ABOUT SWEAT VS STEAM
Sweat Vs Steam is a unique and iconic running event held on the mighty Murray River and runs through the historic Port of Echuca. All while participants try to beat the oldest operating wooden hulled paddle steamer in the world to the finish line!
The History
The first Sweat vs Steam was run in 1998 as a 21.1km Half Marathon with fewer than 50 participants. The local then YMCA ran a Breakkie Run one Sunday a month, and from there, a group of volunteers from this event got together and the annual event grew from there. Sweat vs Steam has always been supported by and given back to the community.
​
The Course
The course has evolved and changed over the years seeing various different courses in it's time. It has been run over the Echuca-Moama Bridge into NSW, it found it's way out to the East, through the bush, the Scenic and various other courses over the years. It hasn’t always been the same distance either; it has varied between 10km right up to 21km. But what has always remained is showcasing the Mighty Murray River and our historic surrounds. In 2016 when the Murray River flooded, the course was changed several times as the River rose. In the end it was a 5 lap course to keep the participants feet dry and keep them safe. This then prompted a 5km event to be added to encourage more people to join in. in 2022 when the town experienced severe flooding again, the committee again went to work altering the course to ensure the event could continue. And we saw only 2 weeks later the exact course we took was flooded beyond recognition!
The Participants
We have participants over a vast age group from Primary school children, babies in prams through to our older generations. We had a record number of participants in 2014 when we had just over 720! This event raised over $22,000 for the local community. We have had some class runners participate over the years. We are lucky to have several class athletes in our community, who always enthusiastic supporters of the event, Tarli Bird, Brady Threlfall, Archie Reid, to name a few and other top runners such as Olympian Andy Buchannan from Bendigo. Our participants come from all over the state, and we have strong support from the local community and have groups of friends who travel year after year from areas such as Mornington Peninsula and Geelong. Our new Kids Dash now sees children as young as 3 participating which is amazing to watch!
The Beneficiaries
Sweat vs Steam is a community event with all profits dedicated to Echuca Regional Health. Over the years, we have assisted various individuals, sports clubs, schools, and community groups, including:
- Providing swimming lessons to a boy who suffered an acquired brain injury due to an accident.
- Funding the construction of a fence around the Bunaloo Tennis courts to ensure children's safety during mid-week ladies' tennis.
- Contributing funds to resurface the basketball courts at St. Patrick's Primary School in Tongala.
- Supporting numerous school breakfast programs, including those at Mathoura Primary School, Echuca Central Primary School, St. Joseph’s College, Echuca College, and Echuca East Primary School.
Community Engagement
Sweat Vs Steam is a community-centred event welcoming participants of all ages. We believe fitness should be a lifestyle rather than just a series of goals, which is why our event is inclusive for everyone.