Phillip Island Running Festival

Overview

If you're going to burn a few kilometres on a fun run or marathon, it probably helps to have some stunning scenery to enjoy along the way. And, knowing you'll be in the company of some cute feathered friends surely doesn't hurt either. Happily enough, you can expect both of these from the inaugural Phillip Island Running Festival, running across Saturday, September 14, and Sunday, September 15.

The weekend's schedule of running events ranges from a five-kilometre fun run through to an Ultra Marathon that clocks in at 50 kilometres, with distances inspired by the daily efforts of the Island's famed resident Little Penguin colony. While sweating it out in the 42.2 kilometre event (the full marathon), you could be running about the same speed that penguins swim (around 12 kilometres an hour), while the five kilometre version will likely have you appreciating the two kilometres those tiny feet waddle to and from their nests each day.

Whichever you choose, you'll find yourself running through idyllic woodland and along breathtaking coastline, getting a close-up peek at some natural penguin habitat and maybe even spying a few local creatures on the move. The races start and finish at the new-look multimillion-dollar Penguin Parade Visitor Centre, too.