New-look Anglesea race hopes to run smoothly

THE third leg of the Trail Running Series in Anglesea will go ahead on August 8 at this stage, but the popular race faces uncertainty as to how it will look, who will be able to participate and possibly when it will happen.

The Anglesea leg, which has been running since 2013 and was cancelled in 2020, is scheduled to go ahead as originally planned in 2021.

But the ongoing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic has provided organisers with some unpredictability.

“We were faced with similar circumstances before Race One of the series at Yarra Bend back in June,” said event and marketing manager Adele Worner of Rapid Ascent, the race’s organising body.

“But everyone that ran that first race, which was hindered with restrictions, left with big smiles on their face and we would expect that to be very similar outcome for this race down at Anglesea.”

COVIDSafe procedures such as staggered wave starts, time allocations and the moving on of spectators are policies that may be enforced on the day, but at this stage the race will be run in its original format, despite no longer being a part of the Surf Coast Century (scheduled for September).

“This is the first year that the trail run is not in conjunction with the Surf Coast Century, so it has become a standalone event,” Worner said.

“One of our reasons for doing that is because Anglesea is such a popular race and it is more of a destination running event, which means it brings more people to the region.

“It now gives people the option to use our August race as a warm-up for the September race.”

The Anglesea Trail Run is well-known for its diverse running experience with its coastal views, bushland features and its famous starting location on the sands of the Anglesea Main Beach.

Another new feature for this year’s Anglesea race is a ‘friendly’ four-kilometre trail for those who see the event as a more social event, providing for a larger pool of people who want to get in on the fun – particularly locals.

“Traditionally with our series we have a short, medium and long course,” Worner said.

“The short course in Anglesea is just shy of eight kilometres, which is probably a little bit far for a teenage kid who is into running or the local community member that wants to come out and have a go.”

In recent years, the race has drawn just shy of 1000 participants, but organisers are hoping to reach that number again, restrictions permitting closer to the day.