Toowoomba Marathon now a two-day festival of fun and running

There’ll be double the fun at the 2025 Toowoomba Marathon with more races added to the major event, but organisers have also vowed to limit road closures following community concern. Here’s how.

 

The 2025 Toowoomba Marathon is set for a radical overhaul with the $1.1 million event expanding to a two-day festival.

Taking place on Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4 the new-look festival will include mile and 5km races at Toowoomba’s Wellcamp Airport on the Saturday.

The mile race (1.609km) will include elite, junior and open categories as well as a team challenge for schools, corporate, running and fitness groups.

A corporate mile relay will also feature on the program with teams of four encouraged to run about 400m each.

“The corporate relay race is all about having fun with work colleagues with the goal of raising funds for a nominated worthy cause with the inaugural perpetual trophy and bragging rights up for grabs,” Events Management Queensland CEO Ben Mannion said.

An ‘All in Mile’ open to anyone who has run on the day will wrap up the Saturday program with participants given one more chance to run the runway.

Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport general manager Kellie Banditt said she was excited to be part of what she believed would quickly become an iconic Australian event.

“In only its second year this weekend of racing has all the hallmarks of becoming a signature running event in Australia attracting participants from all over the country and overseas with our airport offering direct services from Sydney, Brisbane and regional destinations around Queensland,” Banditt said.

Runners get ready for the start of the Toowoomba Marathon. Picture: Kevin Farmer

A runner in the 10km event finishes in style. Picture: Kevin Farmer

“The Saturday races will be lots of fun at the airport with food-trucks and entertainment complementing the fun runs whilst Sunday is the business end of the event with the more serious runners tackling the longer races.

“We are proud to be the naming rights partner of the Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport Marathon and congratulate the team at EMQ for taking on board community and business feedback and working with us to offer a very unique running experience.”

Sunday’s program will include the 10km, half marathon and marathon races.

After consultation with and feedback from the community – race organisers have tweaked the marathon course in a bid to reduce the duration of necessary road closures.

“In 2025 the marathon course will consist of three laps which will reduce the duration of the road closures in South Toowoomba with the first large lap incorporating Long Street and the West Creek Pathway exclusively one-way for runners,” Mannion said.

“We have included a second lap around Prince Henry Heights offering participants another chance to take in the breathtaking views across the range and minimise the impact on residents.

“By incorporating laps two and three and taking the course through the city centre and Queens Park we give runners a reprieve from the challenging terrain and it creates greater opportunity for community activation and engagement from spectators and local businesses.”

The content summaries were created with the assistance of AI technology, then edited and approved for publication by an editor.