13 October 2026

The Hills Winter Sleepout is an annual community event that raises funds and awareness for people in the Hills District experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless. For runners, it is also a cause our club has already carried on a regular night run, and there are simple ways to be part of it when the Sleepout returns next winter.

What the Hills Winter Sleepout is

The Hills Winter Sleep Out is an annual community initiative that raises vital funds and awareness for people in The Hills who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of becoming homeless. Each year, local residents, businesses, community groups and leaders, including the Mayor of The Hills Shire, come together to stand in solidarity with those facing homelessness. For one night in the middle of winter, participants give up the comfort of a warm bed so the issue cannot be ignored.

The night is about more than the discomfort. It shines a light on the challenges many people in our own community experience due to financial hardship, domestic violence, mental illness and other difficult circumstances. The funds raised help provide practical support for local people in need, including homelessness prevention initiatives and emergency assistance.

Why it matters close to home

Homelessness does not stop at the edge of the Hills District. People in our own community do it tough, and it is not always visible from the outside. A local event like the Sleepout makes it easier to help close to home: the funds raised support local people in need, and the awareness it builds starts conversations in the places we already go, from the school gate to the start line of a run.

How the club got behind it

Hills Run Club dedicated a community night run to supporting the Hills Winter Sleep Out. The run sat in the club's community series, the pop-up runs and collaborations held throughout the year, and members registered for it through HRC+ like any other club run.

On the night, the club raised both funds and awareness for the cause: every lap run helped support people in The Hills doing it tough, and the run gave the Sleepout a room full of people willing to talk about it. It was a small way of doing what the club exists for, looking after one another and giving people a reason to show up.

How runners can get behind it next winter

The Sleepout happens once a year, in the coldest stretch of the calendar, which leaves plenty of time to get ready. When the next one approaches, here is how runners can help:

• Register early for the club's dedicated community run through your free HRC+ account, so the club knows you are coming.
• Give what you can to the Sleepout's official fundraising page. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps.
• Bring your crew. Come as a team with friends, family or workmates, or step up solo and find your people on the night.
• Spread the word. Share the club's posts and mention the cause at your regular runs, because awareness is half of what the Sleepout is for.
• Keep showing up through winter. The Tuesday Night Run and Thursday Morning Run keep you ready for the community run when it lands.

Keep running through the cold

A winter cause suits runners, because winter is when a standing run with other people matters most. The night runs happen under the lights every second Tuesday, and if you are new to running after dark, what to wear to your first night run covers the layers and reflective touches. Walkers are welcome at every club run, community runs included, and walkers belong here as much as anyone.

Between now and next winter, the simplest thing to do is keep running with the club. Check the upcoming runs, register through HRC+, and when the club's next Sleepout community run opens, you will already be part of the crowd it needs.