A plan to hold a new Western Sydney based Marathon in the winter of 2006 has been announced.

The Mayor of Blacktown City, Councillor Leo Kelly, and General Manager of Westlink M7, Mr Flan Cleary, operators of the Westlink M7 Motorway, today announced that they would be working together to plan the introduction of the new marathon.

"Blacktown City Council previously hosted Australia's longest running Marathon, "The Blacktown Cities Marathon", which had been held annually for 23 years until safety concerns and costs forced the abandonment of the Marathon in 2003," Mayor Kelly said.

"I am delighted that with the 40 km Westlink Cycleway and Walking Path due for completion before Christmas, 2005, there is a great opportunity to re-instate a Western Sydney based Marathon as an annual event," Mayor Kelly said

The General Manager of Westlink M7, Mr Flan Cleary, said that the Westlink Cycleway and Walking Path provided the perfect piece of infrastructure for holding a successful marathon.

"The Westlink Cycleway and Walking Path provides an uninterrupted 40 km trip between the M5 and Old Windsor Road. The fact that it is separated from traffic and has its own bridges across local roads and the M4 Motorway potentially makes it an ideal marathon route," Mr Cleary said.

The precise route to be taken by the marathon has not yet been decided and detailed planning for the event will now get underway.

It is hoped that the other Councils through which the M7 runs will join with Blacktown and Westlink M7 in the planning now underway to once again create a new "Cities Marathon".

Contact:

For further information:
Rebecca Tromp
Blacktown City Council - Media Liaison Officer
9839 6409 or 0416 135 473

For details about the Westlink Cycleway and Walking Path:
Michael Samaras
Corporate and Community Relations Manager
Work: 02 8882 1611
Mobile: 0400 026 551