Run for the Kids is one of Melbourne's great mass-participation mornings, run each autumn from Docklands in support of the Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal. Since 2006 it has raised more than $24 million for the hospital, which is the whole point of the day for most of the field.
The draw is the route. The long course (about 14.4km) gives you a once-a-year run over the Bolte Bridge and through the Domain Tunnel, road you would otherwise only ever drive, before winding back through Kings Domain to the finish. The short course (about 4.7km) keeps the Bolte Bridge and suits families and first-timers. Both start and finish in Docklands.
It runs on a wave start, so enter early and give an honest predicted time to land in the right group. Public transport into Docklands is the simplest way in on race morning, with the gardens of Kings Domain a pleasant place to recover once you are done.
