FOUNDERS OF CIVIC2SURF

A message from Jack Bennetto and Evan England - co-founders of Civic2Surf

The idea of Civic2Surf first came to be on a journey from Sydney to Canberra.  Evan was pondering the ridiculous distance it was to fly (and the expense!) so having heard Seb Robertson speak about mental health at an event earlier in the year Evan and Jack decided that it was not only a great challenge but a great cause to attempt to run home to Bondi at the end of the year for the newly formed charity Batyr. They gathered three extra suckers in Harry Bennetto, Calder Hamil and Bronti Ness and set about planning and fundraising with a grand total of six weeks to train and prepare for the run, all during exam time. At the end of the run, everyone was battered and bruised but proud having bonded together through the toughest physical challenge they could have imagined.  

Just when they thought it was over Seb put forward a video unbeknown to them asking what was in store for next year…Here the Civic2Surf Relay, an event open to all passionate people was born. After arduous planning, route taking,  sweating on police approval, the event kicked off and was a huge success. The excitement, funds, and attention all helped in building a legacy of breaking the stigma of mental health along the way. The event has never looked back since with some great additions and stories added on over the years.