Thousands of runners compete in the 2024 42km Gold Coast Marathon
The winner of the 42.2km Gold Coast Marathon has completed the race in a speedy two hours and eight minutes in a record breaking day for the event. Read the updates and see the video
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The winner of the 42.2km Gold Coast Marathon has completed the race in a speedy two hours and eight minutes in a record breaking day for the event.
Sunday marks the end of a busy weekend for the Gold Coast Marathon with the completion of the Half Marathon, Gold Coast Airport 5km, Wheelchair 4km, Junior Dash 2km and 4km and the first stint for those daring enough to do the Double 63.5km on Saturday.
IN PICTURES: 2024 ASICS GOLD COAST MARATHON
Timothy Kattam from Kenya finished the 42.2km race within 2 hours and eight minutes with a pace of 3.03 minutes per kilometre.
Participants will today compete in the ASICS Gold Coast Marathon 42km, Southern Cross University 10km at 6.45am, Wheelchair marathon from 6.10am and the CPL Wheelchair 10km from 6.40am.
All eyes are on the Gold Coast marathon this year as the running community mourns the loss of 34-year-old Florian Gallay who died after collapsing in the final 100 metres of the race.
Florian was one of two men who collapsed during the marathon with Elanora dad ending up in hospital in a critical condition after a cardiac arrest.
Last year’s tragedies have not steered participants from taking on the challenge with a record of 30,000 plus entrants for the weekend’s events.
Minister of Tourism and Sport Michael Healy said it was a testament to the city and Queensland’s status as a premier sporting and lifestyle destination.
“The economic impact of the Gold Coast Marathon is substantial, with participants and spectators contributing $37 million to our local visitor economy last year,” he said.
Stay tuned with our live coverage of the Gold Coast Marathon below.
1.30pm
A Gold Coast Marathon spokesperson said the configuration of this year’s course changes will be under prioitory review after complaints from one of the festival’s top wheelchair athletes.
A Gold Coast Marathon spokesperson said the configuration of this year’s course changes will be under proitory review.
Jake Lappin took out first place in the CPL Wheelchair Marathon and last year’s winner Kota Hokinoue secured second place.
Mr Hokinoue had feedback for race organisers after the start line for the CPL Wheelchair Marathon and Full Marathon race moved to accommodate an extra 4000 participants.
Last year Mr Hokinoue took out the 2023 win in 1.36:35 making him top three in the event’s history.
Mr Hokinoue said he experienced some “dangerous parts” at the 30km mark and again at the 35km point during Sunday’s race.
“I wanted to give feedback to the race organisers so it can be a better race,” he said.
“There’s runners trying to get drinks on the left by the coastline around the 30km mark, but you have to slow down almost to walking speed (to avoid hitting them).”
The Japanese wheelchair athlete said that continued for around 2km, a mishap he’d never experienced before with the event.
“Maybe it was because the start position changed,” he said.
“Then around the 35km U-turn area there was a much more narrow section for us to move through, so it wasn’t wide enough to even go through with the racing chair. A lot of the 10km races come across to try and take over runners so maybe they weren’t expecting us to be coming through.”
The athlete suggested the designated area for wheelchair athletes be made wider in the future as race time was impacted.
“Maybe a lot of these 10km runners kick the cones and that makes the point more narrow,” he said
“I don’t know what caused it. I understand this can be part of the event but just to make it safer by making enough space.”
A Gold Coast Marathon spokesperson said: “The configuration of the course this year was new to accommodate the larger numbers. We understand it wasn’t perfect with regards to the Wheelchair, 10km and Full Marathon but it will be a priority part of our review out of this event.”
1.10pm
Former Paralympians headlined the winners in both the men’s and women’s wheelchair 10km race at the Gold Coast Marathon.
Emily Tapp smashed her own course record from 2023 in the women’s 10km by over three minutes to finish in 28:36, while Brisbane’s Geoff Trappett won the men’s event in 30:26.
Tapp is a former para-triathlete and competed in the Tokyo Paralympics before making the switch to solely focus on track. Unfortunately injury cruelled her chances of qualifying for Paris however she’s hopeful of making a return at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
“I missed my personal time that I was aiming for but it’s always good to do a PB on a course,” Tapp said.
“It’s always nice to try and come back to a familiar course and beat your own time.”
For Trappett, it’s over 20 years since he made his Paralympic debut, having competed in the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Paralympics in the 100m and 200m sprints.
He said that the 10km event was a “different experience”.
“It was tough, the way out was easy but coming back there was a lot of wind,” Trappett said.
