Main roads across Noosa Heads and Noosaville will close this weekend as the Runaway Noosa Marathon festival brings more than 9,000 participants to the coastal town for a record edition. Saturday’s program includes the marathon, half marathon, 10km and 5km races, while Swim Noosa will take place at Noosa Main Beach on Sunday.
Noosa Drive, Noosa Parade, Weyba Road, Gympie Terrace and Hilton Terrace are among the roads affected as the event stretches across the weekend. The marathon course starts and finishes on Noosa Parade and takes runners on a flat, fast route through Noosa Sound and along the Noosa River.
About 1,600 people are expected to enter the feature marathon, which is part of a festival that has grown into its biggest edition since the first Runaway Noosa event in 2018. The race did not take place in 2020 or 2021 because of COVID, making this year the seventh staging.
Minister for the Environment and Tourism Andrew Powell called the event a standout, saying more than 22,000 visitors were expected and around $17 million would flow into the local economy. “With more than 22,000 visitors expected and around $17 million flowing into the (local) economy, events like this drive visitation, support local jobs and showcase the very best of Queensland,” he said.
Tourism Noosa chief executive Sharon Raguse said the marathon encouraged visitors “to slow down and immerse themselves in the natural beauty, wellness experiences and local businesses that make Noosa so special.” The event also feeds into Tourism Noosa’s Trees for Tourism program, which has led to more than 9,000 trees being planted in the region over the years.
The festival has also prompted mixed reactions from local residents and businesses, who face disrupted access while roads and car parks are affected through the weekend. The IRONMAN Group Asia-Pacific said it relies on local cooperation to make the event work, while Kim Barton described the closures as unnecessarily disruptive to businesses and residents.
That friction sits beside the attraction of the race itself. Roger Byrne said the marathon brings visitors to Noosa who book accommodation and spend money in local restaurants and shops, and organisers say the scale of this year’s noosa marathon reflects how firmly the event has settled into the region’s calendar.
