Warrnambool runner Ben Wallis wins first Flaggy 5 of the 2023 summer series

The Warrnambool-based athlete said he liked to support community events and decided to make it the middle leg of his 20km trek.

Wallis, 46, finished the Warrnambool Athletic Club run, which started and finished at Flagstaff Hill, in 16 minutes and 52 seconds in cool, breezy conditions on Wednesday night.

He ran from home, roughly 2km away, before starting the fun run and then planned to add more kilometres as running is his long-term passion.

"I want to try and run 20km as I have the Surf 'T' Surf this weekend," he said at the Flaggy 5 finishing line.

Wallis will enter the Surf 'T' Surf's longest leg - a 10km run - but played down his winning chances of winning the Lake Pertobe-based race on Sunday.

"I am too old and too slow for that," he said.

"We have some young guns coming down who will be rippers."

Wallis, who tries to run everyday, said he also planned to contest the remaining three Flaggy 5 events - on January 11, 18 and 25 - this summer.

He said having two distances - 5km and 2.5km as well as an option to walk the courses - encouraged people to have a go with little athletics competitors among those testing themselves in the shorter course on Wednesday.

"It's good for the club and good for people who haven't run or know much about it," he said of the Flaggy 5 concept.

"It gets a lot of people down and Summer on the Hill (at Flagstaff Hill) is social too."

The Flaggy 5 attracted more than 100 participants including holidaymakers from across the state.

Money raised will be contributed to the Clinton Hall Foundation which supports the late Warrnambool runner's children.

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