March 16, 2018
Maidenwell always turns on a big Easter weekend, and this year promises to be the biggest yet.
The town’s annual Running Festival will be held over three days from Good Friday through to Easter Sunday, and this year the Maidenwell Hotel and Tanduringie State School are lending a hand as well.
The Maidenwell Hotel will be holding a giant Pig On A Spit Night with popular country rock performer Arthur Nettelfield on Saturday night, March 31.
And on Sunday, April 1 the Running Festival will be followed by the popular Maidenwell Bull Ride, which will kick off at 6:00pm.
Last year’s Running Festival attracted more than 170 participants and raised more than $10,000 for the town’s community organisations.
Competitors came from all over south-east Queensland and interstate to test their mettle on a range of courses varying from 2.2km through to a gruelling 56km ultra marathon.
This year will be the Festival’s fourth outing, and organisers are hoping to smash last year’s registration numbers by sticking to their now tried-and-true formula.
The Running Festival will kick off on Good Friday, March 30 at 1:00pm with three races over 14km, 28km and 42.195km courses, which will all start and end at the Maidenwell Sportsgrounds.
Afterwards, the Maidenwell Hotel will be getting into the Easter spirit with fish and chip dinners.
The hotel will also be offering a range of cleansing ales to replenish essential bodily fluids.
On Easter Saturday, the Running Festival will kick off early with a 6:00am start for the 28km, 42.195km and 56km runs.
These will be followed by an 8:00am start for a 10km run; a 9:30am start for a 5km run; and a 10:30am start for a 2.2km children’s run.
That night, the Maidenwell Hotel will be providing comfort for weary participants and their friends with a Pig On A Spit dinner and live music from Arthur Nettelfield.
On Easter Sunday, April 1, the Running Festival will conclude with 21.1km and 42.195km half and full marathons at 6:00am; a 10km run at 7:00am; a 5km run at 8:15am; and a 2.2km run at 9:15am.
This will be followed by the presentation of awards.
Non-runners can while away the time at the Maidenwell Markets or enjoy an Easter Sunday egg hunt while they wait for participants to complete their courses, then go back to the Sportsgrounds to see the race winners welcomed back over the line with the Festival’s signature cowbells.
Then on Sunday evening, the Tanduringie State School’s annual Maidenwell Bull Ride will roar into life next to the Maidenwell Hotel, followed with live music from Wayne Holly’s Boots ’n’ Bandits Band late into the night.
“Tanduringie State School students are really looking forward to this year’s Easter weekend,” spokesperson Melanie McNaughton said.
“Our tiny town of Maidenwell has so many fun activities planned – I hope as many people as possible can come along and enjoy them with us.”
