Almost 80,000 people crossed the finishing line of the City2Surf 2024 on Sunday, 11 August. Among them was Kiama entrepreneur Bek McAlister, who completed the fun run in her undies.

“I definitely got some strange looks because of the slogan on my t-shirt,“ she says.

The slogan ‘Got Discharge, Get Luckies,’ (inspired by the 1990s Got Milk? ad campaign), refers to McAlister's business Luckies Knickers, which she launched in May this year. 

Tackling the topic of discharge in women’s underwear caused by natural body secretions, she discovered it was a design issue and went about fixing it. Bek designed knickers with a colourful gusset designed to conceal stains and added merino layers to deal with the everyday scent and moisture.

McAlister says discharge still has a dirty connotation. “It remains one of the last taboos. Women are ashamed of it, and for no reason.”

She hopes to change that stigma, as a step in women’s empowerment, which is why she decided to run City2Surf sans pants.

Bek McAlister at the City2Surf 2024. Credit: Eva Kokklemans.

In 2023, McAlister ran the world’s largest fun run with a group of friends, who all sported the Luckies Knickers t-shirts. But this year, it was only a friend and her.

“Funnily enough, it was an unseasonably hot day,” McAlister says. “I said to my friend, ‘It’s so boiling hot, why would you be wearing pants?’ “

Despite receiving a few funny looks, she says it was worth completing the run in a somewhat unorthodox way as it resulted in several sales.

McAlister, who went to Kiama Primary School and Kiama High School, works full-time while developing her business on the side. “I’ve had corporate roles but I also have a creative side. For this, I took a big leap and risk,” she says.

Her next launch will be released in about three months, so stay tuned.