THERE ARE record entries for this year’s North Queensland Championship Airlie Beach Marathon, and the Tassal Group Half Marathon, with numbers up by 50 – 70 per cent.
The reigning ladies champion and record holder in the marathon Liv Compton from the Whitsunday Running Club is back to defend her title in the event (July 20-21, 2024).
The men’s race could be won by anyone, however, Tom Sirett from Ellesmere Port, in England, looks like he may be in with a chance.
The first three ladies in last year’s Tassal Group half marathon are back to challenge the current champion and record holder Claire Ashworth, from Canberra.
The men’s race will be a shootout between local runners Billy Grogan and Roland Henderson, from the Whitsunday Running Club.
A feature of this year’s festival will be the Mascot Race, to be held at 9.45am before the junior races over 1 and 2kms.
There are five mascots this year with ‘Piggy’ (Bendigo Bank), ‘Cruiser’ (Cruise Whitsundays), Blazer (QFD), Troppo (Tassal Group) and Hoggie (Hog’s Breath Café).
There are still entries available for most of the races and for the Locus Surveys Corporate Challenge and the McDonald’s Magic Mile.
The program for the 2024 festival follows last year’s successful format and will cater for all ages from 4 years old and up.
It features races over 1 mile, 1km, 2km, 5km, 10km, 21.1km and 42.2km.
The course for most of the races follows the footpaths and boardwalk between the Port of Airlie and Cannonvale Beach.
Event manager and president of the Whitsunday Running Club Tim McQuoid-Mason said entries for this year were well up on previous years because of a renewed interest in fitness across the world.
“We have entries from overseas and nearly every state and territory,” he said.
The festival will start on Saturday, July 20, with the McDonald’s Magic Mile, to be run at 4pm.
There is prize money for the fastest male and female and medals awarded in the 6-to-9 and 10-to-15-year age groups.
Sunday, July 21, will be the busy day with the marathon, half marathon, 10km, 5km, and kids 2km and 1km races to be run, starting with the marathon at 6am.
The winning school with the most participation (on a percentage basis) in the 1km and 2km races will receive a donation to go towards sports equipment.
The charity of choice for this year’s festival is the Ronald McDonald House Charities, North Australia.
More information about the event can be found on the festival website at www.runairlie.com.au or you can follow it on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
