Airlie Beach Running Festival Races Into The Whitsundays

This year marks the 4th year of the annual Cruise Whitsundays Airlie Beach Running Festival which will be held Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 July 2016. Staged in one of Australia's most popular holiday destinations, the festival is the Whitsunday's premier running event and the region's largest mass participation event.

Having attracted over 600 participants in the previous year, the Airlie Beach Running Festival is held on the third weekend of July and is open to all abilities and age groups across a number of different races. The festival includes the Kids Fun Run, the Bendigo Bank 2km, the 5km Business Team Challenge, Balance Podiatry 5km, the 10km Challenge and the Cruise Whitsundays Half Marathon.

Giving back to the community, the Cruise Whitsundays Airlie Beach Running Festival supports local charities and this year Eco Barge Clean Seas will be the proud recipients. The local not-for-profit organisation has more than 100 volunteers who keep coastal waterways clean and free of debris, in turn saving the lives of many turtles. Donations to this worthy cause can be made when participants register to take part in the race.

One of the biggest attractions of the race is its location, allowing you to enjoy paradise while you run. The festival course showcases the picturesque coastline of Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays and allows southerly participants to escape their winters and race in lovely warm weather. In fact, many racers (and spectators) enjoy extending their stay for the festival and incorporate a holiday for them and their families.

The preferred accommodation of the Cruise Whitsundays Airlie Beach Running Festival is the Martinique Whitsunday, a premier property offering 4.5 star self-catering apartments conveniently located just a 250m walk from the centre of town. The Martinique offers participants a relaxing home away from home right near the heart of all the racing action.

(20th April 2016)