The popular King of the Mountain race has been named the top sporting event in the 2017 Sunshine Coast Sports Awards.
Event organisers, the Cooroy-Pomona Lions Club, said the win wouldn’t have been possible without the integral role volunteers, community groups, sponsors and the support of the whole town plays in the success of the event.
Now in its 25th year, the sports awards recognise and reward the outstanding achievements and contributions individuals and teams have made to sport on the Sunshine Coast.
The ‘Mountain Lions’ celebrated their win at the awards ceremony held this year at the Twin Waters resort.
In accepting the award, Lions club member and KoM chairperson Heather Manders said longevity and a well-organised event held over 38 years had cemented the King of the Mountain in the hearts and minds of the public and the people of Pomona.
Heather thanked Noosa Council, Tourism Noosa and the Bendigo Bank, the major sponsors of the event, held every July.
However, Heather said it was Lions club members and volunteers who gave tirelessly of their time and effort to make the race work for the 100 runners and up to 15,000 people who attend every year.
“Our Lions club members are ordinary people doing extraordinary things like supporting and fund-raising for charities and people in need and supporting the local community. The race works because of its spectacle and wide appeal,” she said.
The race up Mt Cooroora attracts elite athletes, but novices who can compete in under an hour are also welcome in the 4.2 km race from the centre of town.
Heather said the King of the Mountain’s reputation also has been enhanced through a 31-year association and friendly trans-Tasman rivalry with New Zealand’s premier mountain race up Mt Edgecombe.
Plans are already well underway for the 2017 event on 23 July.
