Australian Running Festival 2013

The Australian Running Festival has come and gone for another year, and as has been the case in previous years, the Festival goes from strength to strength, each one better than the year before.

Over the course of the weekend, 2,100 runners participated in six different events, including five and ten kilometre fun runs, as well as the half, full and ultra marathons.

The Australian Running Festival’s popularity continues to grow, as more and more people travel from interstate to compete against local runners. No matter where they come from, the runners compete with a spirit of goodwill because, at the end of the day, the reason they are running in the events is far more important than their finishing place.

The thing that makes the Australian Running Festival such a great event is the amount of money raised for various charities. Each runner has a reason why he or she runs, whether it is for future ambitions, a specific cause or even a certain person. This year the runners in the Festival were able to raise over $225,000. While this itself is a great achievement, the fact that this money will go to over 195 charities makes it even more special.

Winner of the marathon, local Rowan Walker, has been competing in the Running Festival for a number of years and credits the community spirit for the continued success of the Festival.

“The Festival really is a great community event, the way they come together makes it a great charity event.”

Winner of the half marathon Chadi Elashkar wasn’t competing at the Festival for a specific charity but was running to raise awareness for the Oatley Park Fun Run, which will be held soon to raise money for Cerebral Palsy.

Coming a close second to Elashkar, was Victorian John Dutton. On the road back from illness, Dutton used the Running Festival as a stepping-stone to bigger things.

“I’d like to compete at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018, it’s a long way off, but that’s the goal.

As the Australian Running Festival comes to an end for another year, the runners all go their separate ways. The countdown now begins for next year’s instalment.