dinner with us the night before the event.
"So there's lots of different ways that we encourage people.
"I know the Bathurst Spring Spectacular is on that same weekend that the Punish is on this year.
"So that will go into our mail-out through our participants to let them know what else is happening so they can really get the most out of their weekend, too.
"If they're travelling all this way to come to Bathurst, we want to make sure that they have lots of things to do to keep them occupied and entertained and have them spend their money a little bit."
Up and down
AND as for the advice for someone tackling the run for the first time?
"Just be a little bit conservative on the hill on the way up," Ms Arnold said.
"Don't blow yourself up so you have nothing left because the downhill is challenging as well.
"On our website, at panoramapunish.com, there are training tips from coach Wes from Run Riot, a coaching outfit here in Bathurst.
"I'm not a run coach, but certainly, one of Wes' first suggestions is to prepare for the hills."
It's a tough event, according to Ms Arnold, but rewarding.
"It's hard work. But the atmosphere and stuff is really, really fun.
"There's not a person who doesn't finish with a great big grin on their face, having conquered it."
