First festival a marathon effort

OVER four thousand seven hundred runners, joggers, walkers and wheelchair athletes took part in the inaugural Ballarat Marathon festival last weekend.

The two-day program included five and 10-kilometre races and the major half-marathon and full marathon events.

Ella McCartney and Tom Do Canto were the ultimate winners of the women’s and men’s marathons.

They crossed the finish line at Ballarat Town Hall having run the 42-kilometre course which went up and down Sturt Street, through Victoria Park and the Arch of Victory, around Lake Wendouree and along Lydiard and Camp streets.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have successfully delivered Ballarat’s first marathon festival this weekend, almost doubling our anticipated registration numbers and smashing our entrant fundraising goals,” said Ballarat Marathon co-founder, Adam McNicol.

“A mate and I dreamed up the idea of the event three years ago so to see it come to life with such strong support from the local community and the running community has been mind-blowing.

“We’ve been so lucky to have people from all over the country, and the world, come to take part including some of the nation’s best elite runners and thousands of passionate locals.

“Congratulations to the winners and all who participated in this momentous weekend. Whether you ran, rolled, cheered, or donated to a worthy cause, we are so thankful to everyone who got involved.

“This is just the beginning for the Ballarat Marathon. We look forward to returning even bigger and better in 2025.”

Previous Melbourne Marathon champion Do Canto won the men’s marathon in two hours, 17 minutes, and four seconds, with Echuca’s Brady Threlfall in second and Melbourne’s Callum Drake in third.

Warrnambool-born Ella McCartney won the women’s marathon in two hours, 40 minutes and 55 seconds, Queenslander Jessica Willis placed second, and Australian trail runner Kellie Angel was third.

Reece Edwards and Tara Palm won the half marathons, while Jacob Cocks and Melissa Duncan won the 10-kilometre events.

Ballarat’s Samuel Rizzo and Paralympian Emily Tapp won the 10-kilometre wheelchair races, while the five-kilometre foot races were won by Zoe Buckman and Dale Carroll.

The festival was also an opportunity for some entrants to raise money for charity.

Race director Steve Moneghetti said he’s proud to be a Ballarat local.

“The support has been overwhelming,” he said. “It’s been fantastic to see so many people come into town to celebrate our first marathon event and cement the city’s place on the Australian sporting map.”

About $100,000 was raised through runner sponsorship, with much of that pool going to the event’s charity partner, the Ballarat Health Services Foundation.

The next Ballarat Marathon is planned for late-April 2025.