PRESS RELEASE: Records Fall and Spirits Rise at Run the Tan 2025

Records Fall and Spirits Rise at Run the Tan 2025

Melbourne’s iconic Tan Track came alive on Sunday as Run the Tan 2025 delivered a thrilling day of elite competition, grassroots participation, and community celebration — all in support of mental health.
Now firmly established as a highlight on the Australian running calendar, the event attracted elite athletes, para champions, celebrities, and over a thousand community participants to showcase the power of sport for good.

🏆 Elite Showcase: Fast, Fierce, and Record-Breaking – The Elite Men’s race saw a photo finish with Jack Bruce clocking 10:23.06, closely followed by Callum Davies (10:23.37) and Edward Marks (10:24.20) — all registering all-time Top 10 performances. In the Elite Women’s event, Olympian Linden Hall stormed to victory in 11:35.85, equalling her position in the all-time top three. She was joined on the podium by Lauren Ryan (11:48.00) and Taylor Werner (12:01.09).

♿ Elite Para Showcase: New Heights for Para Athletics – Michael Roeger (T46) stole the show in the Elite Para Showcase, setting a new all-time Para record of 10:56.28 (MCS% 34.51) and earning a $5,000 prize, reflecting Run the Tan’s commitment to equal prize money for all athletes. He was followed by Jaryd Clifford (T12) in a personal best 11:05.23, and Annabelle Colman (T20) also claimed a PB in 13:28.98.

🌟 Celebrity & Special Guest Challenge – TV personalities, AFL stars, influencers, and mental health advocates hit the track for a fun-yet-fierce challenge. Fastest Male: Dan Jackson (13:43.23) and Fastest Female: Ash Gardner (17:42.08). Notable appearances included Pat Farmer, Dave Hughes, Matt Agnew, Tayo Ricci, Olivia Arezzolo, Andrew Dillon (AFL CEO), and Rob Mills.

🏃‍♂️ Community Highlights – The public race saw Callum Settle (11:47.17) and Zali Metcalfe (13:46.16) crowned the fastest overall runners in a spirited field of everyday champions.

🏔️ King and Queen of the Hill – Conquering the notorious Anderson Street climb: King of the Hill: Ethan Haller – 1:15.16 and Queen of the Hill: Linden Hall – 1:28.34

🏫 Battle of the Schools – Male Champions: Wesley College and Female Champions: Ruyton Girls School. The school’s competition continues to grow, inspiring the next generation of runners.
 
🎯 Event Impact and Community Celebration – Run the Tan has now raised over $250,000 for mental health initiatives since its inception, thanks to participant fundraising, corporate support, and generous donations.
With a live entertainment by Gypsy Lee, a vibrant charity village, and participants of all ages and abilities, the event once again showcased resilience, unity, and the healing power of movement.

It’s not too late to donate and help support the cause – DONATE HERE – https://runthetan.net/fundraising/

📸 See More & Get Involved
👉 Full Results: runthetan.net/2025-race-results
👉 Event Info: runthetan.net
👉 Photo Gallery: runthetan.net/photos

🙏 A Massive Thank You – To all our runners, volunteers, sponsors, partners, and supporters — thank you for making Run the Tan 2025 unforgettable.

📅 Save the Date – Run the Tan 2026: Mark your calendars: Sunday 26th April 2026. Save the date for Run the Tan 2026 – Sunday 26th April 2026, a key fixture in Australia’s Running Calendar for the past 5 years since 2021, always held in late April on the first Sunday after School holidays each year. Mark it in your calendar!

MEDIA CONTACT DETAILS:
Simone Marshall, Director, Two Hands Agency / [email protected] / + 61 403 091 509
Darren Templeton, Founder, Run the Tan / [email protected] / +61 418 373 679

ABOUT RUN THE TAN
The Run the Tan annual showcase event, supporting mental health charities, has become a flagship event and one of the most popular and well well-known running events in Melbourne and Australia. The inaugural event was held in April 2021 between COVID lockdowns.

Run The Tan is a not-for-profit organisation under Run for Mental Health Ltd, advocating for mental health awareness through promoting an active lifestyle. Its annual showcase event brings together athletes, enthusiasts, and mental health charities in a celebration of physical and mental wellbeing.

Founded by Darren Templeton in 2019, the organisation provides a central source of truth and governance process for all official recorded run times around the Tan (including the all-time top 10 and top 100 fastest times for men and women).

Run the Tan runs a free weekly community run club initiative which sees new runners joining regularly. Held at the Tan Track at 8am every Saturday morning, it caters to all fitness levels and abilities and is open to everyone in the community.

Media Contacts:

Name: Simone MarshallCompany: Run the TanEmail: Phone: 0403 091 509

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ABOUT RUN THE TAN The Run the Tan annual showcase event, supporting mental health charities, has become a flagship event and one of the most popular and well well-known running events in Melbourne and Australia. The inaugural event was held in April 2021 between COVID lockdowns. Run The Tan is a not-for-profit organisation under Run for Mental Health Ltd, advocating for mental health awareness through promoting an active lifestyle. Its annual showcase event brings together athletes, enthusiasts, and mental health charities in a celebration of physical and mental wellbeing. Founded by Darren Templeton in 2019, the organisation provides a central source of truth and governance process for all official recorded run times around the Tan (including the all-time top 10 and top 100 fastest times for men and women). Run the Tan runs a free weekly community run club initiative which sees new runners joining regularly. Held at the Tan Track at 8am every Saturday morning, it caters to all fitness levels and abilities and is open to everyone in the community.