With just over two weeks to go until the Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport Running Festival designs for this year’s medals were released today showcasing the city’s floral emblem, the sweet violet embossed in gold against a violet background etched with historic features.

Entries across the revised race schedule are tracking strongly across all events, with international entrants from New Zealand, Malaysia and the UK preparing to lace up alongside participants from across Queensland and Australia to claim their gleaming finisher’s reward.

Minister for the Environment and Tourism Andrew Powell MP said the Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport Running Festival was a standout on Queensland’s regional events calendar.

“This Festival showcases the best of the Toowoomba region, bringing people together through fitness and community while drawing thousands of visitors to stay, dine and explore the region.

“We’re expecting around 6,000 visitor nights and more than $1.4million in economic impact, backing local jobs and businesses across the Darling Downs.

“The Crisafulli Government is proud to support events right across regional Queensland, driving visitation and supporting local communities.”

Toowoomba Region Mayor Cr Geoff McDonald encouraged the community to get behind the festival and enter one or more of the five races on offer confirming he would be participating at the event.

“The Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport Running Festival adds diversity to the events in this city with great opportunities to enjoy healthy activity with the whole family and even start an annual family tradition of involvement.

“It also presents a unique occasion for businesses to be involved, get a team together and champion fitness within the workplace.”

Mayor McDonald said the sweet violet in the medals is also known as the Toowoomba violet and honours the mothers and women of Toowoomba who bundled the flowers to sell for threepence to help fund the Mothers’ Memorial following World War One. He said around £1800 was raised and the memorial was unveiled by the Queensland Governor in January 1922.

Events Management Queensland CEO Ben Mannion said they were very excited about this year’s event and the introduction of a new schedule that reduced the impact on the local community whilst delivering races for all ages and abilities.

“This will be a fantastic morning of racing starting early Sunday morning with the ASICS Half Marathon and closely followed by the Visit Toowoomba Region 10km race.

“Later in the morning we will see the start of family friendly events including the Grand Central 5km run and the popular Toowoomba Mile.

“And everyone who finishes will always remember their achievement with the iconic finisher medals that so beautifully showcase the city.”