More than 16,000 participants are set to take part in the Sunshine Coast Marathon festival on Sunday, when several major roads will be closed.
Runners and walkers will hit the streets for events including a marathon, half marathon, 10km, 5km and 2km, along a scenic coastal course.
The record number of participants comes as the clock ticks towards 2032, when the region could host the Olympic marathon.
This weekend’s festival is expected to be a financial boon for the region, with participants and their supporters booking into local hotels and spending at cafes and restaurants.
But there will be traffic impacts at Mooloolaba, Alexandra Headland, Maroochydore, Pacific Paradise, Twin Waters and Mudjimba.
Scroll down for a full list and map of road closures
The southbound lane of the Sunshine Motorway, between the Pacific Paradise roundabout and south of Main Road, will be shut.
Some of the other main roads to be impacted include Mooloolaba Esplanade, Alexandra Parade, Aerodrome Road, Brisbane Road, Bradman Avenue and a stretch of David Low Way.
Visit Sunshine Coast CEO Matt Stoeckel said the marathon festival is “an important part of our events calendar”
“It attracts thousands of competitors and supporters from across Queensland, interstate and overseas, providing a welcome boost for local businesses, including our accommodation providers, cafes, restaurants, retailers and tourism operators.”
“With the Sunshine Coast set to host the marathon events during the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, events like this play an important role in building our reputation as a world-class destination for major sporting events.
“The marathon is a great reason to visit, and once people are here, it’s the perfect opportunity to stay a little longer, explore more of the Sunshine Coast and experience everything our region has to offer.”
A Sunshine Coast Council representative said the EVA Air Sunshine Coast Marathon Festival showcases the region’s lifestyle, natural assets and visitor experiences to a global audience.
“The event also delivers strong economic, tourism and community benefits, supporting local businesses, charities and volunteer groups.”
“The event is increasingly significant as the Sunshine Coast prepares to host marathon events as part of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, providing an established platform to demonstrate the region’s capability to deliver world-class events.
“It helps build the destination’s reputation, operational expertise and international profile in the lead-up to 2032”.
Total event attendance, including spectators, supporters, volunteers and participants is set to exceed 30,000 this weekend.
Last year’s festival injected more than $13 million into the regional economy, through accommodation, hospitality, retail, transport and tourism experiences, as well as event-related operational expenditure.
“Supporters are drawn to the region’s beaches, accommodation, dining and tourism experiences, often extending their stay to enjoy the destination,” the representative said.
The council representative acknowledged the impacts to motorists.
“Road closures can cause temporary disruptions to traffic movements, public transport services and local access for residents and businesses on event day.”
“These short-term impacts are managed through traffic plans and community notifications, helping to ensure participant and spectator safety while delivering significant economic and destination benefits for the region.”
Atlas Events managing director Jason Crowther said the event had come a long way since its inception.
“We started this event in 2012 because we love running on the Sunshine Coast and believed other people would too. We’ve always wanted it to feel like a community festival first. It’s grown every year, but we’ve never lost sight of that,” he said.
“To welcome a record 16,500 runners in our 14th year is something we’re incredibly proud of. Participants range in age from four to 84, with runners, wheelchair athletes, walkers and families from 42 countries all sharing the same finish line.”
One of the reasons the marathon is popular is because of it’s fast, scenic course and ideal winter conditions.
“The single-lap marathon (course) was a significant step forward for the event,” Mr Crowther said. “Feedback from runners was overwhelmingly positive and it allowed us to welcome more participants than ever before.
“The Sunshine Coast is one of Australia’s most active regions and we’re proud to share it with runners from around Australia and increasingly around the world.”
Road closures
Sunday, August 2Â
Mooloolaba
- Mooloolaba Esplanade (Buderim Ave to Venning St): 4am–9am
- Venning St (Mooloolaba Esplanade to Walan St): 4am–9am
- Walan St (Brisbane Rd to Venning St): 4am–9am
- Brisbane Rd (Walan St to Amarina Ave): 4.30am–9am
Alexandra Headland
- Alexandra Pde (Buderim Ave to Aerodrome Rd): 3.30am–1.30pm
- Okinja Rd (Wirraway St to Alexandra Pde): 3.30am–1.30pm
- Maroubra St (Wirraway St to Alexandra Pde): 3.30am–1.30pm
- Aerodrome Rd (Alexandra Pde to Sixth Ave): 3.30am–1.30pm
Maroochydore
- Aerodrome Rd (Alexandra Pde to Sixth Ave): 3.30am–1pm
- Sixth Ave (Memorial Ave to The Esplanade): 5am–12.30pm
- Memorial Ave (Sixth Ave to Cotton Tree Pde): 5am–12.30pm
- Cotton Tree Pde (King St to The Esplanade): 5am–12.30pm
- Alexandra Pde (Cotton Tree Pde to Melrose Pde): 5am–12.30pm
- Melrose Pde (Alexandra Pde to Sixth Ave): 5am–12.30pm
- The Esplanade (Cotton Tree Pde to First Ave): 5am–12pm
- First Ave (The Esplanade to Duporth Ave): 5am–12pm
- Duporth Ave (First Ave to Bradman Ave): 5am–12pm
- Bradman Ave (Duporth Ave to Fishermans Rd): 5am–12pm
- Denna St (Bradman Ave to Sunshine Motorway): 5am–11.30am
- Sunshine Motorway (southbound) (Nils St connection to Maroochydore Rd): 5am–11am
Pacific Paradise
- David Low Way (Ocean Dr, Maroochydore to Noosa Rd): 5am–10.45am
Twin Waters
- Ocean Dr (David Low Way to Nojoor Rd): 5.30am–10.45am
- Ocean Dr (Nojoor Rd to Mudjimba Esplanade): 5.30am–10.30am
Mudjimba
- Mudjimba Esplanade (Ocean Dr to David Low Way): 5.30am–10.30am
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