Gold Coast Marathon with Village Roadshow plans for $1m prize

Gold Coast Marathon organisers are hatching an incredible prize plan to attract the world’s best runners to the city and pump up its global profile in key tourism markets.

Gold Coast Marathon organisers want to offer a $1 million prize to attract the world’s best runners and pump up its global profile in key tourism markets.

The Events Management Queensland board, which runs the visitor-magnet marathon each July, aims to make it one of the richest on the planet after attracting theme park giant Village Roadshow as new naming rights sponsor for three years.

FLASHBACK TO 2009’S GC MARATHON

Yuta Shitara of Japan wins the male Gold Coast Marathon in July in a new Gold Coast Marathon record of two hours, seven minutes and 50 seconds. Events organisers are hatching a plan to offer $1m in prizemoney to anyone who can break the world marathon record — which is currently two hours, one minute and 39 seconds — when running the Gold Coast Marathon. Picture: Marathon Photos

Events Management QLD CEO Cameron Hart said two preferred strategies were:

— offering $1 million (potentially split in half for men and women) for any Gold Coast Marathon entrant who breaks the existing world record;

— or five separate $200,000 cash prizes for anyone who breaks the fastest marathon ever recorded by fellow countryfolk, when on the Gold Coast. The five categories would be key city tourism markets China, Japan, South-East Asia, USA and Oceania (for NZ and Australia).

By comparison, Dubai which hosts one of the world’s richest events has offered an extra $145,000 for a world record. The New York Marathon total prize pool is $1.2 million.

TOURISM BOSS BLASTS GOVT

Cameron Hart. Picture: Richard Gosling

Mr Hart said the idea emerged at a board meeting in recent weeks and finalising the strategy was a month away. He was confident sourcing the $1m would be no trouble.

OTHER NEWS:

Stunning videos give first glimpse of HOTA gallery and bridge

New tower’s remarkable ‘rolling waves’ design

Car destroyed in major crash

The Village deal “will make other corporates say we want to get on that ride and one thing we’ll put to them is ‘can you help us with prizemoney?’,” he said.

“We want to get the exposure for the Gold Coast back in those countries. If you want to play on a big international scale and go up against the Boston, New York marathons you need to start putting money on the table.”

Existing prizemoney is $20,000 for the male/female winner with an extra $20,000 for setting a Gold Coast record which Japan’s Yuta Shitara did this year in 2:07:50. The world record is 2:01:39 set in 2018.

AMAZING OFFER: GET A SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB A 8.0 WITH THIS BULLETIN SUBSCRIPTION (T&Cs apply)

Village Roadshow CEO Clark Kirby. Picture: Mike Batterham

TOURISM RECORD SPEND ON GOLD COAST

The new prizemoney push comes after the Village deal and tourism leader Paul Donovan became Events Management Queensland’s chairman.

Mr Donovan, who this week alluded to a plan for more prizemoney, confirmed the strategy was for “increasing it significantly from where it is not only for the winner but for breaking records”.

Village Roadshow CEO Clark Kirby said his firm would use its expertise to bring more “entertainment flair” and couldn’t be prouder to be aligned with one of the city’s most important events.

In July, the marathon pumped $32.5 million into the economy and 115,000 bed nights.

Tourism Minister Kate Jones said such support from the private sector like Village was crucial for growing events.