Run Echuca Moama adds exciting aspect to 2025 event

By Oliver Shedden

Jun 25, 2025

Jarrod Bateson finished first in the 21.1km category in 2024.

The biggest running event on Echuca-Moama’s calendar is returning for 2025 where participants will challenge themselves for a good cause while navigating a new route.

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Participants will be able to choose their own adventure with 21.1km, 10km or 5km distances that can be walked, run or wheeled using a mobility aid.

The route for the run will take participants through bushland, across the Murray River twice, past the Port of Echuca and its paddlesteamers and finishes with a grand crossing over the old bridge to the finish line at the event hub at Kerrabee Soundshell in Moama.

The old Echuca-Moama bridge will be closed off for the event, allowing participants and spectators to run across it and take in the scenic sights of the Murray River.

“This year our plan is that we have an update to our route, both for the 21 and 10km, (they) won’t come back on each other,” CLRS CEO and Run Echuca Moama organiser Leah Taaffe said.

“Our big change is that we will close the Echuca-Moama Bridge, so people will be able to run, walk and wheel over it, it’s pretty special because you can’t do that every day.

“A key focus for us in the event is to make sure all of our routes can be done by people in wheelchairs or with accessibility issues, which is great.”

There will also be the ‘junior bolt’ for younger runners, with a 400m dash for ages five to seven and a 800m run for ages eight to 10.

The event is to support Community Living and Respite Services’ Opening Doors Project, which builds homes for people with a disability in the local community.

These projects have built three homes and 12 units, supporting 22 people with disability to live with greater independence and inclusion within their community.

“We’ve now completed five projects under the Opening Doors banner and those five projects have now given homes to 22 people with disability,” she said.

“The funds from the event this year will be used to complete our sixth project, which is fantastic.

“It’s great to be able to raise awareness for supporting people with a disability in our community and ensure that they have the opportunity to engage in life.”

Taaffe highlighted the organisation’s excitement for the event while forecasting a large attendance total for the 2025 edition.

“We want to make sure they’re supported so they want to come back and engage in the event again,” she said.

“Everyone is really excited about the event this time around; we were all pretty nervous last year because it was our first year rebranding it (from Johnno’s Run).

“We are aiming for between 800 to 1000 people this year after a great turnout last year.

“This year we are feeling more confident about what we are doing and excited about being able to get the councils on board about closing the bridge because it is a bit unusual and will be iconic, it’s absolutely fabulous.”

Early bird registrations for all categories have been exhausted with standard registrations open until Wednesday, July 30 and late entry fees open from Thursday, July 31 to the date of the event on Sunday, August 3.