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Runners in their element. Photo source: Airlie Beach Marathon Festival.
The 13th annual Airlie Beach Marathon Festival has broken records across the board, with sold-out events and course records tumbling during a bumper weekend of racing.
The festival attracted almost 1,000 runners from across Australia and overseas, showcasing world-class performances while also welcoming plenty of first-time runners and kids determined simply to cross the finish line.
“We had a record number of runners," said event manager and president of the Whitsundays running club, Tim McCoy Mason.
“They came from all over the place.
“I had a lady from Hong Kong who came to run our race, even came in first in her age group.”
Demand for this year's festival was so strong that entries across the program sold out, with organisers forced to close registrations after record fields entered the marathon, half marathon, 10km, 5km and 2km events.
Not only did they have a record number of runs, but some record finishes.
UK runner Katie Goodge completed the women’s half marathon in 1 hour, 22 minutes and 15 seconds. Mackay’s Riley Rogers also set a new 10km record of 35 minutes and 18 seconds, before backing it up with a record 4-minute, 38-second run in the McDonald’s Magic Mile.
The marathon was won by returning champions Caleb Noble and Liv Compton, with Baker finishing in 2 hours, 31 minutes and 50 seconds and Compton crossing the line in 3 hours, 10 minutes and 13 seconds.
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