Unique way to welcome 2024
By Sonia Isaacs
RUN Queensland will be launching Sunshine Coast’s very first Backyard Ultra event this New Years Eve with all proceeds donated to a local community activism cause. The Glasshouse Standing has been created to support the ‘Save our Glass House Mountains’ (SOGHM) campaign, and organisers say interest has been strong in this unique fundraising event with over half of the allocated tickets already sold. Run Queensland organiser, Brett Standring, said the event would essentially challenge people to ‘run for two years’ as they race over New Years Eve and into 2024 in a battle against time (and tiredness) to conquer the 6.7km loop within the hour – every hour until ultimately only one runner will remain as ‘the last one standing’. Brett said participants may decide to challenge the world record and run for four days but he said realistically he expected the event to run for at least 24-48 hours. Kicking off at 5pm on December 31 from the base of Wild Horse Mountain, the event will offer participants a unique but no doubt exhilarating way to welcome in 2024.
“This is an incredible way to welcome in the New Year while also supporting an important local cause. This is the first event of this kind on the Sunshine Coast and it will certainly challenge mental and physical fortitude as participants battle fatigue and sleep deprivation, however many of our entrants are pretty tough so I expect it’ll take a few days before a winner is declared,” Brett said.
Brett said profits from the race will be donated to the SOGHM campaign which seeks to halt the proposed Hanson Glasshouse quarry expansion. He said as well as raising funds, he hoped the event would also raise awareness around the proposed quarry expansion.
“We want to raise awareness and safeguard the Glass House Mountains as a national treasure. We hope that by putting on this fun event we’ll attract interest from all over the Sunshine Coast,” Brett said.
Entries are currently open, and volunteers are welcomed. To find out more, visit www.runqld.com.au/glasshousestanding
