Team iTaiwan at last year’s Gold Coast Airport Marathon (photo supplied by iTaiwan)

By Hayley Payne

Good times will be had during this year’s Gold Coast Airport Marathon as Social team iTaiwan aim to have the largest group of Taiwanese runners ever to participate in the race over the weekend of 1 and 2 of July.

Gold Coast Mayor’s Student Ambassador Hill Yang is the driving force behind the team of 179 participants and said that he wants to bring a taste of Taiwan to the Gold Coast.

“Taiwanese runners like to participate in different events globally to show who we are and to share our culture with the world,” Hill said.

“So I thought it was time to gather all Taiwanese runners from the Gold Coast and abroad and unite them as one big team to share our dream together as team iTaiwan.”

According to the 2016 Census, there are more than 1,000 Taiwanese born nationals currently living in the City of Gold Coast.

The iTaiwan team is a testament to the Gold Coast’s rich diversity with a large contingent in the team locally-based university students.

Participating in the Gold Coast Airport Marathon as part of a team is a source of motivation for participants who are anxious about entering the race.

For international students living on the Gold Coast, having a network such as the iTaiwan team can help them feel a sense of belonging in the community.

Hill said participants in the team will have access to a large support network who will be there to cheer each other over the finish line.

“Over the race weekend we will have a cheer squad of over 50 people wearing traditional Taiwanese dress to support the runners,” he said.

“Our tent will provide Taiwanese food and a traditional Aussie barbeque, remedial massage, and physio treatment to enhance the experience for our team.”

Leading an incredibly busy life with studies, work, volunteering and much more, Hill said that the event would provide him a chance to de-stress and experience the atmosphere of the Gold Coast over a fun weekend.

“The Gold Coast Airport Marathon offers such a diverse experience of fun, stunning views and plenty of adventure,” he said.

27,000 runners will take part in the 2017 Gold Coast Airport Marathon.

The 39th annual Gold Coast Airport Marathon will be held on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 July.

Set to attract more than 27,000 participants of all ages and abilities, this year’s race program will feature the Gold Coast Airport Marathon over 42.2km, Wheelchair Marathon, ASICS Half Marathon, Wheelchair 15km, Southern Cross University 10km Run, The Star Gold Coast 5.7km Challenge, Zespri 4km Junior Dash and Zespri 2km Junior Dash.

For the fourth year, the Gold Coast Airport Marathon has been awarded an International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Road Race Gold Label.

RUN #GCAM17 WITH itaiwan