A $14,000 bill for traffic control has ended the Bathurst Edgell Jog’s days as a community fundraiser and put the future of the event in real doubt, organisers warn.
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The Edgell Jog has been a Bathurst institution for more than 40 years and local charities have benefited to the tune of more than $300,000 in donations over that time.
But no money was distributed last year after the 2017 Jog ran at a loss and slow registrations for this Sunday’s event have organisers fearing it will be the same story this year.
Long-serving committee member Jim Hallahan said registrations for this year’s event were lagging behind last year’s numbers, putting the future of the Jog in doubt.
He urged Bathurstians to get behind one of the state’s biggest community fun runs.
“The Edgell Jog is an iconic event in Bathurst,” he said. “It’s not set up just for those who are going to win, it’s something for the whole community.
“If you go back over the history of the Jog we have donated more than $300,000 to local charities in the 40 years since the inception of the Jog.”
Mr Hallahan said it was only an increased donation from Bathurst Regional Council that secured this year’s event.
Councillors voted in June to grant the Jog committee $13,000 to help with running costs, up from $6000 in recent years.
The Edgell Jog was run for the first time in 1976 but has had a tough few years.
Heavy rain in 2016 put a dampener on the event, though it still attracted more than 1000 participants, while last year’s jog was blessed with sunny weather but had around 800 participants.
Mr Hallahan said the committee aims to get at least 1000 participants for the jog each year, with about 1200 needed for the event to break even.
He said the committee was hoping to encourage those who take part in the popular Bathurst Parkrun each Saturday morning to be part of the Edgell Jog as well.
You can register for Sunday’s Edgell Jog at www.bathurstedgelljog.org.au.
