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Bennelong Northside Orienteers History

The Great NOSH Footrace

The Great NOSH Footrace - a 16km trail run from Lindfield Oval to Seaforth Oval - was devised by Owen Hales as part of the NOSH club activities in 1975. It features more than 500m of climb, with a stunning scenic route around Middle Harbour.

But after the Bennelong merger in 1988 the race was in danger of folding - until Frank Assenza and his nephew Bill McCarthy took it on.

Many BNO members followed Frank, taking a turn as organiser of "The NOSH", as it is affectionately known.

In 2010 new Bennelong members Darren Slattery and Joel Putnam stepped in to keep it going.

In 2017 Barbara Hill’s Bold Horizons took on the organisation of the NOSH, assisted by volunteers from Bennelong and ONSW's other member clubs. Barbara added a 22km option in 2019 and the run continues to grow in popularity.

Thanks to the efforts of many dedicated people The Great NOSH Footrace continues to be the club’s signature event and attracts around 400 runners each year.