More than 9000 runners to converge for running festival

Several main roads will be closed this weekend for an annual marathon festival that is set to draw a record number of runners.

Key thoroughfares and car parks at Noosa Heads and Noosaville will be impacted by the Runaway Noosa Marathon meet, which will include a marathon, half marathon, 10km and 5km on Saturday.

Swim Noosa, which includes multiple distances, will be held at Noosa Main Beach on Sunday.

Some of the main roads to be affected are Noosa Drive, Noosa Parade, Weyba Road, Gympie Terrace and Hilton Terrace.

“With an event of this size, we rely on the goodwill of businesses and residents to help us make the event a success,” organisers The IRONMAN Group Asia-Pacific stated on the event’s website.

Scroll down for a list of road closures

The event has been met with some mixed responses on a local community Facebook page.

“Unnecessarily disruptive to so many businesses and resident,” Kim Barton said, with the comment drawing ‘likes’ from about a dozen others.

“The marathon brings a lot of visitors to Noosa and they book accommodation and spend money in local restaurants and shops,” Roger Byrne said, with the approval of as many people.

This year’s ASICS Runaway Noosa Marathon is set to be the biggest in the event’s history, with more than 9000 participants.

The multi-lap course starts and finishes on Noosa Parade and includes a flat, fast route through Noosa Sound and along the Noosa River.

The IRONMAN Group Asia-Pacific regional director Leanna Ali said, via a press release, that she was delighted to welcome runners.

“We’re thrilled with the response from runners from home and further afield with this year’s event the biggest in our history,” she said.

Minister for the Environment and Tourism Andrew Powell said the event is a “standout” on the state’s calendar, and it would bolster the region.

“With more than 22,000 visitors expected and around $17 million flowing into the (local) economy, events like this drive visitation, support local jobs and showcase the very best of Queensland,” he said.

Tourism Noosa CEO Sharon Raguse said Runaway Noosa encouraged visitors “to slow down and immerse themselves in the natural beauty, wellness experiences and local businesses that make Noosa so special” and that many of them would return.

Participants also contribute to Tourism Noosa’s Trees for Tourism program, which has led to more than 9000 trees planted in the region over the years.

The first Runaway Noosa event was held in 2018. This year’s edition will be the seventh, as it didn’t take place in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID. About 1600 people are expected to take part in the feature race, the marathon.

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Road closures