Good sports: Acting Mayor Cameron Granger, councillor Bruce Harwood and triathletes Peter Kerr and Jamie Hugget gear up for the multi-sport festival. Picture: Tommy Ritchie 60434
Andrew Mathieson
CITY Hall has ambitious plans to exceed participation at Australia’s biggest sports festival within a “short period of time”, according to a councillor.
The inaugural Geelong Multi Sport Festival will host more than 40 sports, activities and entertainment acts over the next three days, including triathlons, bay swims, beach volleyball, cycling, basketball shoot-outs and skateboarding.
More than 2000 people including celebrities and professional sportspeople have signed up to participate this week.
The festival is modelled on a Noosa Triathlon and Multi Sports Festival, which attracts around 11,000 competitors over five days in October.
Council major events portfolio-holder Bruce Harwood said Geelong’s festival could attract 15,000-plus competitors to be “one of the bigger events in the region”.
“We’d love to see this festival become a hallmark of action in a short period of time,” he said.
“Geelong has demonstrated its ability to run big, major events that have a beneficial impact on the region.”
Cr Harwood predicted the multi-sport festival would attract “millions of dollars” in economic benefits this year alone.
Lisa Pringle, of festival organiser USM Events, backed Geelong’s vision for the event.
She believed the city could exceed Noosa’s 11,000 mark “in the next few years”.
“These multi-day festivals do bring people into the town and bring people to stay and spend money,” she said.
“They drive economic value to an area and that is what councils are investing in.”
