Top tips from Coogee Run Club Founder Tara Meakins on how to crush the City2Surf this year.
We recently saw Tara Meakins, founder of the Coogee Run Club, speaking on a panel at the launch of the new ASICS GEL-KAYANO™ 32 running shoes. Her passion and enthusiasm for running and community were infectious. It got us thinking, with the annual City2Surf approaching, who better to ask for tips on how to tackle the run? Most importantly, the unavoidable physical and mental barrier of Heartbreak Hill halfway through the race.
Thanks for catching up with us today, Tara. Tell us, what inspired you to start the Coogee Run Club?
My journey started back in 2017 (in a pair of ASICS!) in London, where I lived for six years and fell in love with social running through Parkrun. It was when I moved back home to Perth at the end of 2021 that I joined my first run club, the Perth Run Collective, and thrived off interval training as a group. In April 2022, I moved to Sydney and was shocked to find out that Coogee, one of the country’s prettiest coastlines, didn’t have a local run club. It was in my search for locals to run with and new friends to make that I came across Hannah, a Coogee mother who’d started to bring local runners together in a WhatsApp chat. We bonded so well over our passion for fitness with friends that a week later, the Coogee Run Club was born.
At our first run on 24 May, 2022, just one person showed up – another woman – and together the three of us ran through the dark and cold night, something I would never have done alone. From then on, each run brought new members into our club – people keen for community and to move as one, keen to get out of bed and tread the footpath, despite it being Sydney’s wettest year on record. When we started, I only ever thought we’d get about 10 runners running twice a week. But three years later, I am so proud to say that we have over 3,600 members and we run together five times a week. Our motto is: All faces, all paces, all welcome always.
How many times have you completed the City to Surf yourself, and how has your approach to the race evolved over the years?
I have run Sydney’s City2Surf three times (2022, 2023, 2024) . In my first year, the event was all about having fun and dancing my way along the route with friends. By the second year, I was a lot more serious about my running (not too serious though – I did wear blue sequinned mini shorts). I stood as close as possible to the start of my wave to give myself more room to dart in and out of the runners. In 2024, I flew into Sydney three days before the race after a month of travelling around Europe, full of Aperol and pasta. It was a great reminder of why it is important to keep up the kms, even when you’re on holiday.
How far in advance should someone start incorporating hill training into their City to Surf preparation?
As I always say, we make it hard today so tomorrow is easier. For City2Surf, I would recommend an eight-week training plan, and would incorporate hills two weeks into training (six weeks out from the event) to give you time to reach your peak, before you begin to taper and pull it back before race day.
What’s the biggest mistake you see runners make on the day when they reach Heartbreak Hill?
Going out too hard, too soon. It’s a two-kilometre incline, so you need to pace yourself. Also stopping. I find it so much harder to start running again when you’ve come to a complete stop. Just keep moving your legs in a light jog and don’t stop until you get to the top.
Heartbreak Hill is as much mental as physical – what can runners do to overcome the intimidation factor of Heartbreak Hill before they even get there?
Practice running up it! At the Coogee Run Club, we take on Heartbreak Hill every Saturday morning for four weeks in the lead up to the race. Knowing what to expect and what’s coming takes the fear out of the unknown.
How can having the right gear (running shoes, activewear etc) help you conquer the race?
Having the right gear makes all the difference between a good run and a bad run. With trainers, I love a light yet supportive shoe that is going to make me feel like I am running on air while giving me the push off I need. The new ASICS GEL-KAYANO 32 ticks all of my boxes with its super plush FF BLAST™ PLUS cushioning, which makes for a soft and energetic run. The higher stack height also gives me the confidence I need to push up Heartbreak Hill! This shoe is by far my favourite GEL-KAYANO™ yet.
Running with headphones – yes or no?
Yes, but only ever with one ear in. I want to hear the buzz of the runners, the cheers of the crowd and all the epic race day entertainment.
What do you EAT before the race?
A slice of toast with crunchy peanut butter and a banana. (Do not have anything new on race day!)
What’s your post-race DRINK
Prosecco. No, I’m kidding. Sort of (life is all about balance!). As soon as I’m over the finish line, I head straight for the hydration station. Ideally, it’s electrolytes.
Where do you like to PLAY (kick on after race day)?
We always head to Ravesis after the race. My best tip for recovering after a race is not to sit down but to take over the dancefloor, which is what the Coogee Run Club does best.
