Townsville Running Festival

In a setting that sees the sunrise over Magnetic Island and the coral sea, and sunset behind the iconic granite of Castle hill, we have picture perfect, prime real estate to bring you a Running Festival that stands alone.

The Townsville Marathon was started by a group of hardcore enthusiasts in 1972, who founded the “Townsville Marathon Club”. The name was a little exclusive and elitist so they toned it down somewhat to become “The Townsville Road Runners” which we all know and love today. The club meets and runs socially and competitively every Saturday of the year, and from its enthusiastic beginnings in 1972 has held the Townsville Marathon every year since – making the marathon event the second longest running annual Marathon on the Australian calendar.

In 1999, Townsville Road Runners aimed to raise the profile of running in the region by stepping in to the unknown and hosting one of the countries first Running Festivals. The event has blossomed, bloomed and boomed to what it is today. It is a regional event, with its own vibe, feel and unique welcoming allure, yet the certified racecourses, new race HQ at Jezzine Barracks and professionalism of the event coordinators bring a product on par, if not raising the bar, for major national events and a definite appeal for “race-chasers” and race hardened running purists alike.

We aren’t just a run. We are an experience.