Solved: The mystery of Melbourne's 'Spider-Man' jogger
As Melburnians in lockdown have discovered, jogging, or even walking, in a mask can be a steamy exercise. So spare a thought for one man who has taken to running around the greater St Kilda area in a full-body Spider-Man suit. The trick, he says, is breathing through your nose and mouth.
“I breathe as best as I can,” he says. “The main thing is pacing myself. I have built up ‘suit fitness’.”
Socially distanced and double-masked ... jogger Stuart Tyson, as Spider-Man, has brought joy to Melburnians in lockdown. Credit:Joe Armao
Then there are the other challenges that arise from coaxing one's body into head-to-toe spandex four times a week for a trot. "It’s not that easy to see out of so I don't always have perfect vision of everything that’s going on around me," says Spider-Man (not his real name).
"And the suit is mighty hot – it’s [made from] Lycra but the fact it covers my entire head ... my body can’t breathe."
After two months of keeping his true identity a secret to everyone but a few family members and friends, Spider-Man is outing himself as 36-year-old trainee psychologist Stuart Tyson. Aside from the fact he's single "and looking", Tyson wants to share his serious motivation behind the stunt.
Struggling with his own mental wellbeing in lockdown, Tyson wanted to inject “something surprising and playful into my own life, and a really fun thing to introduce into the public”.
"I had hoped it would bring some joy and smiles to other people."Credit:Joe Armao
Inspired by stories about two men who ran through the streets of London in Spider-Man suits during the pandemic, Tyson bought a $98 suit online. “I was pretty nervous,” he says of his first run in character. “I looked in the mirror for quite a while in the costume wondering how this was going to go.”
Apart from the occasional heckle, Tyson says his superhero-dom has been a great success. “I’ve been requested to fly up trees and buildings by some children and to shoot my web, which I have politely declined,” he says.
Tyson has been buoyed by photos and comments on various social media platforms but his most memorable encounter was a house call to a local four-year-old boy who is receiving treatment for cancer.
“I had hoped it would bring some joy and smiles to other people but seeing the posts and likes online has been wonderful [for me, too],” he says.
Local resident and media professional Isabelle Oderberg says seeing Spider-Man has brought so much joy to her four-year-old son, Roy, on their daily walks during stage-four lockdown. “It just changes the whole nature of your day,” she says.
Tyson, a lifelong runner, isn’t sure how long the Spider-Man jig will last. But he has ordered a second suit just in case. “I may as well get the most benefit as possible. It’s a real win-win and that’s what feels so great about it,” he says.
As for aspiring Mary Janes, Tyson says they can find Spider-Man somewhere in the neighbourhood most days, if they can catch him. Otherwise, there’s always email.
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