The Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) is excited to partner with the 2025 Hill to Harbour fun run as an official charity partner.

With a team of over 50 runners, including researchers, clinicians and corporate team members, HMRI is living its ambitions to take healthy further.  Many will be fundraising for HMRI, helping the Institute move closer to its vision of creating the healthiest million people on the planet.

HMRI CEO, Professor Frances Kay-Lambkin, expressed her enthusiasm for the partnership and her personal involvement in the event:

“Hill to Harbour is such a fantastic way to connect with our Hunter community, encourage active living, and support research that truly changes lives. I’m so excited to be part of this event and proud to lace my shoes to run for medical research.”

The Hill to Harbour is a classic Newcastle event, guiding participants from Bar Beach to Carrington. With distances of 12km, 6km, and 2km, it welcomes all fitness levels, celebrating community vibes and active lifestyles for runners, walkers, and families.

As part of its involvement, HMRI will host an interactive pop-up space at the finish line. This space will provide participants and spectators with a unique opportunity to engage directly with HMRI researchers and learn more about HMRI’s innovative work, including its NewRun study.

The NewRun study, led by Professor Josh Davis, is one of HMRI’s research studies. It focuses on understanding how recreational running impacts physical and mental health over the long term. Unlike studies centered on elite athletes, NewRun explores the benefits and challenges of running for everyday individuals, with a particular emphasis on knee health, injury prevention, and overall well-being.

The study employs cutting-edge techniques such as advanced imaging and health metrics, including grip strength assessments, to gain insights into how regular running supports healthy aging and reduces the risk of chronic injuries.

Professor Davis highlighted the transformative potential of the study “NewRun is helping us understand running as a lifelong activity. Our findings could challenge outdated ideas about running and injuries, encouraging more people to embrace running to stay healthy. This research is about showing how running can be accessible and beneficial to everyone, regardless of age or experience.”

By participating in the Hill to Harbour, HMRI hopes to not only raise $20,000 but also inspire the community to engage with its take healthy further message.

Feel like lacing up your runners? You can find out more and register to participate in the Hill to Harbour fun run here. You can choose to fundraise for HMRI’s medical research simply by selecting HMRI as a charity during registration.

Don’t want to participate but keen to support us?