Runners light up the coast

The unique race, held by Tour de Trails, saw runners head off at twilight in their dressed in fluro.

Helping build the mood was an Eighties DJ, a didgeridoo player, two saxophonists and two fire twirlers.

Tour de Trails director Chris Ord said that after the success of the Surf Coast Trail Marathon, they thought it would be great to have a night run along the same trails,but wanted to differentiate the new race from the marathon and other existing races.

“The theme of Afterglow just developed from there and was very much about let’s make it fun, let’s make it inclusive and let’s be a bit cheeky with it and making it bright and fluro. Then it kind of evolved, it had a life of its own. We started off with bright fluorescent colours and glowsticks which led into an Eighties sort of theme.”

Mr Ord said seeing the joy the event brought people made it very rewarding to organise.

“I had one of the people come up to me at the end and say, ‘I’ve been to so many different events, but the difference between all the other events and this one is that here everybody’s just laughing.

“That to me epitomises exactly what afterglow is about, everyone’s there for a bit of fun and to just be a kid again.”

There were for categories people could enter into: 21 kilometre half-marathon from Point Addis, 13 kilometre from Southside, and two 5 kilometre races from Fisherman’s Beach, one competitive, the other a non-competitive “Body Positive Stomp” simply looking to get people active.

Simon Blight was the fastest in the half-marathon event. He finished in one hour, 27 minutes and 51 seconds, just seven seconds clear of second placed Ricky Mullins.

Renee Lane was the fastest female runner, finishing in just one hour, 36 minutes and 48 seconds.

In the 13 kilometre race Corey Milner was comfortably the quickest. He blitzed the trail in just under 55 minutes.

Danni Rogan won the female category and was the only other runner to finish the course in under an hour.

The five kilometre race saw Mark Bushfield finish first in 20 minutes and 44 seconds.

Sarah Dickson finished just 40 seconds later to win the female category.