The Big Red Bash comes from humble beginnings which date back to 2013 when John Williamson was organised to play atop of the Big Red Dune for a group of ultra runners and volunteers at the inaugural Big Red Run. A small number of tickets were sold to the public to help towards the costs of the performance.
The Big Red Run was a gruelling 250km, 6 day ultra marathon which took place in the weeks leading up to the Big Red Bash. The Big Red Run raised funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF); event founder Greg Donovan’s youngest son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 15, and this particular charity holds a place close to his heart. Over the 6 years of the Big Red Run, close to 400 runners collectively raised over $1.1M for JDRF. After the 2018 Big Red Run, the difficult decision was made to discontinue the event due to a decline in the number of runners willing to take on the challenge, and the growth and complexity associated with the Big Red Bash’s increasing attendance numbers. (it seems more people like music than running 250km in the desert!)
