A record number of competitors show up for the world’s toughest half-marathon in Hobart.

ABC NEWS (Australia)

It pitches itself as the world's toughest half-marathon and today, more than five thousand competitors took on the challenge of running up Hobart's Kunanyi / Mt Wellington for the 30th point to pinnacle. It was a feat that came with record crowds, record times, and more than a million dollars raised for charity.

Transcript

00:00With warm-ups complete and spectators at the ready,

00:05competitors hit the pavement for Tasmania's 30th Point to Pinnacle Half Marathon.

00:12As the incline increased, hydration stations and sideline encouragement kept spirits high.

00:18Just stoked everyone's doing a great job.

00:21Among the competitors was paramedic Andrew Hawanin.

00:24Two years ago he was diagnosed with brain cancer and given just over a year to live.

00:30Today he took part in the gruelling mountain climb alongside friends and family

00:35to raise funds to find a brain cancer cure.

00:38It's a perfect day for it and just the amount of people, it's just amazing.

00:43Yeah, just so cool.

00:45An effort matched by the friend who inspired him to take part.

00:49Living with brain cancer, gotta have hope.

00:51Hope in the research, hope in the people around you, hope in your faith.

00:55Tasmanian runner Sam Clifford was the first to cross the finish line

00:59with a time of one hour, 21 minutes and 29 seconds.

01:03A feat wiping 22 seconds off the course record.

01:07It's mainly from 15k onwards, you just see hills and you think is it ever going to end?

01:12But yeah, very grateful to once you get up to the top and you see the stick

01:15and then you know you're home.

01:17Canadian competitor Danette Sheehan took out first place for the women

01:21with a time of one hour, 41 minutes and 25 seconds.

01:25That was the toughest race I think I've ever run.

01:28There wasn't just a record breaking time at this year's event,

01:31it was also a record breaking crowd.

01:33For the first time, more than 5,000 people took part in the Point to Pinnacle,

01:37a milestone the team were all too proud to achieve.

01:40When we took over in 2012 there was about 1,300 people in it.

01:43They've been up there for different reasons but they come off the mountain

01:46feeling really good about it and that sense of community is something

01:49that we're really trying to continue to build in the event every year.

01:52Thank you so much.

01:53Thank you very much.

01:55We're here to thank you.

01:57You know, thank you so much.

02:00I'm sure you can open up this way.

02:01I'll never share the message as I pass.

02:02I'll enjoy it.

02:03I never love you.

02:06I'm sure it's the time you take you.

02:08I'm sure you take your attention to the next one.

02:10And you're going to the next one.

02:11We're going to get into the next one.

02:12You're going to get into it.

02:14No.

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