SAFETY and insurance concerns have been the primary motivators behind changing the course and name of Mount Isa's iconic Mine2Mine Half Marathon.
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The event, now called Outback to the Stack, will still be run on July 22, but competitors will run from Lake Moondarra to Tony White Oval in covering the 21.1-kilometre half marathon course.
Traditionally, the race started at George Fisher Mine and followed a course along the Barkly Highway, but Isa Rats president Kylie Baker said it was no longer safe to run the 'Mine2Mine' course.
"We had some obstacles to jump with regard to our insurance and complying with safety regulations," she said.
"As we need to ensure the safety of our runners and walkers at all times, we have made the decision to move the course to a safer route."
Any club event held by the Isa Rats needs to pass sanctioning by Triathlon Queensland, and Mrs Baker said with Mount Isa growing at its current rate, holding the half marathon "on a very busy main highway" simply became unfeasible.
She said the Isa Rats committee had made the decision to rename the race to celebrate the new route.
"The event will now be known as Outback to the Stack, and the club looks forward to sharing the individual triumphs of our finishers in our first race," she said.
The inaugural event will start at Lake Moondarra and cover an undulating course to the city, with competitors crossing the line at Tony White Oval on Twenty-Third Avenue.
Mrs Baker said one of the benefits of the new route for runners and walkers would be the opportunity to see "some great scenery" as they attempted to set record race times.
"The Rats hope that with less traffic and a more sheltered route, our regular competitors will find the new course a relaxing and enjoyable."