Annual Airlie Marathon Festival Next Weekend

In just over a week’s time runners will compete across eight categories in the region’s premier long-distance event.

The Tassal Group Airlie Beach Marathon Festival, which regularly features upwards of 500 athletes – professional and amateur – will get into gear on July 16 and 17, starting with its enormous 42.2- kilometre marathon distance, and all the way down to the 1.4-kilometre Airlie Beach foreshore Magic Mile.

Across the longer distances the course has been modified; the regular two laps along The Beacons headland at Port of Airlie has now been reduced to just the one.

Competitors will shoot off in marathon, half marathon, 10-kilometre, 5-kilometre fun run, two-kilometre fun run, and five-kilometre team challenge distances – as well as the Magic Mile.

The foreshore lawn will be host to market stalls and activities for the full two-day festivities centred around the Airlie Sound Stage for spectators and competitors alike.

Whitsunday Running Club president Timothy McQuoid-Mason said the club was expecting around 400 competitors to hit the pavement during the festival.

“What I’m excited about is that we’ve got our winners from last year back again: Caleb Noble is back for the men and in the women’s, Liz Kompton is as well. Both hold the record in their respective categories for that distance,” he said.

“We’ve got a really interesting one for the Magic Mile and the half marathon, too, Emma Hogan – she’s represented Australia in the U23 Triathlon event this year.”

Dan McDonnell is also confirmed to return. McDonnell is the current record holder for the men’s half marathon distance and an accomplished Ironman competitor – recently placing second overall in the Cairns 70.2.

Liz McGuire from Townsville, who won the half marathon last year, is also likely to return but has as yet to confirm.

“We have a couple of gun athletes locked in now,” Mr McQuoid-Mason said.

The festival will begin on Saturday at 4:00pm with the Magic Mile – two laps along the Airlie Beach Foreshore - which has two open events in age 6 to 9 and 10 to 15 categories.

Sunday is the big day with the marathon beginning at 6am before the half marathon.

The 10-kilometre is up next, which is followed by the five-kilometre and a five-kilometre corporate challenge.

That event is a team comprised of up to 10 runners running five kilometres each. The quickest three times are totalled and compared against others to pick the winner.

After those events will be the two-kilometre primary school challenge - just two laps around the foreshore, similar to the magic mile.

To finish off the festivities is the adorable one-kilometre run for 4–6-year-olds.

Registrations are still open at the Whitsunday Marathon Festival website.

Competitors will criss-cross the paths of Airlie Beach over varying distances in the Marathon Festival next weekend

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