After two years of cancelled events it's hardly a surprise the people of Crookwell and surrounds went all in to celebrate the Keeto 80km charity run and afterparty.
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The event was held on Saturday (May 28) with funds raised going towards the Crookwell Community Trust and Police Legacy.
Organiser Keith Muscat was joined by three other runners (Andrew Proctor, Daniel Hopkins and David Von Senden) for the full 82.7km with plenty of other joining in along the way.
Speaking to the Post a couple of days later, new Crookwell resident Muscat said the day had a profound effect on him.
"I'm in full recovery mode, it's actually a really good feeling," he laughed.
"I was a non-local in Crookwell until Saturday evening and running up the main street, there may have been 50 people and 200-330 at the showground, but it felt like thousands and thousands.
"It's really brought me closer to he community and it's something I won't forget."
While the run was the main event, the afterparty at Crookwell Showground featured food, live music and a spectacular firework show.
It was a day Muscat said the town deserved and was ecstatic with the turnout.
"Running up that main street and hearing people shouting your name I felt like I was a celebrity sports star. It made me feel like a local hero, that reception," he said.
"Someone messaged me and said their kids had never seen fireworks live before, we went all out and put a huge fireworks show on that just rocked Crookwell.
"Deep down, that's what we were running for, just to give the town something. We've had such a crap past few years with the pandemic, to get kids out and running around, it was a really beautiful thing."
"We're still counting but I think we are going to scrape over $10,000 so at the end of the day that's $5000 each for each charity, the town got a great party, it bought me closer to the town.
"I want to be a local, be part of the community and help where I can and I achieved all of those goals."
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