In celebration of International Women’s Day on Saturday 8 March 2025, the McGrath Wollongong Running Festival is proud to announce Wollongong local and Olympic hurdler Sarah Carli as the ambassador for the 2025 event. Sarah will be inspiring the community to lace up their shoes in the lead-up to the event, with the chance to #RunWithSarah at one of the festival’s Free Community Runs.
Wollongong, NSW: The McGrath Wollongong Running Festival has announced Olympic 400m hurdler Sarah Carli as their ambassador for the 2025 event. Sarah, who grew up in Wollongong, made her Olympic debut at Tokyo and holds an impressive personal best of 54.66 seconds in the 400m hurdles. Her journey to the world stage has been one of resilience, as she overcame a life-threatening injury just five months before the Olympics to represent Australia.
Sarah began her athletics career right here in Wollongong, training on local tracks before becoming a multiple-time Australian 400m hurdles champion. She continues to compete at the highest level while also sharing her love of running with the community, encouraging people to embrace running not just as a sport, but as a way to stay active and connected.
“Growing up in Wollongong, running was always a huge part of my life and a way for me to connect with my community. That’s why I love that this festival brings people together, encouraging everyone to challenge themselves, whether they’re chasing a PB or just getting out and having a go. While I won’t be at the Wollongong Running Festival as I’ll be in Europe for the international season, I’ll be cheering you on from there. I’m so excited to support this event and hope to see some of you at a Community Run in the lead-up to race day,” said Sarah Carli.
Angela Saville, Race Director, said that having Sarah involved in the lead-up to the event will be an inspiration for runners of all levels.
“Sarah is not only an incredible athlete but also a fantastic role model for our local community. While she competes on the world stage, she’s also deeply connected to the Wollongong community and having her as part of this year’s event is a great way to encourage more people to get involved. We’re thrilled to welcome her as an ambassador.”
While Sarah won’t be racing on event day, runners can be inspired by her journey and #RunWithSarah in the lead-up to the McGrath Wollongong Running Festival on 1 June 2025. She looks forward to supporting local runners by attending one of the event’s Free Community Runs in the coming month.
Sarah’s presence will inspire runners across the Illawarra and beyond to make Wollongong their new destination for running.
Register for the McGrath Wollongong Running Festival here.
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For media enquiries, please contact Kara Agostinho via phone on 0448 181 107, or via email at marketing@wollongongrunningfestival.com
