Whitsunday Running Club has begun preparations for three unique events with aims to motivate people of all fitness abilities to see the region and get fit while they do it – including a brand-new cross-country style run.
The Whitsunday Running Club Cross Country, Marathon, and Bush Trail events, each held in The Whitsundays on the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef and iconic Whitehaven Beach, are fast approaching, with the first just a week away.
Whitsunday Running Club will hold its newest event, the North Queensland Cross Country Championships, on March 19, with a complement of seven races for entrants from ages six and up.
The event will run on a new course developed by Whitsunday Running Club President Tim McQuoid-Mason in the public parkland in Galbraith Park and promises to “provide a challenge for runners of all abilities.”
Mr McQuoid-Mason said the addition of a cross-country event is exciting for the club with it being a long time since the last North Queensland Championships.
“We have held the Marathon Festival and Whitsunday Trail Run events for many years now and have entrants from all over Australia and the world travel to run in the picturesque Whitsundays,” he said,
“Being able to offer a third event is huge for our club and gives cross country competitors the opportunity to travel to The Whitsundays and experience the magnificent area while also competing.”
The Tassal Marathon Festival – a World Athletics certified event - will run again from July 15-16, celebrating its 10th year and organisers expect to see significant entrant numbers similar to 2019.
For trail runners, the Accom Whitsunday Trail Festival will challenge even the most experienced with its trail that follows the Great Whitsunday Walk, a 32-kilometre track along the ridge of Conway National Park on Sunday, September 10.
Tourism Whitsundays Chief Executive Officer, Rick Hamilton said the variety of events offered by Whitsunday Running Club promotes “another version of The Whitsundays.”
“The Whitsundays is the holiday destination that caters for all activity levels and budgets,” he said.
“it’s fantastic to see that this variety has been applied to events that attract competitors from all over the country and world.”
Whitsunday Running Club has added a Cross Country event to its annual run sheet of competitions
