Pulling power

The altered course of the Gold Coast Marathon will deliver economic dividends

Calling the Gold Coast Marathon one of our city’s major events doesn’t quite seem to do it justice. It’s a big deal. And not just in terms of the economic boost it provides when thousands of runners hit the streets of the Glitter Strip for the popular two-day event.

It provides incredible exposure for our city on a global level because the elite 42km races attract the best of the best in the world of marathon.

Any wonder one of the globe’s biggest running shoe brands, ASICS, jumped at the chance to expand its association and become the naming rights sponsor for the whole event.

This partnership speaks to the pulling power that our city’s marathon possesses.

And on the back of that announcement, organisers have now confirmed a major change to the race – one that will only serve to make it bigger and better.

They have revealed significant changes to the course that will allow for more entrants into the July 6-7 extravaganza.

And we’re talking another 4000 runners, taking the overall field for the whole weekend up to 30,000 and for the marathon itself to cater for 10,000 instead of 6000. Every year, the various events across the marathon weekend, including the main race for the men and women, easily hit capacity.

In fact, this year, the marathon sold out in record time, showing there is more than enough interest from runners wanting to be part of the event and justifying the move to expand.

City leaders will undoubtedly be happy with this decision from the marathon organisers.

Because as the race grows, so will that previously mentioned economic impact.

The figure, which reached $37m last year, will much higher in 2024. But it also helps bolster our credibility as an events city – continually stepping up and showing what the Gold Coast is capable of. Organisers and city officials should be applauded for their hard work to find ways to make the necessary track changes to allow for this expansion.

The future of the Gold Coast Marathon has never looked stronger.

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