Kangaroos hopping by your side? Hu Jie: 4 Great Joys of Running in Queensland

▲ The Gold Coast Airport Marathon in Queensland, Australia, attracts top runners from around the world every year. (Photo / Provided by Tourism and Events Queensland)

Reported by Chen Zi-Yin / Taipei

As Taiwan officially enters its muggy summer, the southern hemisphere’s Australia is cool and pleasant. The Gold Coast Airport Marathon in Queensland, Australia, will take place on July 4th and 5th this year. Hu Jie, founder of the Street Run event, and celebrity OuYang Jing will both run the full marathon this year. Hu Jie, who took part in the half marathon last year, was deeply impressed by the unique experience of combining running with travel. He shared that there are four “unique” aspects of running a marathon in Queensland that are not to be missed: distinctive architecture, sunny weather, vibrant running atmosphere, and wildlife viewing.


▲ Hu Jie, founder of Street Run, and celebrity OuYang Jing. (Photo / Taken by reporter Chen Zi-Yin)

Hu Jie said, “Locals here really value uniqueness. While running, you’ll notice that every building looks different. During the marathon, temperatures are around 17°C, making it very comfortable to run. The best part is that the whole city feels like a giant stadium — you’ll see lots of people running at any time of day, as well as others surfing or sailing.” He added that what impressed him most was often seeing wild animals in Queensland. Last year, while hot-air ballooning with friends, he spotted a group of wild kangaroos hopping on the ground, which he found very amusing.

OuYang Jing said that although this is her first time participating, she has run marathons in various cities around the world and is very much looking forward to it. She believes the Gold Coast Marathon will be quite different from those in other cities. Jian Ming-Fen, Marketing Manager for Tourism and Events Queensland, noted that according to statistics, over 110,000 Taiwanese traveled to Australia last year, nearly 60,000 of whom visited Queensland. Last year’s Gold Coast Marathon saw 438 Taiwanese participants.

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Gold Coast Marathon
Registration period: Now until July 3rd (Gold Coast local time 20:00 / Taiwan time 18:00)

Gold Coast Marathon Taipei Warm-Up Event
Three weekend seminars will be held by Tourism and Events Queensland on May 16th, 17th, and 23rd from 14:00 to 17:30. On the 16th and 17th, Hu Jie and OuYang Jing will share their running experiences, and on the 23rd there will be a lecture on exploring the charming sunshine of Queensland.