Bridge to Brisbane is an annual long-distancefun run over a distance of 10-kilometre (6.2 mi) or 5-kilometre (3.1 mi) held in Brisbane, Australia in August.
The first race occurred in 1997 with fewer than 5000 entrants and each year the event raises funds for charity. 2007 saw 24,350 runners participate.[1] In 2007 the Bridge to Brisbane attracted a field of up to 30,000 runners, while 2008 saw more than 36,000 people join the race and in 2009 more than 45,000 people took part.[2]
Until 2015, the race began at the southern side of the Eastern Sir Leo Hielscher Bridge in Lytton and finished at the Ekka showgrounds in Bowen Hills. The route travels along Kingsford Smith Drive and the Inner City Bypass, towards the city via the suburbs of Hamilton and Bowen Hills. In 2016 the course was moved to Brisbane City. The start line is in Spring Hill and participants cross three bridges before finishing in South Bank Parklands in South Brisbane. Since 2021, the race has used its original course again.
A recent addition has been the incorporation of a 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) race (from Breakfast Creek) starting later than the full 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) race, with some runners competing in both.
Originally the race was called the 'Bridge to Bay' and instead of heading from the Gateway Bridge towards Brisbane, it headed towards the coast line finishing at Manly. The end of the race was then moved to New Farm Park. In 2007 the roads in the suburbs of Fortitude Valley and New Farm became gridlocked.[3] This traffic congestion prompted another change of moving the finish to the RNA Showgrounds.