There are not many opportunities for mums and dads to participate in a fun run with their children and test their meddle against professional athletes.

As Launceston Ten media manager Rick Fontyn commented: “there are not many sports in the world where you can actually compete against some of the world’s best, you can be running the 10 kilometres against someone who is heading to Rio [Olympics]”.

How inspiring for all those people – about 1500 – who were motivated to get out of bed on a Sunday and brave the cold.

City of Launceston Alderman signed up for the event, so did professional Launceston runners Kate Pedley, Dylan Evans and Josh Harris. Australian marathon runner Liam Adams was there too. Bass Liberal candidate Andrew Nikolic and Bass Labor Candidate Ross Hart put their political differences to the side for a race of another kind.

It is great to see our community members leading by example and inspiring the next generation to lead a healthy lifestyle.

According to the federal government’s Department of Health, more than half of all Australian adults are not active enough.  Physical inactivity is the second greatest contributor, behind smoking, to cancer in the nation.

In 2010, the most common causes of death in Tasmania were cancer (28.3 per cent) and ischaemic heart disease (15.6 per cent), the State of Public Health report states. 

The report also said that 69.4 per cent of Tasmanian adults reported inadequate levels of activity.

Regular physical activity can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, developing high blood pressure and reduce the feelings of stress and anxiety.

Getting active is good for your health, so why do we make excuses for not fitting it our daily routines. “I just don’t have time” does not cut the mustard.

Initiatives like the Parkrun at Inveresk is a great way to get started on a fitness journey. The free weekly five-kilometre run allows participants to time themselves each week and see their improvement.

National physical activity guidelines recommend that people get at least 30 minutes of activity in a day, or 150 minutes for a week, so why not give it a go and put your best foot forward to good health.