This year, runners will be able to access a FREE 12-week online strength training program to complement their running training to improve their performance and help them avoid injury. They can also join a weekly “Step Club” to train for their run or walk together as a community.

The program has been made available by the event’s new naming rights sponsor – DoDay Personal Training.

DoDay Founder and Head Coach Michael Behrakis said the event was a perfect fit for DoDay because it is an inclusive, fun run that aligns with DoDay’s values.

“We’re about fitness for all, making strength training inclusive, and fun. If training is a chore for people, they won’t make it past week three. But by making it enjoyable people are far more likely to integrate it into their lives and consistently turn up.

“And that is where the magic happens – by implementing small changes consistently over time, people can transform their fitness, body composition and their health.

“Strength training is amazing for so many things. Everyone should do it – especially runners,” says Behrakis.

“When strength training is added to a runner’s training program, it can help them boost their time to exhaustion (a measure of endurance) by over 20%, their power by 26% and their running efficiency by 5%.”

Hobart Run the Bridge Race Director Richard Welsh says that runners in this event are more interested in injury prevention than anything else.

“This is a family fun run, where the average participant is between 40 and 55 and they run because they love it, not because they’re athletes. As we age, being able to keep running without injury becomes the most important factor.

“That is why the partnership with DoDay is such a great fit. It’s a wholesome new partnership between two local small businesses that are passionate about having a healthy society. We both want to keep people active and doing the things they love for longer,” says Welsh.

Strength training has been found to reduce sports injuries to less than one-third, and overuse injuries to almost half. For a sport in which there is a very high percentage of overuse injuries, this injury risk reduction is extremely valuable.

Anthony Coe is 48 years old and the principal at Cosgrove High School.

“Like many middle-aged people, I try to exercise as much as I can, but often my body doesn’t allow it. I’ve been a runner for a long time but never been a strong runner.

“I’m training to do an Ironman in May and this new opportunity with DoDay is just what I need. It will help me get stronger and ideally help with injury prevention.

“I’ll start today and put it to the test on March 2 at the DoDay Hobart Run The Bridge.”