Cartoonist Mark Knight joined 27,000 others to Run for the Kids

The annual Run for the Kids (R4K) in Melbourne is a 14km fun run that takes competitors over the Bolte Bridge*, through the Domain* tunnel, down St Kilda Rd*, along the Yarra*, up Spencer St* and finishing back at the Docklands Stadium*. It is a great sightseeing tour of the city, the only issue being you have to run past all these attractions with 27,000 other people.

It is a great community day and raises millions of dollars for the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.

I like to run and have done the R4K many times since it began 18 years ago. When I train for the event, I run on my own around the bush where I live, but I’m always amazed that so many people come out for this event.

It is quite incredible to run over the huge Bolte Bridge with thousands of people around you. And they are all shapes and sizes, young and old, experienced runners and those having a go for the first time.

Then there are the people in costumes. I don’t know how that guy in the Spider-Man suit went, but he would have been hot.

My favourites are the mums and dads who are running and pushing prams with their child aboard. Usually that child has been or still is a patient at the Royal Children’s Hospital. It is great to see them out there. I was actually passed by a few!

I thought I would draw a cartoon on the run for my daily cartoon in the Herald Sun, which is also a founding* major sponsor* of the event.

The finish line is always a welcome sight for runners and so I wanted to capture competitors coming over the line on Collins St*. Of course, not all of us finish like Cathy Freeman*. I wanted to show how the event is 14km long and can be quite a challenge.

I decided the centrepiece* of my finishing line cartoon would be a parent running while pushing a pram with their child in it. That, I thought, was an image that defined the event. But my cartoonist’s brain had to give the idea a little twist.

Instead of the dad pushing the pram over the finish line, his young child is doing the pushing while dad, red-faced and in a sweaty heap, is slumped in the pram!

The daughter pushing the pram over the finish line has a slight look of contempt* for her poor old dad – a nice twist, I thought.

For the record, I finished the 14km in 1hr 28 mins.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• Bolte Bridge: opened in 1999, this eight-lane, large, twin cantilever bridge in Melbourne spans the Yarra and Victoria Harbour
• Domain: the Domain Parklands are a network of parks, gardens and open space making up nearly 123 hectares in central Melbourne
• St Kilda Rd: major tree-lined artery through Melbourne, heading south to the bay and the gateway to parks, cultural landmarks and tourist attractions
• Yarra: according to Melbourne Boat Hire, the Yarra River was originally called Birrarung by the Wurendjeri people and derived from the Wurundjeri words meaning “ever flowing”
• Spencer St: major thoroughfare through Melbourne’s central business district (CBD)
• Docklands Stadium: completed in 2000 and now known as Marvel Stadium, this multipurpose sports and entertainment venue sits at the edge of the CBD
• founding: one of the first, involved in starting or establishing something from the beginning
• sponsor: a person or organisation that pays the cost of an activity or event
• Collins St: another major street in Melbourne’s CBD combining luxury retail, premium dining and major hotels with corporate headquarters for multiple multinationals
• Cathy Freeman OAM: Aboriginal Australian athlete who won gold in the 400m sprint at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games
• centrepiece: the most important part or feature
• contempt: a feeling of disrespect for someone or someone

EXTRA READING

Brave Isla is proof of the good giving can do

Nima and Dawa’s separation surgery a success

Tiny school ready to run for Mack

QUICK QUIZ

1. How long is the Run for the Kids course?
2. Approximately how many runners took part this year?
3. How long has the fundraising fun run been an annual event?
4. This great community raises millions of dollars for which cause?
5. What was cartoonist Mark Knight’s time?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Humour analysis
After reading and analysing the Mark Knight cartoon in the Kids News explainer, complete the following analysis questions to help you get the full humour out of his drawing.

Mark Knight cartoon analysis:
What is the main issue Mark Knight is highlighting:

Who is portrayed in the cartoon?

How are they portrayed?

What is the humour in the drawing?

Who might agree with his viewpoint?

Who might disagree or possibly be offended by this viewpoint?

Do you think he makes a good point? Explain your answer.

Time: allow 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
Write a response to this cartoon from the viewpoint of one of the people or objects portrayed in the cartoon. Think, what would be their response to the speech bubble and satire from the cartoon.

Write or draw your response below.

Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Visual Arts, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Describe it
Look at the cartoon and make a list of five nouns that you see. Then describe those five nouns with five adjectives. Now add a preposition to those five nouns and adjectives.

Finally, choose your favourite bundle and put all the words together to make one descriptive sentence.

(For lower reading level articles, remove “add a preposition”)