TEAM-Geelong Running

🔥 BEAT THE SEPTEMBER 1 PRICE INCREASE!

There’s still time to lock in your place at the 2026 Geelong Running Festival before prices go up on September 1!

🏃 ZEEKR Australia Marathon | $200 → $225
🏃‍♀️ RedZed Half Marathon | $165 → $185
🏃 Henley Homes 6.5km Community Run | $60 → $70

Don’t pay more later. Enter now and save!

📅 Sunday, September 20
📍 Geelong

Secure your spot before September 1.

www.geelongrunningfestival.com.au

The last BIG long run before the BIG dance is this Sunday!

Tomorrow marks Week 13 of our FREE Sunday Long Run from Blackman's Brewery Grovedale and only 4 weeks from the inaugural Geelong Running Festival!

This is your best opportunity to practise everything you plan to do on September 20 with your pace, your fuelling, your hydration and your race-day routine.

As usual, we will have on-course hydration + nutrition with thanks to Gatorade Australia & GU Energy Australia, and your post-run recovery needs will be met thanks to Geelong Sports Medicine Centre.

There will be bagels, bananas and juice to refuel, and we will have Gypsy Burger Torquay cranking out some egg & bacon sandwiches and Bean Cruisin Mobile Coffee Vans slinging some coffees while you recover and connect

Come and do the grind and suffering of your last big long run with us.

More information at www.teamgeelong.com

Clothes left behind at the start line will be given a second life!

On race morning, it's common for runners to wear an extra jacket, hoodie or tracksuit pants to the start line to stay warm before the gun goes off, and then leave them behind when the race begins.

At the Geelong Running Festival, those layers won't go to waste. Every item of clothing left at the start line will be collected and donated to the Lazarus Community Centre Geelong, supporting people in our community experiencing homelessness, hardship and social isolation.

Every day of the year, the Lazarus Community Centre provides free breakfasts and lunches, showers and laundry facilities, clothing, and connection and pathways to support for hundreds of people across Geelong.

So if you're planning to wear an old jacket to the start line on 20 September, know that it will be picked up and donated to someone in need.

We are proud to partner with the Lazarus Community Centre and support the incredible work they do in our community every single day.

PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT 🤝

We're excited to welcome Guzman y Gomez as the Official Partner of the Kids and All Abilities 1-Mile races at the Geelong Running Festival!

Taking place on Saturday 19 September, the Kids and All Abilities 1-Mile races are two of our most special events of the weekend. Celebrating participation, inclusion and the joy of running for our youngest and most inspiring competitors.

If you have little ones who want to be part of Geelong's first ever marathon weekend, or know someone who would love to take on the All Abilities 1-Mile at the Waterfront, spots are still available 🏃

We can't think of a better partner to help bring the energy and excitement to race day. Welcome to the GRF family, GYG!

5 WEEKS TO GO.

Last Sunday marked five weeks until the inaugural Geelong Running Festival.

We haven’t even run our first event yet, but when we step back and look at what has already been achieved, we’re incredibly proud.

• A course built for Geelong
We’ve designed a course that showcases our city’s history and iconic landmarks, while giving runners those big-city marathon feels. That story is reflected in our 2026 event logo and medal.

• 13 local charities supported
We provided 13 local charities with five free registrations each to use as a fundraising tool. So far, those registrations have helped raise $56,000.

• $88,000 raised for charity
Across the festival, our community has already raised an incredible $88,000 for charities.

• Making running accessible
We’ve provided free entry to all local NDIS groups for our All Abilities 1-Mile.

• Training and education
Free weekly Wednesday and Sunday training runs, along with education seminars, have helped bring our running community together and prepare people for race day.

• Djilang Runners
We’ve helped start and will continue to support Geelong’s first Indigenous running group, Djilang Runners.

• Celebrating our sporting history
Each year, we’ll acknowledge a Geelong Olympian or Paralympian on our kids’ medals. This year, we’re proud to celebrate Olympian Nathan Deakes.

Yes, the Geelong Running Festival is a running race. It will feature Geelong’s first marathon, and thousands of participants will enjoy the experience.

But sometimes the greatest stories and the greatest impact happen away from the start and finish line.

We’re only five weeks away from our first event, but this is just the beginning.

The Geelong Running Festival will continue to strive for excellence both on the course and within our community.

Thank you to our sponsors, partners and ambassadors that have bought into our vision that the Geelong Running Festival is more than just a race!

We’ve got another cracking night planned for this week’s Wednesday Wharf Shed 5km! 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

Join us at 6:00pm for a FREE 5km run from the Wharf Shed Geelong to Rippleside Park and back. All paces are welcome, and every participant gets a FREE Blackman's Brewery beer afterwards. 🍺

Then at 7:00pm, we’re bringing together two Australian Olympic marathon stars, Steve Moneghetti and Ellie Pashley, for our Elite Athlete Panel & Q&A. 🇦🇺🏅

We’ll chat about:
• Training philosophies
• Biggest mistakes made
• Race experiences
• Balancing life and training

With less than 5 weeks to go until the Geelong Running Festival, this is a great opportunity to hear directly from two champions and pick up some advice that could help you make the most of your race on September 20.

See you Wednesday at the Wharf Shed!

More info: www.teamgeelong.com