Kevin recruits for 11th Run for the Kids

By Rohan Aldous

Mar 21, 2023

Tongala's Townsends: Kevin Townsend with his wife Debbie, sons Steven and David, daughters-in-law Amber and Sarah and grandchildren River, Winter, Tex, Harry and Willow.

Walking just “doesn’t do it’’ for Kevin Townsend.

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The major benefactor of the recently turned 73-year-old Tongala resident’s preference to move a little faster during his daily exercise has been the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.

In 2002, the Simplot gatekeeper of the past 25 years was diagnosed with diabetes and was advised to begin exercising.

He started jogging and hasn’t looked back, last weekend completing his 11th Run for the Kids since he first tackled the 15-kilometre course through the streets of Melbourne in 2006.

He was inspired to become involved in the Run for the Kids as a result of setting distance goals for his jogs.

After doing some laps at the oval, Mr Townsend decided to challenge himself with the Run for the Kids event.

"I've always enjoyed running, but by no means been a professional. I wasn’t an athlete as a kid, so it was a challenge,’’ he said.

This year’s Run for the Kids was not a solo event for Mr Townsend as two of his three children chose to join him in negotiating Melbourne’s Transurban tunnel and the Bolte Bridge — key landmarks for the more than 20,000 runners involved in the fundraiser.

Sons Steve, a renowned Tongala sportsman, and David, who is more into arts, joined him on the journey. His wife Debbie, grandchildren and daughters-in-law Amber and Sarah formed the cheer squad.

His sons had made a commitment to run the course with him when he turned 70, but the COVID-19 pandemic slightly delayed that aim.

"David surprised me. He trained the house down,“ Mr Townsend said.

Skirting the issues: In 2014, Kevin ran the 14.5km in a netball skirt after being gifted his place in the field when a Tongala woman fell ill.

The trio finished the event in an hour and 45 minutes, which was right on the goal Kevin had set for himself.

The run started on Flinders St, before going through the Domain Tunnel, over Bolte Bridge and back through Southbank and Spencer St in a looping course.

"It certainly wasn’t a boring run, there was plenty to see,“ Mr Townsend said.

The time wasn’t too far off the first year he ran the course, 17 years younger, when he finished in an hour and 28 minutes.

Mr Townsend’s commitment to the event saw him even run under an alias when a Tongala woman fell ill in the days leading up to the event and offered her bib to him.

“In 2014 I missed getting my name in. They were cutting it off at 20,000 entries back then and a Tongala woman who was gong to run fell ill. She put on Facebook if someone wanted to run with her bib, then they could,” he said.

He used the opportunity to make a late fundraising bid by telling his workmates at Simplot he would run in a netball skirt if they raised $300.

“The manager put $100 down and the rest came pretty quickly. So I ran in a skirt,” he said.

Leggo’s lad: Kevin Townsend has worked at Echuca factory Simplot for 25 years and is strongly supported by staff in his fund raising. On this occasion he ran in a Leggo’s apron as part of his challenge

“In 2019 I ran in the Simplot barbecue apron with Leggo's tomato paste logo. That year we raised $500,” he said.

Mr Townsend is known in Run for the Kids circles by his nickname Tilt, or Poppytilt.

“My nickname is Tilt. I often have my head on the side because of my crook eye. When Steve and Amber said they were pregnant with (grandson) River, I asked Amber’s father Peter what he would prefer to be called,” said the grandfather of five — Harry, Willow, River, Tex and Winter.

“As a result, I became Poppytilt.”

This year, with the addition of Steve and David, the team all wore bibs with the team title Tilt’s Trainees, indicating the debut appearances of Mr Townsend’s sons.