“I went in with absolutely no race plan, I’m too old to be coming up with great plans, I’m not smart enough.”
12.17pm
Seven-time Paralympian Christie Dawes overcame the death of her father-in-law to compete in her third women’s wheelchair Gold Coast Marathon.
“My preparation just lacked consistency, my father-in-law passed away which was very sad,” Dawes said after crossing the line with a time of 1:54:36.
“Life stuff happens, sport’s important but there are times where you just have to drop everything and that was one of these times,” she said.
“I don’t like to lack consistency coming in, my general fitness was very good but I was a little worried that I might just hurt a little bit more because of not having that consistency.
“(It’s) just nice to get your head out of that space that you’ve been dealing with so much, exercise is one of the greatest antidepressants you can take, you never regret a workout.
“It was a good day, maybe he brought out the sunshine.”
Dawes previously won the women’s wheelchair marathon on the Gold Coast in 2016 and 2022, setting the 1:43:45 record that still stands today.
“It’s no wonder I keep coming back, look at the weather,” she said.
“Apart from a strong headwind the course is beautiful, it’s nice and flat, on home soil this is as good as it gets.”
Despite having qualified, 44-year-old Dawes is set to miss what would’ve been her eighth Paralympic campaign as she’s taken up a commentary role with Channel 9 for the Games.
“I cannot wait to talk about this sport and the people within and the Paralympic movement and share my love of it with the rest of the country,” she said.
“You’ve also as an athlete got to look at other things and the opportunities that might come outside of sport and what it’s like to live outside that bubble.”
Dawes said she was far from the “rude and dirty” word that is retirement, and was still eyeing the Sydney, New York and Berlin Marathons to round out the year.
On the men’s side of the wheelchair marathon ledger, Canberra’s Jake Lappin narrowly pipped Japanese talent and reigning champion Kota Honikoue by 12 seconds.
The pair have a decorated rivalry, and Honikoue won the race last year while Lappin won in his last outing in 2022.
“I race Kota six or seven times a year, we always work together and I know what he can do so it was good to race together again,” Lappin said after clocking a finishing time of 1:42:14.
“This one didn’t feel as cruisy as last time, it was definitely windy but there’s always nice roads and there’s never any hills which was always nice.”
The Gold Coast has been a happy hunting ground for Lappin, who won bronze in the T54 1500m at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
11.53am
Emotions were high as the family of French national Florian Gallay finished the race Florian never got the chance to.
Collapsing just 100m out from the Gold Coast Full Marathon finish line last year, Florian suffered a major medical episode later passing away in hospital. It was the first death at the major event in 43 years.
Today his brother Yvan – accompanied by friends and family – finished what his brother started.
Yvan told the Bulletin on Friday it was an “honour” to be on the Gold Coast and participate in the full marathon in memory of his brother.
“He was always pushing his limits and living by his favourite motto – ‘no pain, no gain’,” he said.
“His passion and determination have always inspired me, and it is with great emotion I am here today in his honour.”
Yvan’s wife, Emeline Gallay, father, Jean-Luc Gallay, and friends from France were with Yvan, arm in arm, as they crossed the finish line in memory of Florian.
The Gold Coast Marathon also paid the ultimate tribute to Florian by retiring his running bib.
The number 3007 will forever be registered to Florian Gallay, just 35 when he tragically had a medical episode with the finishin sight 12 months ago. He was treated by paramedics on course but later died in hospital.
At the 2024 event launch party on Friday night, Gold Coast Marathon bosses revealed his running bib would be taken out of circulation.
Events Management Queensland CEO Ben Mannion, overseeing the Gold Coast running festival, said Mr Gallay’s name would forever be remembered as part of the event.
Speaking to the Bulletin on Friday night, Yvan said for the Gold Coast Marathon to retire his brother’s bib “it’s a big gift, it’s important for us. The organisation gave us the medal last year like my brother did this marathon and I’m grateful. Knowing no one can take this bib it’s very emotional for us. I’m here to honour his memory so I’m doing the race for his memory -and to finish it for him.”
Asked if he thinks about Florian when he trains, he said: “Yes, because we run a lot of races together with my brother. When I cross the finish line it’s obligatory to think to him. He’s a role model for me and it’s very emotional to do this marathon for him.
“He’s determined, full of help - he’d help everyone who needed help. He’s an incredible person and role model for me. A very good person, a great person.
“He likes going through the limits so his outlets were boxing, running, cycling - for him his motto was no pain, no gain. For him he liked to break through his limits.”
11.04am
In just her second professional race, Yuki Nakamura ran the third-fastest ever women’s marathon time on Australian soil.
