Gold Coast Airport’s volunteer ambassadors have jumped behind the company’s longest-standing partnership, with a 30-strong group gearing up to compete in the 5.7km Gold Coast Airport Fun Run at next week’s Gold Coast Marathon.

It is the first time the ambassador group has participated in the event as part of the airport team, joining another 30 employees who will compete across the various marathon events, from the fun run right up to the full marathon.

Gold Coast Airport Chief Operating Officer Marion Charlton said the airport team was heavily involved in race weekend each year.

“The Gold Coast Marathon has become a key part of our annual company calendar, with our employees encouraging each other to sign up and complete the training,” she said.

“It has been great to see the ambassadors join the team and embrace the race. They are having a lot of fun with it and will be dressed in fluoro costumes, so they will be hard to miss.

“Competitors and spectators might also see our mascot Goldie out and about at the event during race weekend.”

Ms Charlton said the marathon was the airport’s longest standing partnership and an association the team was proud of.

“The event attracts competitors from around the world, boosts the city’s reputation and importantly for us, drives visitation to the Gold Coast,” she said.

“We have been involved in the event for 17 years, for most of the time as naming rights partner and more recently as sponsor of the 5.7km event.”

Airport ambassador Liz Whitney said she and her ambassador colleagues had been training in the lead up.

“There is a lot of excitement about marathon weekend among the ambassadors. We love a dress up, so we’ll be sporting some bright costumes and generally having fun with it,” she said.

“As some of the first faces people see when they arrive on the Gold Coast, the ambassadors are also looking forward to welcoming visitors in the leadup to race weekend.”

Gold Coast Airport parent company, Queensland Airports Limited, supports more than 70 community, business, environment and tourism initiatives across Queensland and northern New South Wales each year.