The Running Man - Factual Story Telling Assignment

Have you seen the running man?

This is the elusive question that over the last five years has become a constant speculation and source of wonderment amongst the locals of the Gold Coast. The evasive athlete, The Running Man - renowned for his signature white running attire, white-blonde dreadlocks and pair of worn Dunlop Volleys has become an indigenous icon with an ardent band of supporters along the 40km route he runs each day from his home in Southport to Currumbin Beach and back. Since his maiden voyage in the Volley’s back in 2007, The Running Man has become not only leaner and physically fit but more frequently spotted by driver’s, pedestrians and beachgoer’s along the Gold Coast’s Esplanade – always sporting the simple yet standout white outfit.

The Running Man or ‘Dave’ as locals know him declines all publicity and offers to be interviewed as his daughter simply state’s ‘he just does it for the love of running’ – adding a little more enigma to his allure. However he never fails to miss a photo opportunity, leading to a major online Facebook following and photo sharing on the popular Facebook page “Have You Seen the Mermaid Beach Running Man” (2926 ‘Likes’) in which members make daily photo or text updates on sightings of The Running Man. Bumping into him down at any of his regular haunts; the Nobby’s Beach Smoothie Shack, The Anglers Arms Pub or inside any of the bustling ocean side café’s along the Nobby’s/Mermaid Beach precinct he is always more than happy to have a chat – and if he hasn’t been spotted that morning any of the shopkeeper’s in the community are bound to know of The Running Man.

 (Photo: The Running Man captured on Google Earth)

Stopping in at the Nobby’s beach Smoothie Shack to grab an Acai Bowl after a morning surf I got chatting to friendly owner, Eddie. “Ah, Dave” He grins knowingly, “You’ve just missed him, he stopped in about an hour ago.” I discovered that Eddie used to be Dave’s neighbour and his best friend, Reggie used to run alongside him every day. “He was quite a large bloke when he started off, he was only mustering a brisk walk” Eddie, the health food aficionado explains “but look at him today, he’s a real tribute to the results of persistence.”

 Originally from Sydney, The Running Man was a successful Car Salesman whom has retired to the Gold Coast and now runs approximately 40km a day, sometimes adjusting his routine and incorporating a bike. Each year sightings of The Running Man begin around late January and increase until mid November, beginning at a light jog, followers report increased speed and overall toned appearance in The Running Man as he reaches his peak of running 40km. Asking a waitress at a popular café in Mermaid Beach about The Running Man’s jaunt she explains, “I don’t know if he’s training for a marathon or why he does it but you see him run past after a while and he’s slimmed down and his legs have started to become toned and he seems to be running further, he never ditches that white gear or the volley’s though.”  Although he is not sighted everyday, The Running Man has been known to continue running through extreme weather conditions, with photographs appearing of the white clad figure running through the torrential rains during Queensland’s flood season.

The simplicity of The Running Man’s ‘Forrest Gump style’ venture in his understated attire, casual training times and unpublicized perseverance is contrasted in an unpretentious nature against the often ostentatious sports and fitness subculture on the Gold Coast, wherein designer workout gear, dieting and ‘bulking’ supersede the simplicity of exercise and health. Whilst The Running Man does not reportedly run for a particular cause or athletic event, it is the perseverance and modest nature in which he operates that makes him a distinctive figure of such popularity.

Feats of unparalleled endurance such as The Running Man’s are inspirational and gain public following often due to the simple ways in which they are conducted. In a 2010 venture of more emotive proportions, Australian Fire Fighter and dedicated father Ken Thompson cycled 6500km throughout Europe in a tenacious search to find his abducted son. In 2008 Ken’s former wife, Melinda Thompson, suffering from a mental incapacity convinced herself that Ken was abusing their son Andrew and escaped with him to Germany, wherein she disappeared without a trace for two and a half years. After receiving approval from the High Court of Australia, Ken initiated the global “Find Andrew” campaign, in which he set up a blog and Facebook page detailing the appearance of both Andrew and Melinda, pleading anyone who had information leading to their whereabouts to come forwards to himself, The Australian Police or Interpol – not once did he discredit his former wife’s actions, his sole motivation was to be reunited with Andrew. After months of tireless waiting, Ken took action, donning a jersey that depicted Andrews photograph and read in bold letters “Have you seen Andrew?” he cycled an astounding 6500km throughout Europe before finally his internet presence lead someone to inform the police of Andrews whereabouts in Amsterdam and father and son were finally reunited. Whilst of more contentious quantity, Ken’s plight is similar to The Running Man’s in the way both men uncomplicatedly set out to achieve something, their acts of simplicity and understatement is what arouses such widespread public appeal.

Whilst The Running Man’s expedition is unattainable for many, it is the unpretentious nature in the act of simply running, in the absence of exorbitant running attire – just the classic white outfit with a pair of volley’s that makes his journey inspirational and perpetuates the question; have you seen the running man?