By Hollie Harris
While the festival has now become a hallmark local event for the Noosa hinterland town of Pomona, its origins are in a dare between mates at the local watering hole.
In 1958, at the bar of the old Railway Hotel, local footballer and railway porter Bruce Samuels casually claimed he ran to the top of Mount Cooroora in under an hour.
Sceptical pub patrons were quick to demand to see it for themselves and set the challenge.
Astonished locals saw Samuels return in just 40 minutes to collect his £100 wager.
His feat saw him become the town hero and he was bestowed with the nicknamed ‘Hilary’ Samuels.
Fittingly, his achievement became the stuff of legends and it was recorded on the wall of the hotel bar.
In 1959, this attracted the attention of 21 year hotel punter Barry Webb from Brisbane who declared that he could beat Samuel’s time and a race was set for the following Saturday.
With a time of 35 minutes Webb became the recipient of about 25 shillings from the passing around of the hat.
A gracious Samuels was quick to congratulate Webb, but determined to reclaim his title. He began training for a re-match scheduled for 27 June 1959 and the rest, as they say, is history and the legendary Pomona King of the Mountain race was born.
The festival program includes a three kilometre Family Fun Run, Heritage Markets, the Primary School Relay, tug of war for primary school children and a corporate tug of war for local businesses and sports clubs), live music on the Pomona IGA stage (bands to be confirmed), buskers, amusement rides, side show alley and a relaxing food court area… plus more.
The main race will be held at 2.30pm.
The Bendigo Bank International Mountain Challenge is a steep, almost vertical 4.2km climb up the mountain and back.
Entrants come from all over Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific rim and the United Kingdom with a strong rivalry between Australia and New Zealand participants.
Runners start from the centre of the Noosa hinterland township of Pomona and head bush towards Mount Cooroora.
A set of low hills confronts runners before they take on the mountain track which is little more than a goat track. The return down the mountain requires strength, agility, a good sense of balance and an immunity to fear.
The event brings together a host of attractions and event experiences so competitors and spectators can look forward to another all-day, fun-filled event on Sunday 23 July within the beautiful hinterland setting of Pomona.
For more information on the festival, visit the website at www.kingofthemountain.com.au.