Her time of 2:24:22 has only been topped down under by the gold and silver medallists in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Nakamura also shattered the previous women’s Gold Coast Marathon record of 2:24:43, which was set by American Lindsay Flanagan in 2022.
The Japanese talent had simply been trying to hang on to the back of the leading pack at the 30-kilometre mark, but stormed home to clinch an emphatic victory, finishing a resounding minute and three seconds ahead of second-placed Ethiopian Kumeshi Sichala.
Nakamura revealed post-race that the personal best time even exceeded her own expectations.
“She was aiming for the two hours and 26 minutes, that was her objective, however she completed a personal best and won the race and was very happy,” said Nakamura’s translator.
“At the beginning, it was faster than she was anticipating so it was a bit challenging, but she was feeling great and enjoying the ambience of the Gold Coast so she thought she’ll just follow it.
“When she realised that there was nobody around she was really in the game.
“Before 30k kilometres she was going to drop off from the group, but it was downhill so she could just hang in and catch up to the speed, (from) around 35 or 36 kilometres it was good.
Speaking just minutes after the race, the winning feeling was yet to sink in for Nakamura.
“I have no idea,” her translator said.
“I don’t know the feeling, however later on I’ll probably feel the feeling of standing on the podium, but right now, I don’t know.”
2017 Paris Marathon winner Visiline Jepkesko crossed the line in third, a further 52 seconds behind Sichala.
“Not my best … it was very tough,” Jepkesko said post-race.
10.50am
Meet Enrique Suana the Gold Coast Marathon veteran who says he prefers to run the 42.2km torture test with a hangover.
Suana admitted to the Bulletin he had 10 beers and injured his back from mini golf last night, before lining up to run this morning.
And he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I love running hungover – I hate running sober, it’s the worst feeling in the world,” he said.
In a remarkable effort he made two 7/11 stops along the way for paracetamol and Coke to keep his energy levels up and pain at bay.
The veteran marathon runner says he doesn’t know what it means to not run hungover.
“But because of the Coke I couldn’t stop burping, my backs busted – but hey 3 hours and 39 minutes. Good times.”
The long distance runner said he started running marathons in 2009 before “running became cool, just like this woman here.”
The woman – Katherine Stark – completed the double event in her best time ever.
Taking on the Half Marathon yesterday and the Full Marathon today Katherine said she was over the moon.
“There was a bit of carnage at the 32km to 38km mark – lots of people passing out, people struggling with stitches and because I’m a nurse it was very hard for me not to stop and help,” she said.
“I called out to the police for a medic so they were able to help each time.”
Katherine said it was “terrible out there” during the 32-38km mark as people struggled with “hitting the wall”.
Earlier this morning on the start line Rob de Castella hyped the runners ahead of the big race.
The running legend said the true race didn’t start until the 30km mark, ringing true at this year’s record breaking event.
“You run out of oxygen, you run out of sugars and if you haven’t fuelled properly you started depleting the fuel stocks,” Craig Churchward said.
“People cramp, people are carrying their legs, if you haven’t hydrated properly you start cramping and sometimes the mental gremlins start beating you, telling you you’re not good enough.
“So you’ve got to push through those gremlins and fight through it.”
Katherine’s happiness was infectious as she said the atmosphere and event was her favourite marathon, ..
10am
Caitlin Adams celebrated her 27th Birthday in style to take home to women’s 10km crown at the Gold Coast Marathon.
It was a special result for the South Australian, who had been looking to bounce back from a form slump, and did so emphatically as she crossed the line with a time of 33:23.
“I had a bit of a rough patch over summer but stuck to it for a couple of months,” Adams said.
“I think just from the excitement of last year I had a bit of a comedown, but I really hustled away the last couple of months and just focused on this race.
“I’m really happy with how that’s going and hopefully it can springboard some more results.”
Adams had enjoyed a stellar 2023 as she cracked the national cross country team.
She had her eyes on building towards competing in the half marathon next year.
She pipped Amy Robinson (33:43) and Kate Spencer (33:46)
Melbourne-based runner Haftu Strintzos took home the men’s 10km title with a time of 28:53.
The 24-year-old Ethiopian-born Australian is trained by the renowned Craig Mottram and was thrilled with his result.
“I didn’t know what to expect coming in, this is the first road 10k I’ve done in a long time. It was a good atmosphere out there all the way through,” Strintzos said.
Strintzos hails from northern Ethiopia and worked as a shepherd on steep terrain before moving to Australia.
