Crowd favourite putting the fun in our Sun Run

From bright yellow suns to purple unicorns, Sun Run participant Terrance Thiel has delighted fellow runners and spectators for the past five years.

The crowd favourite costumed runner is back again for Sun Run 2022, held on the 5 February.

“I am not much of a runner, I am not fast, I have a bit of extra cushion and I have never really liked running. But I want to keep active and participate in these events with my partner. So, what does a bigger, slower guy do to increase the fun of the experience? He wears a costume,” Terrance said. 

“Although they can be a sauna in the Australian sun, the kids and spectators, as well as my fellow runners, get a real kick out of them. It’s worth the blisters to see kids smiling, laughing and screaming ‘go purple unicorn’ to cheer us on.

“I also hope that when people see these costumes, that they think ‘if a pink elephant can run this, why can't I?" to bring more people to do something fun, healthy and raise some money for charity.”

While he remains tight-lipped on what his costume will be this year, past outfits have included a purple unicorn, gecko, pick elephant and a bright yellow sun. 

“The costume for this year is a surprise. Although I don't want to give it away, I hope that no one tries to put me back in the sea, where my costume would typically belong,” Terrance said.

The former Freshwater resident now resides on the Central Coast, but that hasn’t stopped he and his partner from making the “pilgrimage” back to their favourite fun run.

Terrance and his partner, Esther, will once again raise funds for their charity of choice, Foodbank.

Sun Run has raised over $22,000 already, with two weeks to go until event day. The top five charities raising the most funds so far are the Northern Beaches Women’s Shelter, Breast Cancer Network Australia, Dementia Australia, Cancer Council NSW and the Heart Foundation.

Sun Run is a fun day out for the whole family, with kids under 5 running for free. The 7km and 10km courses follow the picturesque coastline from Dee Why to Manly.

There are a number of COVID-19 safety measures in place for this year’s event, including multiple start times with smaller groups of runners in each starting group.  

For more information or to enter visit sunrun.com.au