15.04.2009

Entries open for Gold Coast Marathon

Entries are now open for the 31st Gold Coast Airport Marathon on Sunday July 5, 2009.
 
With just 12 weeks to go until race day, entries to the marathon, Asics Half Marathon, Southern Cross University 10km Run, Gold Coast Bulletin 5km Challenge and Queensland Health Junior Dash have today opened to all running enthusiasts.
 
This year’s Gold Coast Airport Marathon will again feature an attractive cash bounty for elite runners and host a strong field of state, national and international champions.

The winner of the Gold Coast Airport Marathon will take home $10,000 and claim an additional jackpot of $15,000 if they complete the course in under two hours and 10 minutes (men) or two hours 30 minutes (women).

The July 5 event will play host to the Oceania Marathon and Half Marathon Championships, the Australian Defence Marathon Championships, the Queensland Marathon Championships, the Queensland Masters Athletics Marathon Championships, the Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association Half Marathon Championships and the new Australian Open Running Club Championships.
 
Teams of 20 or more can also enter the Corporate Teams Challenge, Fitness Teams Challenge or as a social group in 2009.
 
Entrants will also have the opportunity to support this year’s official charities - the Cancer Council Queensland and Transplant Australia - and have the opportunity to download free training diaries from the event website to guide their preparation.
 
This year’s Gold Coast Airport Marathon features a number of exciting changes including the full marathon stretching all the way to a southern turnaround point at Burleigh Heads, and the addition of the new Gold Coast Bulletin 5km Run/Walk Challenge to the program.

Further incentives to join in this year's action include:

- Embrace the Next Step with Friends - Enter the Gold Coast Airport Marathon and nominate up to five friends you would like to encourage to enter. These friends must not have participated in the event in 2007 or 2008. If one of these friends enters on or prior to Wednesday June 3, you’ll go into the draw to win the major prize of return flights for two from an Australian capital city to the Gold Coast Airport, three nights’ accommodation at Holiday Inn Surfers Paradise including buffet breakfast daily, and a double pass to the Australian Outback Spectacular.

- Embrace the Next Step in Queensland - Are you a Queensland resident who finished either the 10km run, half marathon or marathon at last year’s Gold Coast Airport Marathon? Finish a longer race in 2009 or better your time in the marathon and you’ll automatically go into the draw to win the major prize of two nights’ accommodation at Crowne Plaza Pelican Waters on the Sunshine Coast for two people, including buffet breakfast daily.

- Fastest Debut Marathoner from the Gold Coast - The Gold Coast Airport Marathon will reward the fastest debut marathon runner from the Gold Coast in 2009, reviving the old Goldies Perpetual Trophy last won in 1992. The prize will go to the fastest debut marathon performance by either a male or female runner relative to the race record. The major prize will include two return flights from Gold Coast Airport to Kuala Lumpur flying Air Asia X.

- Win your way to the 2010 Lion Foundation Rotorua Marathon in New Zealand - If you’re an Australian resident who enters the Gold Coast Airport Marathon on or prior to Wednesday June 3, tick the box on your entry form and go into the draw to win a trip for two to the Lion Foundation Rotorua Marathon to be held on Saturday May 1, 2010, return airfares from the Gold Coast to Auckland flying Jetstar, three days’ economy car hire, two nights’ accommodation (double or twin share) in Rotorua and one race entry to the Rotorua Marathon.

Entries to the Gold Coast Airport Marathon are now open via www.goldcoastmarathon.com.au

Image courtesy www.goldcoastmarathon.com.au