A sell-out in its first outing last year, the Surf Coast Trail Marathon, in Victoria, is returning to the trail running event calendar with an updated title and promises of yet another upbeat event designed to lure runners off-road.
Now be known as the Icebug Surf Coast Trail Marathon, the event has welcomed aboard Swedish shoe brand Icebug which recently launched its range of trail shoes onto the Australian market.
“The Surf Coast Trail Marathon is an ideal stomping ground to introduce our trail running shoes to Australia,” said Icebug Australia’s Andrew Shaw. “Reflecting the nature of the event, our range caters for runners of all abilities from first time trail runners through to ultimate trail adventurers looking for the very best trail performance,” said Shaw.
The Icebug Surf Coast Trail Marathon will again ply the trails between the coastal town of Torquay – famous for its surf culture – and the equally stunning seaside village of Fairhaven, 42km further south down the coast.
The course will remain in most part the same as the 2014 version, with slight course amendments including a new start line at Bomboras Kiosk, in Torquay.
It will then wend its way along clifftops, through hinterlands, along beaches (including world famous Bells Beach), past a lighthouse, and around an estuary, to finish with a sting in the tail: a set of stairs to be climbed, the finish arch perched at the top.
Last year the event sold out with 500 participants taking on either the full or half marathon distances. The latter starts at Point Addis, which is also marks the changeover for those completing the marathon as a team of two.
“It’s a cracking course,” said, Mitch Anderson, a pro-level triathlete who used the event to run his 39th marathon on his 39th birthday.
Last year’s marathon distance winner, Geelong-based Brett Coleman, agreed on the course being a stunner, with a caveat: “It’s a beautiful course, but I didn’t expect the rolling clifftop trails near the end, and the final stairs – they are killer.”
Brett smashed the inaugural course to record a sub three hour marathon (2 hours 58 minutes) on what most regarded as a tougher than expected course.
“It offers an impressive variety of terrain with well groomed walking trails, some gnarly single track sections, hills, lots of sand, the most beautiful views, and the whole vibe at the event is so exciting and infectious,” says 2014 women’s marathon winner, Kellie Emmerson (pictured).
Created to put a spotlight on the Surf Coast Walk while also raising funds for the Anglesea Primary School – last year raising $2000 – the Icebug Surfcoast Trail Marathon will appeal to both trail and road runners, with a high percentage of first time marathoners and half marathoners signing up making for some emotional crossings of the line at the stair-top finish at Fairhaven Surf Lifesaving Club.
ENTER AT: www.surfcoasttrailmarathon.com.au and stay up to date on event news by subscribing to the Facebook feed at www.facebook.com/surfcoasttrailmarathon.
The Icebug Surf Coast Trail Marathon is produced by Tour de Trails (a sister company to Adventure Types which publishes this magazine) and supported by Icebug Australia, the Surf Coast Shire, and Visit Surf Coast, IO Merino, The Running Company (Geelong), Runners Kitchen, Tailwind Nutrition, Emma Carney Training, Brewsters Running and Kongo Industries.
IMAGE CREDITS: Erwin Jansen / www.dandyrunner.com.au
