Tasmania has claimed the top two half-marathon spots in a new national ranking of the country’s best races for elite runners.
The McGrath Launceston Running Festival took out first place, while Hobart’s Point to Pinnacle came in second.
The ranking, compiled by sporting goods retailer Net World Sports, assessed 75 marathons, half-marathons and fun runs across Australia.
Each event was scored on race-day conditions, course difficulty, support, prestige and participant feedback.
The Launceston event achieved a score of 74.4 out of 100, driven by strong prestige and near-perfect reviews from runners.
Point to Pinnacle recorded the highest course difficulty score of any half-marathon at 89.9, thanks to its 1,271-metre elevation gain over 21 kilometres.
Cool temperatures averaging 12.2 degrees, along with good air quality, also boosted its ranking.
Two more Tasmanian events placed in the top five fun runs for elite runners.
Hobart’s Run The Bridge finished fourth, scoring strongly for its proximity to public transport and parking.
The Burnie Ten came in fifth, earning the highest participant review score in its category, with 90.2 out of 100.
New South Wales’ City2Surf topped the fun run category with 55.9 points, while Victoria’s Lorne Mountain to Surf claimed second place.
Hobart’s Cadbury Marathon also featured, ranking eighth among elite marathons nationally.
