THE Sydney Festival will bring the city back to the '80s for day one of its opening Fun Run.
In an ode to the Greek messenger Pheidippides - who ran 42.2km to Athens without stopping - performance artist Tristan Meecham, AKA Humps, will attempt to run a marathon on a treadmill dressed in tight Lycra shorts and gold sneakers to a soundtrack with visual effects.
Joining Humps for the January 5 event at Hyde Park will be an entourage of cheer squads including members of Redfern-based '80s aerobics group, Physique Aerobics.
Founder Kirk Docker said his team's job will be to ensure the crowd's spirits are keep high during the gruelling on-stage marathon.
"In terms of the Fun Run we have been asked to be part of the different community groups that participate on the day and help rev up the crowds," Mr Docker said.
"From footage of marathons I have seen it takes considerable time to run the marathon so we will be keeping the crowd's energy up and keeping them interested with a bunch of classic '80s aerobics moves."
