This year, three runners from Tateyama in Japan will compete in the Winery Run, accepting an invitation extended by Port Stephens Sister Cities Committee.

Port Stephens Sister Cities Committee is a 355c Committee of Port Stephens Council aiming to promote friendships and understanding between nations, and worldwide peace. It facilitates this through ‘citizen diplomacy’, reaching beyond municipal boundaries to forge educational, cultural, sporting, environmental and even business relationships.

Home hosting is key – as face-to-face engagement with people of a different cultural background and world view is seen as a mutually enriching experience.

The committee, with the Mayor as Honorary Chairman, acts on behalf of Port Stephens Council, coordinating participation in sister cities exchanges and events. 

Port Stephens has three sister cities in Japan: Yugawara, Tateyama and Kushiro and one in Washington State USA: Bellingham.

In relation to sport, each year Port Stephens sends runners to Tateyama to compete in the Wakashio Marathon. They are home hosted and introduced to Japanese culture.

On sister cities invitation, Bellingham and Tateyama athletes ran in the Hunter Valley Marathon in 2018 and were home-hosted for 5 nights.

Port Stephens has also sent athletes to the Bellingham Ski-to-Sea multisport relay and to the Bellingham Bay marathon.

H Events is looking forward to welcoming this year’s runners from Tateyama, Japan participating in the Winery Run. One will compete in the full marathon and two in the half marathon. They will all be home-hosted and shown typical Port Stephens’ hospitality that will include a whale watching cruise.