Every city has its proving ground. In Canberra, it’s not the velodrome or the café strip — it’s Governor-General’s Hill in Yarralumla, the capital’s toughest climb and home to one of FAST Running’s most iconic sessions.
For years, local cyclists have eyed off our Saturday morning hill reps with curiosity (and perhaps mild concern). The hill is brutal — steep enough to make your quads cry for mercy — yet it’s here that FAST sprinters and jumpers hone their acceleration, power, and resilience.
And here’s the truth every cyclist eventually learns: pedal power has nothing on raw sprint power.
The Showdown
It starts innocently enough. A rider coasts up the slope, clicking gears, eyes fixed on the summit. Beside them, a FAST athlete crouches low, ready for launch. The whistle blows — and within seconds, the bike’s gears are still changing while the sprinter is halfway to the top.
By the midpoint, the carbon-fibre machine is groaning under torque while the athlete’s toes dig in like claws. And at the crest? A blur of singlets, laughter, and one slightly stunned cyclist wondering how that just happened.
The Lesson
It’s all in the start.
Sprinters don’t rely on momentum; they create it.
In a world of watts, cadence, and chainrings, the FAST philosophy remains simple: nothing accelerates faster than intent, drive, and a perfectly timed stride.
Of course, we give credit where it’s due — e-bikes have recently joined the competition. A few now make it close (ish), but even battery assistance can’t outdo 100 % human horsepower with a blustering finish and a coach yelling, “One more rep!”
The Culture
Governor-General’s has become more than a hill. It’s a training landmark — part pain cave, part playground — where sprinters, hurdlers, jumpers, and throwers all learn that power isn’t built in a straight line. It’s earned on gradients, in laughter, and in moments when even cyclists take notice.
So if you’re out near Yarralumla one Saturday morning and see a group of FAST athletes flying past a Lycra peloton — don’t be alarmed.
That’s just another round of Sprinter vs Bike, Canberra edition.
And as always, Running Excellence wins.
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