HARD YARDS: Jogger pretends he isn’t completely rooted as he runs past Margaret restaurant

SHOWTIME: On the verge of exhaustion and close to vomiting, a Sydney runner has managed to pick up the pace as he ran through Double Bay’s busy shopping areas.

DBT captured the above photo of Tom Hirst, flashing a fake smile while accelerating past Margaret restaurant, which was full of patrons enjoying a sunny Saturday afternoon.

“I was in a world of pain,” he admitted to DBT. “But I dug deep because I know lots of people who regularly go there.”

It remains unclear if anyone noticed him, or even cared about his running form in the slightest, but the 31 year old wasn’t taking any chances.

“I somehow managed to keep up my pace as I ran past The Oak and Matteo. But then I ran into a quiet laneway and slumped on the ground in the foetal position to recover.”

He says Saturday afternoon is a great time to go running as there are lots of people around relaxing.

“I might quickly head down to Bondi Beach now and do a few laps of the promenade with my shirt off.”