Port Douglas will add a much-anticipated running event to famed Gran Fondo Festival
Port Douglas is hoping to attract locals and international visitors alike by adding a new running event to a much-loved cycling festival.
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Port Douglas is making the most of a global ‘sports tourism’ craze, adding a much-anticipated running portion to this year’s Gran Fondo Festival.
The three-day festival, held along the coastline between Palm Cove and Port Douglas, is famed for its cycling races with stunning views of the tropical north.
The 2025 festival will to expand beyond cycling races to bring in a 2km, 5km, 10km and 21.1km running event, with every distance set to hit the finish line at Port Douglas’ world famous Four Mile Beach.
The announcement comes as new research from Expedia Group found ‘sports tourism’, traveling for a specific sporting or exercise event, made up 10% of global tourism spending in 2025.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland partnerships and events manager Tara Bennett said the running event is “tapping into a major growth opportunity” for the region.
“Port Douglas just fits perfectly with the profile we’re seeing in the growth of sports tourism,” Ms Bennett said.
“We know that running activities are growing globally and the participation is there.
“In its first year the Gran Fondo is expecting over one thousand runners, that’s huge.”
Ms Bennet was confident that the ease of new flight routes to Cairns will attract international visitors and locals alike to the event.
“It’s been really exciting for Cairns to welcome a number of new airlines, with Jetstar connecting us to Christchurch and we now have Bangkok Airways also connecting us to North America,” Ms Bennet said.
“So we really have an opportunity to grow the international participation in events for the region.”
Douglas Shire Council deputy mayor Cr Roy Zammataro said the event would strengthen Port Douglas’ crucial tourism industry which suffered during the COVID pandemic and Cyclone Jasper.
“Economically it’s what we want as it boosts the economy of the Douglas Shire,” Mr Zammataro said.
“The run has attracted hundreds of people already, and there’s people from overseas who are going to come and run as well.”
Local runner Michelle Scott said Port Douglas residents had been calling for a running tourism event for years.
“It’s been a good eight years since we’ve had a run that’s dedicated to our region, and to include the iconic Flagstaff Hill, and then finish on the beautiful Four Mile beach, it’s just going to be fantastic.
“Not just for runners, but also out in the town and bringing more tourism in, which is much needed.
“There’s actually a few run clubs around Port Douglas…so for us to have an event that we don’t have to travel to, that’s in our hometown, is very exciting.”
The Run Port Douglas event will be held as part of the Gran Fondo Festival on September 13 2025.
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