We can see you shaking your head as you read the title above. You’re busy. Too busy. Just ask your colleagues, spouse and family how much time you have left in your daily schedule to do more than set a goal of a decent night’s sleep!
But as a runner, you have found creative ways to insert regular runs into your crazy schedule despite all of those demands, so if we give you great reasons to clear your calendar for Australia’s 2016 Gold Coast Airport Marathon, scheduled for the 2nd and 3rd of July, will you stick around long enough to read them?
Reason #1: Impressive History
This is a global tourism event with an impressive history (38 years, mate!) that will bring you into contact with so many people, you can tell your boss that you’ll be in Queensland in early July to make business contacts, and you won’t necessarily be lying.
The atmosphere at the Gold Coast can’t compare to other high-profile events, because this race happens to be a star on the nation’s list of don’t miss experiences, so even if your budget has room for just one overseas marathon, make it this one.
Reason #2: A Huge Affair
Every runner needs a goal and you couldn’t find one that’s loftier than the Gold Coast since it’s staged at the Broadwater Parklands in Southport and organized by a group of management pros that’s so dynamic, you could learn lessons from Events Management Queensland on how to run a huge affair like this one. No detail is overlooked, and since the group running the show has had 37 years of experience to get it right, this event runs as smoothly as melted butter.
One word of warning: excellence in logistics could spoil you for all other events, so be careful if you find yourself enraptured!
Reason #3: Great Numbers
You are gregarious and you love a good party. Nothing compares to the spectacle that is the Gold Coast Airport Marathon and the numbers prove it.
Organizers project about 27,500 race participants for 2016 based on some calculations we can’t dispute, and there may be 60,000 spectators on hand at the event that has been given the highest honour for marathons around the world: the IAAF Road Race Gold Label. It’s no coincidence that there’s plenty of gold attributed to the Gold Coast Airport Marathon!
Reason #4: Be on TV Opportunity
You could wind up on TV! No joke. At the moment, more than 1,000 hours of international television coverage is being earmarked just for the Gold Coast and images of you crossing the finish line could show your grinning, sweaty face on the screens of more than 800 million viewers and running enthusiasts in 128 countries.
Of course, if you intend to lie to your boss about visiting a sick granny, the chances that your face will appear on TVs across the globe are going to increase, according to no lesser an authority than Murphy’s Law.
Reason #5: Variety For All
If you can’t find your event here at the Gold Coast, it may not exist. The 2016 program includes a rainbow of distances that include the superstar 42.195km Gold Coast Airport Marathon, Wheelchair full marathon, ASICS Half Marathon, Wheelchair 15km, Southern Cross University 10km Run, Suncorp Bank 5.7km Challenge, Zespri 4km Junior Dash and even the Zespri 2km Junior Dash. Impressed? You should be.
Reason #6: After Race Party
You’ll have a good time. Literally and figuratively — since this year’s theme is Good Times, after all. From the scenic, flat course known for delivering new personal bests to the fun and games throughout this popular resort area, even those who don’t perform as well as they would have liked on the course admit that attractions, hospitality, lodgings and warm welcomes given to race participants make up for a less-than-perfect finish.
Take advantage of the ASICS Sport & Leisure Expo to learn about new technology, products and ideas related to running and if you miss even one social event, you’ll regret it, because these parties are awesome.
Reason #7: Great Prizes
You’d like to get your hands on some prize money and giveaways! There’s no shame in that. A cache of $110,000 has been set aside for winners to claim (this includes $20k each for the top dogs in the men’s and women’s full marathon) and there will be plenty of opportunities to claim bonus prize money in several categories. All finishers receive a finishers shirt and medal to commemorate their race.
By the way, the money doesn’t stop with competitor awards. Cancer Council Queensland is also a beneficiary of this big event and has been so for 11 years.
Reason #8: Be With The Legends
You’ll be in great company. If you long to shake hands with the legends of the Australian marathon scene, introduce yourself to Rob de Castella, Steve Moneghetti, Pat Carroll, and Benita Willis, Australia’s current queen of marathon records. They’ll all be on hand as brand ambassadors.
But there will be other legends on hand that you may be equally as enthusiastic about meeting: some of the hottest male and female stars on the international running scene show up annually and everyday runners who hold the distinction of being the oldest and youngest competitors always get plenty of attention. You’ll even see who has travelled the furthest distance to run this race, so coming from Singapore, you’ll feel like a close neighbour!
Reason #9: Unconditional Affection
You will fall in love with the people at the Gold Coast. All of them. There’s something about being in this particular corner of the earth that seems to make everyone feel as though they’re part of something really important. Volunteers for the Gold Coast number in the thousands and these tireless workers are as friendly and accommodating as any you’ve ever met — even after they’ve been working day and night to get this event on its feet.
From innkeepers to restaurant hosts, you would have to search long and hard to find someone who doesn’t smile and ask if you need any help — that’s just the way it is here at this popular event.
Reason #10: In Safe Hands
You’re safe. Why add this when the focus is on fun, sun and run? Because every aspect of the annual Gold Coast Airport Marathon is under scrutiny by race organizers so those attending this huge event can relax and get into the spirit of the race and the thousands of people required to make a success of it.
Health and safety practices are unprecedented; from state-of-the-art medical scanning equipment and aid station staff to GPS tracking and traffic management, things go smoothly because every year, as soon as the dust settles, preparations for the following year begin. It’s no accident that frequent competitors call the Gold Coast runners’ paradise.
Finally, take a glimpse at the fun that you will be expecting at the Gold Coast Airport Marathon in the video below.
Have we whetted your appetite for a trip to the Gold Coast in Queensland on the first weekend in July? C’mon. You’ve got time to do all it takes to make arrangements so you, too, can go for gold on your own terms!
Sign up for the Gold Coast Airport Marathon today to avoid disappointment!
