More than 200 runners turned up for the Hallora Marathon Festival last weekend, raising more than $10,000 for Peter Mac cancer research.

The event has grown significantly since its inception in 2015 and has smashed fundraising records year after year.

Organiser and founder Daniel Pratt said it was a massive relief to finally hold the event, after last year’s was abandoned due to COVID.

“Once you see all the people out on the track at the same time … that was really special,” he said.

Runners took off at separate times throughout the day, with the marathoners starting first from the Hallora Rec Reserve. About 20 marathoners made their way along Main South Road into Drouin, and ran through hilly terrain to Warragul.

Regan Welburn completed the marathon with the fastest time of 3.03.31, only 8 seconds off the course record.

Wendy Lines won the women’s marathon, with a time of 4.14.44.

There was more than just running on the day, with families and kids bringing along their bikes, and many who walked the Two-Town Trail from Warragul to Drouin.

The 5km, 8km, 16km, and 24km runners took off from Warragul’s Western Park, with a Kids Dash held at 11am.

“There must’ve been about 50 kids all running at once, and the first time we did it there was only 10 or 15 kids so,” Pratt said.

Pratt thanked the 35 volunteers who dedicated their time to helping on the day and said the event would not have been possible without them.

“Huge thankyou to them and the community, for the support and the fundraising that was achieved.

“It’s a big weight off the shoulders and a massive relief, it’s not just picking up the event one after the other and copy paste, there’s a lot of extra work that goes on to get the event up and going again,” Pratt said.

The Hallora committee are planning to hold another fun run in December next year.

“Given the community support and the anticipation and the fundraising, it’s all the fuel that we need to pick it up and go again every year,” Pratt said.