Traffic normalises after road closures during Sydney Running Festival

As more than 30,000 people joined the Sydney running festival on Saturday morning, other people faced road closures and heavy delays on street. The event started at Bradfield Park in Milsons Point.

The festival had caused traffic chaos since morning, leaving people who didn’t participate in the event stranded. It included four races: a family fun run, a half and full marathon and a bridge run.

A Japanese national named Hisanori Kitajima won the marathon in 2 hours, 12 minutes and 38 seconds. He was followed by Mirriam Wangari from Kenya, who won the marathon women's division, with a time of 2 hours, 24 minutes and 38 seconds, reported ABC .

With a time of 1 hour, 42 minutes and 35 seconds, an Australian Paralympian named Kurt Fearnley won the wheelchair division race. He said he was encouraged by his family and friends along the course, which had pushed him to the first. "The whole way having people cheering [you] on and 'go Kurt!', it really feels like you're running with the people that are closest to you," Fearnley added .

Live Traffic Sydney reported that Western Distributor and Cahill Expressway, Bridge Street, College Street, Hickson Road, Macquarie Street, Oxford Street, Sussex Street, Phillip Street, Flinders Street, South Dowling Street, Anzac Parade and Moore Park Road were blocked all morning and have reopened post noon.

Superintendent Leanne McCusker, from Harbourside Local Area Command, said she was delighted to see the behaviour of the participants and spectators. She congratulated all the participants as well as others for the cooperating and not losing patience throughout the event. "While there were a number of road closures involved, all roads were progressively reopened this afternoon, some ahead of schedule,” she added.

Drivers were informed beforehand about the delays but some responded that they had faced significant delays near Elizabeth Street and St James Road. "All the traffic over the Sydney Harbour Bridge was being diverted through the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, causing long delays as cars merged into just two lanes,” one of the commuters said .

Buses in North Sydney, Moore Park and the Sydney CBD have started taking normal routes after the event delete ended. ​For all special event traffic information and live traffic reports, refer to the live traffic website.

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