Record-breaking 479 runners set to compete in Goldfields Pipeline Marathon

A record number of competitors are getting ready to lace up their sneakers for Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s biggest day of long-distance running.

Nearly 480 keen runners will test their mettle at the Goldfields Pipeline Marathon on Sunday in a 50km ultramarathon, marathon, half-marathon or 10km fun run.

The previous record of about 350 registrations has been blown out of the water by this year’s 479, and event organiser Grant Wholey chalks it up to a rise in the popularity of running.

“You see a lot more people getting out and about,” he said.

“It’s really good for people to get out in nature and challenge themselves and meet like-minded individuals.”

Competitors in the ultra-marathon and marathon events will begin in Coolgardie and follow the historic pipeline along a bushland track to the finish line at Ray Finlayson Sporting Complex in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

A prize of $2000 is up for grabs for the winner of the full-length marathon, while the 21km event winner will receive $1000 and the 10km winner will receive $600.

Competitors who break course records will also receive a $500 bonus.

The half-marathon — which starts in Kurrawang — usually sees about 110 participants, but this year 171 athletes have signed up to give the 21km a crack.

Mr Wholey also attributed the jump in registrations to a rerouted 10km run.

“This year, the 10km run starts and finishes at the Ray Finlayson sports ground,” he said.

“That has eliminated the need to bus people to the start, which meant that we haven’t really had to worry about capping numbers.”

Mr Wholey is encouraging the community to come down to Ray Finlayson Sporting Complex and support athletes as they cross the finish line.

“It should be a good atmosphere there on the Sunday, provided the weather holds off for us,” he said.

“We’ve got some very fast runners coming from Perth . . . the first person should be crossing the line at about 9.40am on Sunday morning.”

Mr Wholey said the annual long-distance running event was a great opportunity for the community to get out and about.

“We get a lot of people that run and then realise all these beautiful bush tracks were right on their back doorstep,” he said.

“A lot of the people that travel to the area have this idea of Kalgoorlie being a sort of barren desert place, and they don’t realise that it’s part of the Great Western Woodlands.”