Inaugural 5km Wheelchair race joins the GCM program

Wheelchair 5km inaugural winner Antoine Sandoz (19:41) said he was a little surprised but pleased with his breakout win over seasoned racer and event ambassador Pete Rudland (20:21) and Grant Cunningham (20:34).

"I'm really happy to win the first 5km on this course," the Brisbane-based Canadian expat said.

"It was a really good run and I was fairly aware that Pete and Grant were not far behind, so to keep in front and break the tape on a course as good as this for racing makes it all pretty special," he said.

Rudland had a ball racing hard.

“I didn’t really have a race plan, I was in it to have a bit of fun and hang out with the others, but the boys decided to have a race, so I decided to go with them,” Rudland said.

“I had an absolute ball out there. Today was just to get the arms moving ahead of the marathon tomorrow

“I love being an ambassador for Gold Coast Marathon and feel very privileged. It’s a great location, great people… great everything.

“The 5km is a brilliant event; this is the whole point of the 5km....come in, have a roll, it's not taken too seriously and it's lots of fun.

“Everyone should be able to come in and have a bit of a crack of it and feel what it’s like to have a go around the track,” he said.

Sharnie Digby took her second win of the day after earlier taking the 10km spoils.

“It was great to win the 5km and the 10km wheelchair, but tomorrow is my big challenge with the wheelchair marathon,” Digby explained.

“I love to get involved in all the wheelchair events on offer over the weekend, I just want to see more wheelies out here doing it.

“The 5km is absolutely a great race to get started with wheelchair racing. I started doing events in my day chair and now I’m in a professional racer.

“I didn’t have a race plan going into, I was learning my new chair, and I just went out to have fun today.”