June 21, 2021
One of Wondai’s biggest events of the year is on again this weekend … and there’s still time to take part!
The fourth annual Wondai Country Running Festival (or the fifth, if you count a “trial run” in 2017) already has almost 500 participants booked in, but people can still register online until 5:00pm on Wednesday.
There’s timed events scheduled that should suit almost anyone, from the youngest to the oldest competition.
All the favourites are back – ranging from the All Abilities Run and Dash For Cash on Saturday morning to the Full Marathon on Sunday.
A new event has been slotted in on Saturday: A 21.1km McEuen Forest Trail run.
All running events must be pre-booked online (see links, below) except the Family Fun Run on Saturday where participants must register on the morning.
All runners (except in the Family Fun Run) will receive wooden medals as souvenirs of the event as well as a Wondai Country Running Festival bag.
There’s also bonus gifts – including bottles of wine – for runners who take part in a Saturday afternoon Forest Trail run and then back up on Sunday morning for one of three scheduled events on the South Burnett Rail Trail.
Also new this year is the Country Roast Dinner which will be held at Wondai Showgrounds on Saturday night.
Wondai Country Running Festival organising committee member Ros Heit said the dinner, catered by Judy Crawford, had been organised so runners travelling to Wondai for the two-day festival could enjoy a meal together on Saturday night. However, the dinner is also open to South Burnett residents but bookings (see links, below) must be made by Tuesday evening at the latest.
The dinner will also feature live music and a licensed bar; organisers have promised an early night so runners can be bright-eyed for Sunday’s events!
The monthly Wondai Markets always coincide with the Wondai Country Running Festival and organiser Elaine Madill says it will be a bumper event this Saturday.
There has been a big increase in stallholder bookings over the regular monthly event, and there will be a host of live entertainment (see below) kicking off from 7:00am in Coronation Park.
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How To Register For Festival
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What’s Happening & When
All running events will be on the bitumen South Burnett Rail Trail, except for the two Forest Trail runs
Saturday Running
- 7:00am – Wondai parkrun – Runners will be celebrating their 200th parkrun in Wondai!
- 8:15am – CROW-FM Dash For Cash (1km) – three age categories: 18 & Under, 40 & Under, and Masters
- 8:45am – South Burnett CTC All-Abilities Race (1km) – carers and wheelchairs welcome, but no motorised vehicles
- 9:00am – Hansen Kitchens Family Fun Run (2km) – on the South Burnett Rail Trail; entries on the day and random prizes!
- 1:30pm – 21.1km PCA Forest Trail – cross-country trails through McEuen Forest (new event for 2021; runners can only enter one of the Forest Trail runs)
- 2:30pm – 11.1km PCA Forest Trail – cross-country trails through McEuen Forest
- 5:45pm – Country Roast Dinner at Wondai Showgrounds
Saturday Markets Entertainment
- 7:00am – Stolzenberg Brothers
- 9:00am – Wondai Town & District Band
- 10:15am – CWA & Community Choir
- 10:30am – Kingaroy SHS Choir, Free 2 Dance & KSHS dance group
- 11:15am – St John’s Lutheran School whipcrackers
- 11:30pm – Filipino Choir
- Noon – Nanango Theatre Group
- 1:00pm – Stepping Stones (Sue Bradley & Geoff Grevell)
Sunday Running
- 6:30am – Marathon
- 7:00am – Half-Marathon
- 7:30am – 10km run
