New figures have confirmed the Gold Coast Marathon was the biggest on record, pumping a massive $65.67 million dollars into the city’s economy.
The event attracted 76,250 people including 39,000 participants plus their supporters.
The economic impact has blitzed last year’s number by a massive 54 per cent and are the highest in the event’s 45-year history.
“The Gold Coast Marathon has firmly held a place in the state’s major events calendar for decades and this year’s exponential growth speaks not only to the quality of the event but the overarching experience and unique Gold Coast offering,” Queensland Tourism Minister Andrew Powell said.
“The event attracted more than 58,000 people to the region, many of whom took the opportunity to extend their stay, whether remaining on the Gold Coast or through dispersal across the state, generating more than $65 million for the economy.”
Mayor Tom Tate says he delighted with the result as the event grows in popularity every year.
“There is a ripple effect from the Gold Coast Marathon that goes further than achieving goals and personal bests,” Mayor Tate said.
“Its benefits extend to a significant economic injection to the city’s accommodation, restaurants, cafes, shopping precincts and importantly our profile as a destination that delivers world class events and experiences.”
The marathon also saw a record day on the city’s light rail with more than 80,000 people using the trams that day.
Events Management Queensland CEO Ben Mannion says they will work to see how they can make the event even bigger and better.
“There was a vibe this year like no other … it was bigger and better event than ever with the city filled to the brim with happy runners and their mates and family for days before and after race weekend,” Mr Mannion said.
“But no matter how good it was … it can always be better and we need to collaborate with the city and government to ensure the ingress and egress infrastructure for the event meets the whole of event experience expectations of our attendees.”
