Australian marathon legend Rob de Castella will be bringing the Indigenous Marathon Foundation Running and Walking (RAW) Championships to Mackay as part of the BMA Mackay Marina Run being held this weekend.
Now in its 14th year, the annual BMA Mackay Marina Run is the region’s signature running event and is expected to attract more than 3,500 competitors in this year’s event.
Event Director, Tim Magoffin, advised the involvement of de Castella’s Indigenous Marathon Foundation is testimony to the event’s growing reputation.
“The RAW Championships run by the Indigenous Marathon Foundation has never been held outside of the Northern Territory so to be welcoming the event to Mackay is a real honour,” Mr Magoffin said.
“The RAW Championships will be held the day prior to our usual BMA Mackay Marina Run and will see roughly 160 participants from over 40 communities from across Australia compete in the championships in Mackay.
“That’s in addition to the 3,500 competitors that we expect to welcome for the BMA Mackay Marina Run on Sunday 5 June.”
Mr Magoffin said that securing the RAW Championships combined with the growing popularity of the BMA Mackay Marina Run highlighted the attractiveness of Mackay as an events destination.
“Mackay is emerging as an expanding region with a lot to offer in the events and recreation space,” he said.
“The BMA Mackay Marina Run is the signature running event for the city and showcases our tropical lifestyle with possibly one of the most scenic runs in Queensland along the blue Pioneer River.
“It’s a pretty special experience and we’re looking forward to sharing that with this year’s runners.”
This year’s BMA Mackay Marina Run has set a fundraising target to reach a total of $500,000 raised for the Mackay Branch of the Leukaemia Foundation since the event began.
The BMA Mackay Marina Run is on Sunday June 5, with participants having the choice to run 3km, 5km, 8km and 21km.
To register, visit https://mackaymarinarun.com
Australian marathon legend, Rob de Castella, will be at the BMA Mackay Marina Run this Sunday. Photo supplied
Robert de Castella wins gold in the marathon in the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane. Photo credit: The National Library of Australia
