In the lead-up to the first leaders' debate Prime Minister Kevin Rudd went to church and took a walk with his son in Canberra while Opposition Leader Tony Abbott ran Sydney's City2Surf.
Mr Rudd said he sought "a bit of divine solace" on Sunday morning and spent some time with his family including daughter Jessica and granddaughter Josephine.
He said he started the day with a long walk with son Nicholas, managing to escape the TV cameras.
"I had peace and equanimity," he told reporters in Canberra.
Not so Mr Abbott, an enthusiastic runner who completed the race from the centre of Sydney to Bondi, along with 85,000 others.
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"As you know I like to start my days with a bit of exercise, it's part of my mental health regime," he told reporters after crossing the finishing line.
"I'm hoping that that will put me in a good frame of mind for debates later on this evening."
