By now you have probably heard about the Solar Eclipse Marathon to be run in Port Douglas in November 2012. This isn’t just your run of the mill road race, this is an adventure marathon, a gruelling 42km circuit to test even the fittest of athletes.

While the runners watch the total eclipse near Four Mile Beach, the first rays of sun re-emerging from behind the moon (known as the Diamond Ring effect), will signal the beginning of the race, making this the first ever intergalactic starting gun!

Oh, and Port Douglas just happens to be the best spot on the entire planet to see the cosmic phenomenon at that time, making the town an even more attractive prospect for other visitors who may not even be associated with the race.

The 2012 Solar Eclipse Marathon will be the biggest single sporting event to ever come to our town, and Port Douglas Event Management’s Bruno Bennett went all the way to China, not just to see how an adventure marathon is run, but to experience it for himself.

Newsport: How did your trip to China come about, Bruno?
Bruno Bennett: Port Douglas Event Management was approached by Travelling Fit, an Australian Company from NSW who also sell packages to some of the world’s best marathons. They wanted to team up to put together the Solar Eclipse Marathon, and to see how these types of events are run we were invited to China in May for the Great Wall Marathon.  

NP: So have you run a marathon before?
BB: No, this was my first. But I thought I’d give it a go while I was there.

NP: What preparation did you do for the race?
BB: I did three, half marathons (21km), and trained pretty hard, and went to Fiji for my daughter’s wedding where I ate and drank for a week leading up to the race.

NP: How many people entered the Great Wall Marathon?
BB: There were 850 people from 24 countries, and thanks to Travelling Fit, Australia was well represented with 50 entrants.

NP: So how did you go personally?
BB: I finished which I’m very happy with, although it was the greatest physical challenge I’ve ever encountered with over 5,000 very steep steps throughout the race which was a killer. The Great Wall itself was much steeper than I’d ever imagined as the terrain is quite mountainous.

NP: What did you learn from the trip?
BB: China was a great experience as I travelled a little more extensively with my wife, Toni, before and after the marathon. From the perspective of organising the Solar Eclipse Marathon I learnt the importance of having great partners like Travelling Fit and Albatross Travel to help sell the event to the world. An event like this will really showcase Port Douglas.

NP: What benefits do you think the Solar Eclipse Marathon will bring to Port Douglas?
BB: I think it’ll have huge potential. We are planning for 2,700 people to be here for the event so that will be great news for local accommodation, tour companies, and caterers. I think it’ll be a bonanza. So much so that there is a real chance this may turn into an annual event starting in 2011, minus the eclipse of course, which we’re calling the Great Barrier Reef Marathon.

NP: And what was the highlight of your trip?
BB: Finishing the marathon and being given a lemonade, and a red icypole by Toni for being a good boy!