The run continued his strong year, having won the 10,000m event at the Oceania Championships June, while he has also notched a 28:33 track personal best over 10km in Melbourne.
Top contender 30-year-old Jack Bruce crossed the line in second with a time of 29:33, while another favourite in Dale Carroll finished third with a time of 29:48.
9.38am
SeaFM breakfast radio host Bronte Langbroek smashed her goal for her first Gold Coast Marathon event in “many years”.
The local celebrity started running six months ago and decided to take on her first ever 10km marathon run.
“I feel surprisingly pretty good,” she said after crossing the finish line.
“There were a few nervous butterflies in the tummy.
“It was a different running experience for me doing breaky radio in the morning.
“Running for me isn’t really an option so I didn’t know how I was going to go out there.”
Bronte said she stayed motivated with her good friend Jess De Favari by her side.
“She kept me motivated – ran a little too fast for my liking but she kept me going,” she said.
The radio host who moved back to the Gold Coast from Townsville earlier this year said she’s already about to tackle her next big milestone – the Townsville Half Marathon in 27 days.
“I don’t know why, maybe it was a running induced decision but I’d like to eventually do the Half Marathon on the Gold Coast,” she said.
“It’s the best place to do it, the crowd. If I’m going to do it I want to do it in my hometown.”
9.13am
Graham Nunn and Aminta Miller crossed the 10km finish line in under an hour running for a cause close to their hearts – diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).
The Everton Park State School teacher and principal lost their student Ruby Rae last year when she was just five years old due to the disease.
“We lost a beautiful little person at our school to DIPG,” Principal Aminka Miller said.
“So we’re running to raise money and be part of the community.”
Now her mother – cheering from the sidelines – along with a community of supporters are fighting for funding.
“Her mum’s here cheering us on, her name’s Hannah,” Aminka said.
“She’s advocating for more funding for brain cancer in children.”
Part of the team of parents impacted by the vicious disease, mum Hannah Pringle campaigned in Canberra helping to generate $20 million towards DIPG research.
“She ran yesterday in the 5km – she’s an amazing person,” Aminka said.
“We’ve got my nephew running as well and he has multiple disabilities and he found out about Ruby and so he wanted to run as well. He’s raised about $600.”
Together the three 10km runners managed to raise $1000 towards DIPG research.
8.30am
Kenya’s Timothy Kattam arrived in Australia with a bang, taking out the men’s Gold Coast Marathon.
He crossed in 2:08:50 and narrowly pipped Ethiopia’s Belay Tilahun by eight seconds after the pair worked closely together for the entirety of the race.
“We train as a team and that’s what came out,” Kattam said of his in-race partnership with Tilahun.
“We were very tight … it was a very tough race.
“I didn’t expect to win today’s match, I was like let me try for a podium, but it was fortunate and I’m very happy.”
Japan’s Kiyoshi Koga finished a further 23 seconds behind Tilahun to clinch third.
Koga spearheaded a field dominated by Japanese runners with ten of the top 17 men’s marathon finishes hailing from the Asian country.
It should come as little surprise given 10 previous winners hail from Japan including all of the past three.
Husband and wife Jess and Adam Bemrose have backed up competing in the Half Marathon on Saturday with the Southern Cross University 10km on Sunday.
After a light night on Saturday still running on adrenaline the mother of four managed to wake up before dawn to complete in the Marathon event.
“My daughter was running the 10km so we decided to do it too,” she said.
“It’s the best doing it with family – I wouldn’t want to do it by myself it’s so much fun sharing it with someone else.”
The member of Highland Run Crew said she was feeling pretty good after a stiff start.
“The start was stiff, felt like LEGO leg but once I got going I felt really good and the crowds are along the roads pumping us up it’s just awesome,” she said.
“Weather conditions were drier today after yesterday’s downpour with Jess revealing she was relieved to feel her toes.”
6.30am:
History has been made before the sun even rose on day two of the Gold Coast Marathon.
In its 44 year history, 2024 makes for the first time the event has moved its start line to accommodate for an extra 4,000 participants.
Kicking off by Sundale Bridge, with the skyline of Surfers Paradise as the start line backdrop, the CPL Wheelchair Marathon launched the day with racers braving the cold to take on the gruelling challenge.
Five minutes later the ASICS Gold Coast Marathon kicked off with energy buzzing as people from across the world compete to be crowned this year’s winner.
The final two races of the 44th Gold Coast Marathon weekend have begun.
The CPL Wheelchair 10km followed by the Southern Cross University 10km Run.
This year’s history making weekend had 9,000 people on the waitlist with a record breaking 30,000 participants.
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