IMG, the organizer of The Great Ocean Road Running Festival in Australia, staged the first ever ‘Great Ocean Road Virtual Running Festival’ on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 May, with more than 1,200 runners from Australia and around the world registered to take part.
Confirmed special guest challengers included Steve Moneghetti, one of Australia’s all-time greatest marathon runners, as well as Brodie Harper, Heath Meldrum and Brooke Hogan.
As with the real-world Great Ocean Road Running Festival, the virtual event offered a range of distances to suit every fitness level, including the 60km Ultra Marathon; 42.195km Marathon; 21.1km Half Marathon; 14km Paradise Run; 6km Run; and 1.5km Gallop.
“The Great Ocean Road Virtual Running Festival is the perfect way for people to maintain their running goals, stay inspired and keep fit,” said Brad King, Event Director of the Great Ocean Road Running Festival for IMG.
“We’re excited to bring together runners from Australia and around the world for a challenge where they are in control. It’s their race at their distance and pace, in the location of their choosing.”
Participants recorded their distance and time, and then uploaded results to a specially designed Great Ocean Road Virtual Running Festival platform to be verified and added to the live leaderboard. A special-edition finisher medal will be sent via postal service along with a virtual badge that can be shared on social media.
Registration for The Great Ocean Road Virtual Running Festival was priced at AU$35.
The official Great Ocean Road Running Festival will return August 22 and 23.
www.greatoceanroadrunfest.com.au
