Gold Coast major events: which race beats them all for getting bigger each year

New data reveals the Gold Coast Marathon’s status as a winner in the city’s major event calendar with the race recording massive growth. And now it will be taken up to the next level.

ONE of the Gold Coast’s biggest events is to be taken to the next level, with plans to pump up its prize money to attract the world’s best runners.

A major revamp of the Gold Coast Marathon is planned aiming to attract up to 8000 marathon runners — the capacity field for the 42.2km race. It had 6700 marathoners this year.

Tourism bigwig Paul Donovan, the new chairman of Events Management Queensland which runs Gold Coast Marathon, also wants to hype the festival atmosphere to bring in more locals.

It comes as new data reveals its status as a winner in the city’s major event calendar with the race recording huge growth.

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4km Junior Dash start at the Gold Coast Marathon. Picture: Marathon Photos.

Research released to the Bulletin by the government shows the marathon pumped $32.5 million into the economy and generated more than 114,000 visitor nights earlier this year.

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Mr Donovan said the marathon “needed to get back to being a big international event”.

“The board and management want to work towards building the overall number of competitors up to 8000 people, as well as other changes which will allow it to be built into something even greater,” he said.

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A Japanese spectator looks on at the Gold Coast Marathon. Photograph: Jason O'Brien.

“The board and I want to make it a marathon which has global recognition and we are also assessing the prize money to make sure it is appropriate,” he said but wouldn’t disclose how much of a boost he was aiming for.

“If we make it more lucrative we will attract the best runners for this event. It is the board and management’s view that we have the potential to really go places.”

There are also discussions about improving access to the track, building up the events area at the Southport Broadwater Parklands and bringing in food trucks.

State Government data revealed the economic impact of the event had grown by 12 per cent in comparison to 2018.

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Competitors in the Gold Coast Marathon. Photograph: Jason O'Brien

The State Government says year-on-year trends showing visitors are staying longer and were more likely to bring friends and family to the Coast when they come for the marathon.

Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones said the research confirmed more than 60,000 people attended for it this year.

More than 46,000 people involved in the event were visitors to the Coast including about 7000 international arrivals.

The Marathon is staged by Events Management Queensland (EMQ), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tourism and Events Queensland.

The 42nd Gold Coast Marathon is scheduled to be held on July 4-5 next year.