May 6, 2024
South-east Queensland runners had a lot of events to choose from at the weekend … from the challenging Dead Cow Gully endurance event at Nanango, to the brand new (and heavily promoted) Toowoomba Marathon at Wellcamp Airport.
There was also a round of the Sunshine Coast Winter Cross Country Series scheduled at Maroochydore.
However, that didn’t stop the fourth annual South Burnett Express Rail Trail Relay from going ahead full steam on the rail trail on Sunday.
(Some of the runners had even done laps of Dead Cow Gully on Saturday!)
The competing events meant the number of teams taking part in this year’s South Burnett Express was down on last year’s record but there were still 10 teams, and some excellent times recorded in good running weather.
The relay, which is an official Queensland Athletics event, is organised by the Ashgrove Rangers Athletics Club from Brisbane.
Teams of between five and eight members run in a relay along the South Burnett Rail Trail between Kingaroy to Wondai and back.
The course is approximately 60km, with the shortest leg 400m and the longest almost 8km.
Volunteers manned checkpoints along the route.
This year, the teams started in two waves at Kingaroy (6:30am and 7:30am) depending on their expected overall speed.
This ensured the last leg runners arrived back at the finishing line about the same time.
A local mixed team, “South Burnett #1” – which started in the first wave – took line honours.
A Sunshine Coast team from the second wave, “Track Attack USCAC”, recorded the fastest time overall.
Four South Burnett teams entered this year’s event.
The competitors gathered in Kingaroy’s O’Neill Square afterwards for the trophy presentations and to enjoy lunch.
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