The 2023 Perth Running Festival was capped at 10,000 entrants between Marathon, Half Marathon, 10km & 4km courses, with all races finishing inside Optus Stadium.

Optus Stadium was built for the people of WA, not just for elite athletes and rock stars, through the generous support of the State Government, the Burswood Park Board and the Minister for Transport, the 2023 Perth Running Festival allows everyone to be a champion for the day and run/walk/wheel on to the field and see themselves cross the finish line on the big screen at Optus Stadium.

The 42.2km marathon was the largest in WA history and saw huge attendance, with runners from 36 nations taking part, coming from as far as Argentina, Bulgaria, Canada, Mexico, Ireland and China, with participation from every Australian State and Territory.

Samuel Ekutan was first across the line in the 42.2km marathon in an impressive 2hr 20min. Fellow Kenyan Janet Komen was the fastest woman in 2:43, finishing 15th overall.

After arriving in Perth early on Saturday morning, Mr Ekutan said everyone in Perth had been “so friendly” while Ms Komen said she would love to come work in Australia after her running career, adding “this place is magic”.

The winner of a 21.1km half marathon was Matthew Ramsden — whose Commonwealth Games campaign was derailed by COVID last year — in 1hr 4min, the fastest recorded half marathon ever run in WA.

Sights are set to grow the event even further in 2024, bringing in even more runners from all over the globe.