Ambassadors

Growing up in Naracoorte, South Australia, Jess Stenson was a devoted sports fan who would eagerly flick through the Sunday Mail each year after the City-Bay Fun Run to look for familiar names. Her first experience with the event came in Year 10 while boarding at Annesley College, when she and her sister Abbie were invited to participate. They signed up and loved the entire experience — and Jess has lost count of how many runs she’s completed since, estimating around ten. In her former career as a physiotherapist, Jess particularly enjoyed working with clients who had set the City-Bay as a personal goal. She found it exciting to watch both first-time and experienced runners progress through their training and achieve something meaningful, often with loved ones cheering them on. For Jess, the City-Bay is a truly inclusive and iconic South Australian event that brings people together. It offers the chance to get active, train with friends or colleagues, and support a cause close to your heart — all while having fun. A standout memory for Jess was meeting her now-husband at the 2014 City-Bay after-party! Jess encourages first-time participants to build up their training gradually. If you’re not sure where to start, she recommends following a structured training plan or joining a running group — it helps take the thinking out of it and makes the preparation more enjoyable and sustainable.

AFL legend and breakfast radio host, Bernie Vince is swapping the footy boots for runners as he takes on the City-Bay Fun Run with his SAFM team. After a bit of a break from the gym, Bernie was looking for a fresh challenge – and the City-Bay was the perfect motivator. “We’re putting together a team with our SAFM fam, so we’re in it together. I’m pumped!” he says. Bernie’s first City-Bay was a memorable one – but not for the reasons you might expect. He was playing footy but hadn’t trained for it or run for a month. He ended up crossing the finish line with a full-blown double quad and double calf cramps. A tough way to learn a valuable lesson! That experience is exactly why Bernie’s biggest advice for first-time participants is simple: train. “Make sure you do some sort of training, so you don’t end up like me!” he laughs!

Alice Monfries is lacing up for her first City-Bay since having kids and she couldn’t be more excited to be back. Her love of running all started with this event. In 2011, as a Sunday Mail reporter, Alice was assigned to cover the City-Bay Fun Run. That meant not just writing about it – but running it too. Having barely run More than a few kilometres at netball training, she signed up for the 12-week Sunday Mail training program and gradually built up her fitness. “I’ll never forget that first time I ran 5km without stopping – I was so exhausted I went back to bed!” she laughs. Over the years, Alice kept running and eventually set herself a big personal goal: to run the City-Bay in under 60 minutes. In 2016, alongside her husband and two colleagues, she smashed it – and that finish line moment, is one of her proudest achievements. After having two kids, Alice found it hard to find time (and energy) to run. But this year, she made it a priority again – scheduling her runs in the calendar and involving her kids in the process. Her advice to first-time runners? “Start small, use the Sunday Mail training plan, and get a friend on board, or even a group together, to keep each other motivated, accountable and inspired. Plan your runs, even if you can’t do them together because of #mumlife and logistics, just start a WhatsApp group and post them in there, and get around each other to get out there!”

Izzi ran her first City-Bay at just eight years old with her stepdad Chris, and the event has been a part of her life ever since. she competed regularly with her Seymour College team, and after running 45:01 the day after her 18th birthday, she began to take running more seriously. After time in the U.S. for college, she returned to the event in 2018, placing 1st South Australian and 4th overall. In 2022, she won the Half Marathon in a course record, and in 2024, she broke the 12km course record by over 30 seconds. That win, just weeks after narrowly missing an Olympic final, was one of her proudest moments – especially sharing the day with over 100 RunAsOne members. For Izzi, City-Bay is always a highlight: it falls on her birthday weekend and has become a celebration shared with her school, family, partner Riley, and her running community at RunAsOne. “It’s got a really special atmosphere, and I love that I get to toe the line with so many familiar faces!”