Warrnambool NAIDOC Week celebration hailed a success

Organisers have hailed the city's first Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! 5km event a huge success with entry numbers surpassing their original expectations.

The relaxed walk and run event on Sunday was part of NAIDOC Week and it was a chance for all community members to get active and celebrate Indigenous culture.

Little Ochre Fella's dad Manoj Kumar ran to show his support for the Indigenous event and his partner Emily Falla, a proud Noongar Wongi woman originally from Western Australia.

Ten week old Ochre Fella was tucked up in her pram as the Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! festivities went on around her.

The newborn's name Ochre pays tribute to the traditional medium used in Aboriginal paintings which were typically mined or dug from areas with a type of colourful soft stone.

Ochre is the traditional medium used by Aboriginal people for the past 60,000 years.

"We use it in our ceremonies when we paint," Ms Falla said.

Ms Falla also runs the south-west Wata Waetnanda community reconciliation group and said events like the one held on Sunday at Lake Pertobe were important to raise broader awareness.

"We work towards having open dialogue in the community and towards reconciliation and positive meetings.

She said they were all important steps in community education and raising awareness about Indigenous culture now and for generations to come.

"For Ochre, I hope she grows up in a community that has equality and that she's treated just like anyone else - that she can have every opportunity in life to become a strong Indigenous woman."

More than 150 participants completed the Lake Pertobe course with Manoj Kumar the first male across the line, shortly followed by first female Alana Jardine.

The day, organised by Wellways and the Brauer College Indigenous girls group Kakay Academy, included a Welcome to Country, live music and a free barbecue.

Co-organiser Mel Steffensen said organisers hoped the Closing the Gaps Foundation Mob Run would become an annual event.

"This is incredible," Ms Steffensen said. "We're blown away. We had 130 people pre-register and we've had about another 30 register on the day."

Mental health support agency Wellways senior intake worker Brooke Coleman said the response to the inaugural event was amazing.

"We're pretty overwhelmed with the support from the community. Mel and I initially thought if we could get 50 people it would be great," Ms Coleman said.

She said health and well-being was a strong focus of both Wellways and Closing the Gaps Foundation and the five kilometre event was a great partnership between local organisations.

"Closing the Gaps' whole idea is to get Indigenous communities moving and how important movement is for physical and mental well-being," Ms Coleman said.

"It's what we're all about, promoting that mental health and well-being and Closing the Gaps is about promoting that in the Indigenous community. It's an awesome collaboration. We're hoping it's the first of many."

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A fun run and walk held as part of NAIDOC Week is a chance for all community members to gather and recognise our Indigenous culture.

Proceeds from the day will go to the Closing the Gaps Foundation.