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King of the Mountain (race)

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Athletic festival in Queensland, Australia

King of the Mountain
StatusPermanently cancelled
GenreFoot race up Mount Cooroora
Date(s)Third week in July
FrequencyAnnually
VenueStan Topper Park
Location(s)Pomona
Coordinates26°21′59″S 152°51′15″E / 26.3663°S 152.8543°E / -26.3663; 152.8543
CountryAustralia
Years active1958–1960, 1979–2023
Inaugurated27 June 1959 (27 June 1959)
FounderBruce Samuels
Barry Webb
Previous event23 July 2023
Websitekingofthemountain.com.au

The King of the Mountain is an annual mountain climb race held in Pomona, in the Australian state of Queensland and organised by the Cooroy-Pomona Lions Club. Since its first formal race in 1959 following a bet in the Railway Hotel in 1958, the race has become a local holiday involving the district schools and a carnival like atmosphere.

Course

Helicopter rescue from Mount Cooroora during the 2015 race.

The original course was from the Railway Hotel (now demolished) to the top of Mount Cooroora and back. The 1979–2021 course went from the ANZ Bank to the top and back. The 2022–Present course is 1km longer but still starts from the old ANZ Bank building.

History

In 1958, Bruce Samuels, a local footballer and railway porter in the town ran to the top of Mount Cooroora as a hangover cure. After being called out, a timed run was held on 22 March 1958 with Samuels completing the run in 40 minutes. In 1959, Brisbane local Barry Webb took up the challenge and completed it in 35:00. On 27 June 1959, the first formal race was held with Frank Mainwaring taking the title with a time of 31:51.

On 1 March 2024, the Pomona Lions Club announced in a public statement that the race was permanently cancelled following a raft of strict conditions put in place by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS). In a public statement by the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation issued on 2 March, they said "In recent years the entry numbers have been limited to 80 competitors at QPWS’s request, the only amendment requested this year has been that the start is staggered over two stages of 40 competitors each." The resulting public comment has called for the event to be held as per usual in July with the new condition inplace.

Inter-school challenge

As part of the festival, the inter-school relay is held on the morning of the race on the road surrounding Stan Topper Park. Some schools also partake in the inter-school tug-o-war competition.

The following schools participate:

Main race winners

Bruce Samuels completed a timed run in 1958 to prove it was possible with a time of 35:00. Barry Webb was the first to take up the challenge in 1959 with a time of 40:00, shortly after that on 27 June 1959, Frank Mainwaring took the title in the first formal race involving 5 competitors.

Year Male Female
Name Time Name Time
1958 Bruce Samuels 40:00 —
1959 Barry Webb 35:00
1959 Frank Mainwaring 31:51
1960 Ken Fullerton 29:44
1979 George Fewtrell 26:14 Anne Daly not recorded
1980 26:25 —
1981 26:03 Bernadette Evans 45:25
1982 26:13 Anne Daly 33:11
1983 24:51 Bernadette Evans 38:43
1984 25:42 Anne Daly 31:32
1985 Graham Barralet 23:27 Rosalie Hyland 31:37
1986 Barry Posser 23:48 Maureen Lawson 30:48
1987 Graham Barralet 22:50 Suzy Walsham 30:04
1988 Barry Posser 22:53 Sue Malaxos 27:48
1989 Graham Barralet 22:55 Maureen Lawson 29:53
1990 23:20 Lynette Gordon 32:07
1991 23:13 31:13
1992 Barry Posser 24:32 31:34
1993 25:14 Kim Beckinsale 30:53
1994 24:04 Meagan Burton 28:55
1995 Matthew Kaluder 24:45 29:09
1996 Aaron Strong 28:18 34:37
1997 23:27 29:30
1998 Matthew Kaluder 24:45 Corallea Edwards 31:14
1999 Barry Posser 24:46 Terri Kolb 33:40
2000 Anthony Smith 24:36 Corallea Edwards 31:43
2001 Aaron Strong 25:02 Meagan Edhouse 30:34
2002 Michael Wakelin 24:13 Corallea Edwards 31:04
2003 Chris Morrissey 24:25 Kim Beckinsale 31:01
2004 Michael Wakelin 24:13 31:10
2005 Chris Morrissey 24:39 Hubertien Wichers 31:04
2006 Neil Labinsky 24:25 30:45
2007 23:54 31:36
2008 22:56 30:37
2009 22:43 Maree Stephensen 29:05
2010 23:38 28:17
2011 24:16 Hubertien Wichers 32:38
2012 24:20 Demelsa Murrihy 32:56
2013 Ben Duffus 24:22 Helen Roundtree 28:55
2014 23:47 Kim Beckinsale 31:11
2015 Hayden Wilde 25:42 Leslie Saunders 33:14
2016 Mark Bourne 23:53 31:19
2017 24:36 Ruby Muir 27:49
2018 Ben Duffus 23:30 Meg Reeves 30:47
2019 Boaz Clark 26:30 Reesha Lewis 29:49
2020 Race cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Jorge Hernaez Navarro 27:11 Leslie Saunders 33:04
2022 Mark Bourne 31:24 Lee Cleary 40:39
2023 Jorge Hernaez Navarro 31:15 Ange Harries 40:22

Popular culture

Australian band, Midnight Oil, created a theme song for the event when in 1990 they released a single about the race by the same name, King of the Mountain. Although many people think the song is a reference to Peter Brock and the Bathurst 1000 held at Mount Panorama, drummer Rob Hirst confirmed the song is actually inspired by the footrace up Mount Cooroora and the surrounding natural beauty and unique history of the Noosa hinterland.

References

  1. ^ "Mountain Race History". kingofthemountain.com.au.
  2. ^ "King of the Mountain reset". Noosatoday.com.au. 20 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Pomona's King of the Mountain, on Mt Cooroora, ends after 44 years". Courier Mail. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  4. "The axing of a famed mountain race that has been operating on the Sunshine Coast for more than 40 years is being blamed on the State Government". ABC Sunshine Coast. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  5. "PRIMARY SCHOOL RELAY NEWSLETTER 2019" (PDF). kingofthemountain.com.au.
  6. "Kids relay for mountain festival". Couriermail.com.au.
  7. "Pomona King of the Mountain". www.saac.qld.edu.au/.
  8. "kingofthemountain.com.au". kingofthemountain.com.au.
  9. "Western Advocate". www.westernadvocate.com.au. 12 February 2018.
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