The fisiocrem GC50 Run Festival is the Gold Coast's other great running event — the one that happens in October, when the sun is warmer, the crowds have thinned a little from peak winter marathon season, and the Coolangatta coastline looks absolutely stunning. It's a race that caters to everyone from casual 5km participants to hardcore ultra runners, all sharing the same spectacular coastal roads in one of Queensland's most iconic beach towns.
Everything runs out of Queen Elizabeth Park on Marine Parade in Coolangatta, right on the beachfront. The coastal course is flat and fast — ideal for those chasing times — and offers uninterrupted views of the Pacific Ocean, Snapper Rocks, and the gentle sweep of Rainbow Bay. Running along the Coolangatta/Kirra beachfront in October sun is about as good as road running gets in Australia.
The festival runs across Saturday 10 October and Sunday 11 October 2026. Saturday features the headline event — the fisiocrem 50km Ultra, an IAU Bronze Label event that attracts serious ultra runners from around Australia — along with the 5km and Kids' races. Sunday brings the Intrepid 10km and the Half Marathon (21.1km) on a flat, closed-road course. Four distances across two days means plenty of flexibility in how you want to participate.
The 50km Ultra is the beating heart of this festival and holds IAU Bronze Label status, which means it meets international standards for timing, course measurement, and elite athlete management. If you're an ultra runner looking for a fast, flat, certified 50km to benchmark against, this is one of the best on the Australian calendar.
Coolangatta sits at the southern end of the Gold Coast, right on the Queensland-NSW border. Coolangatta Airport (OOL) is just 3km away — one of the most convenient airport-to-race-village arrangements you'll find anywhere. Accommodation in Coolangatta and nearby Kirra ranges from budget-friendly to boutique, with Surfers Paradise options a short drive north for those who want the full Gold Coast experience.
