As an addition to my previous article on low and no cost runs in South Australia, I thought I’d do a few reviews of these runs for you. This one’s of The Great Southern Half Marathon which also includes a 1.5km kid’s run, 10km, and 21.1km half marathon.
Location
Aldinga, is on the coast, a tick over 40kms south of Adelaide. In 2018 the start/finish line was on the beach, in front of the Aldinga Bay Surf Life Saving Club. The course has changed a bit each of the three years it’s been run, but it usually takes in a combination of beach, back roads, esplanade, wetlands and scrub.
Race choices
The race has a 1.5km kid’s race (free), 10km ($25 regular entry/$15 Earlybird), 21km ($35 regular entry/$25 Earlybird). Earlybird entrants could pay an extra $10 and get a medal. Race day entries were available but more expensive – $40 for the 10km and $50 for the half. I ran the 21.1km so my review is for that course.
Elevation
You’d probably generously describe this course as ‘mostly flat’, but more accurately it’s… ‘bumpy’. There’s a few little up bits, and in 2018, the out/heading north section of esplanade definitely had a slight incline between the 10 and 15km mark, made slightly less fun by a reasonable headwind. Otherwise, not too much up or down to speak of other than the exit and entrance to the beach.
The surface
It’s a bit of everything. Compacted sand, a bit of soft sand, bitumen, pavers, gravel trail, single track… but if you’re wondering whether it’s road or trail shoes, I say road. None of the trail stuff is very technical so roadies for me every time.
Support
Support stations were located at the half way mark of the 10km course, and at the 4km, 9km, 13km and 17km of the half. I can only recall water being available but I could be wrong on that. Big ups for using compostable cups!
Start/Finish line
Starts (and finishes) on the beach in front of the Aldinga Bay Surf Life Saving Club, and there were public toilets, plus a few extra porta loos available.
It’s important to note, the race start time varies depending on the tide – in 2018 is started at 9:30am so the tide was out and there was plenty of compacted sand to run on. (The kid’s race started at 11:30am and was an out and back on the beach.) This made for quite a relaxed, and busy, starting area with lots of people arriving a bit earlier, and being a bit more awake, than usual. It was nice.
There was a food and drink stall and a few other tents with various things including a massage tent, The Running Company etc.
Notes
As far as I can tell, the route has changed a bit in the three years it’s been run – but always with the beach, esplanade, scrub and wetlands as common elements. In 2017 the final 7 or 8kms was along the beach into a ridiculous headwind which made the run home pretty brutal. In 2018 they changed it up and the last 12kms consisted of 5kms of slightly uphill esplanade into a mild headwind before hitting the turn around point and coming back 5kms enjoying a bit of downhill and tailwind before hitting the beach for the last few kms. The Race Director is talking about mixing it up again next year.
2018 Bling/Prices/Entrants
21km ($35 entry/$25 earlybird): 306 finishers
10km ($25 entry/$15 earlybird): 258 finishers
1.5km (Free entry): Not sure, but there was a massive bunch of enthusiastic kids!
Nice race bling that was an optional extra. So if you didn’t enter and pay extra early enough, no bling for you. If you were feeling left out in the bling department, there was a possibility you could purchase any left over bling on the day. Sexy, personalised race number.
My verdict
I refer to this event as a bit of a ‘mongrel’ because it consists of a bit of everything, and it would be easy to like nothing about the course, instead, I like everything about it. If you’re a road runner, perhaps you won’t like the trail bit and if you’re a traily, maybe you’ll find the roads and paths a bit boring, but for me, I love that it’s a bit of this and a bit of that. I can’t think of another race like it on the local calendar, and for that reason, this is a ‘must run’ for me.
Culturally, this event is also difficult to beat. Very affordable, and a great community vibe. Although, unlike some local events, this one attracts a really big crowd, so it really ticks all boxes for me. The option to run cheap, or pay extra and get some bling is genius as well – you decide what’s more important to you. The time of year means the weather can be a bit ordinary, but wear something warm if it’s cold, dig in to the inevitable headwind, and enjoy yourself!
GPS
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