Tasmania’s West Coast has a new drawcard, with the inaugural DIVERGE Skyruns festival drawing more than 650 runners and an estimated 1,200 visitors to Queenstown from May 1 to 3.
Organisers said the three-day event delivered a projected $750,000 boost to the local economy.
Tasmanian runner Angus Tolson won the headline Mt Lyell Skyrun 50km, a course that sent competitors over both Mt Owen and Mt Lyell.
“The skyline on Mt Owen and Mt Lyell was just unreal,” Tolson said.
Canadian Emma Cook-Clarke was the first woman across the line in the 50km and called it the “hardest race” of her career.
“The views were amazing. There are some similarities [to Canada]. Rough and wild terrain but also really different. Different rock, different vegetation,” she said.
“Super interesting. I learnt a lot going through there.”
Cook-Clarke headlined a strong international field that included a full Arc’teryx trail running team from South Korea.
Former Queenstown resident Alice McGushin finished third among the women in the 50km, despite picking up an injury around 10km in.
“Turns out I ran about 40km on a broken toe,” McGushin said. “It’s not for the faint of heart, they said.”
In the Mt Owen Skyrun 25km, Canberra runner Patricia McKibbin took the women’s title and was quick to praise the event, ranking it ahead of Hobart’s Kunanyi Mountain Run.
“This is my new favourite,” she said.
Supported by the state government and presented by global adventure retailer Arc’teryx, the festival was designed to showcase the West Coast’s landscape, history and community.
Organisers said feedback from runners had been overwhelmingly positive, signalling the festival will return.
