A Port Willunga local, having lived in the area since emigrating from Bristol, England with his family in 2006 - today we welcome Matt Evans to our Sunday Profile.

Matt organises some pretty amazing running events in the region, with a new event running in two weeks. Matt is a man with a passion for running and everything local! Enjoy.

You are the chief organiser at Great Southern Runs. Can you please tell us a little more about yourself and what inspired you to create such a community?

Running around where I live and on the Fleurieu Peninsula in general is an absolute pleasure. There is such a variety of amazing places to run. I can step out of my front door and choose to run the cliffs towards Maslin Beach & Moana, along the paved esplanades, on the beach towards Sellicks, along the trails around Aldinga Scrub or inland through the vines towards Willunga. And if I take a short drive I can be on the Shiraz Trail at McLaren Vale, Moana esplanade, Myponga Reservoir trails or up in Kuitpo Forest. I think I could probably run somewhere different every day for a year – I certainly never get bored of it.

It was taking in the scenery on my morning runs around Aldinga Bay and thought to myself that it would make a great location to organise a race and showcase this beautiful corner of the world. I held a test half marathon event in 2016 starting and finishing at Snapper Point with just 18 runners finishing on a wet and very windy Sunday morning in July. Everyone loved the course and the Great Southern Half Marathon grew over the years that followed by adding 10K, 5K and kids race options, relocating to the Aldinga Bay Surf Life Saving Club, having to postpone the event twice in 2020 due to COVID restrictions. In 2021 we had almost 1500 people register to run at the Great Southern Half Marathon.

I also launched the Leconfield Wines McLaren Vale Marathon in 2021 which we aim to build into a major destination race that will attract 5000 runners from across Australia and beyond. 

As well as promoting health & wellbeing through my events, I feel a real connection to the place where I live and am proud to be able to showcase the region to visiting runners, partner with local tourism & hospitality businesses and also support fundraising efforts of local community groups and sports clubs who help us by providing manpower for the many jobs needed on race day.

What is your official day job?

I have worked in various operational and project management jobs in my career and this has given me plenty of skills & experience that transfer over to event management – logistics, budgeting, risk management & supplier management. I still work for BT Financial Group but hope to be able to transfer to full time event management over the next year or two as I add more events to my calendar.

You obviously have a love for running. Is this something you do competitively? Can you tell us a little more?

I absolutely love running, train every day and run at parkruns in the area most Saturday mornings. Having just turned 50 last year I’m no spring chicken but I’m still competitive in my age group when I race. As any masters athlete will tell you, it is all about training consistently and staying injury-free 😊

On a more personal note, tell us a little about yourself and what you love to do in your spare time (guessing the your ‘spare time’ is spent organising events!):

I have 3 grown up kids so much of the void left having not having to chase or taxi them around anymore is filled with running or organising events. I’m the main cook in our house so I’m happy making a mess in the kitchen (and that way I get to choose what we eat!). We are also lucky to own property in Port Douglas (the second best place in the world) so try to escape up there a couple of times a year.

We know you have an awesome scenic event coming up in May. Would you like to tell us a little about this?

Yes, the Great Southern Bolt is coming up on Sunday 1 May. This is definitely the most spectacular course we have put on so far. There will be a half marathon and 12K run from Myponga to Aldinga Bay. The point-to-point course offers a unique chance to (safely) run Main South Road, giving you some incredible views out over Aldinga Bay and the plains towards McLaren Vale as runners speed past the Buddhist goddess at Sellicks Hill and down Country Road to the coast. With a net descent of 210 metres, some fast times are guaranteed. The 12K will finish at Aldinga Bay Surf Life Saving Club and the half marathoners will enjoy an extra lap of Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park and wetlands.

Our events are inclusive to everyone no matter how fast or slow or how far you want to run (or walk). The Great Southern Bolt also has a flat 5K route around Aldinga Scrub and a free 1500 metre Beach Bolt for the kids.

There will be plenty to keep the spectators busy, with music, games and kids’ activities on the surf club lawns as they wait to watch their runners come in. The new Silver Sands Beach Club will be open for food and refreshments at the Pirate Life after-party and race presentations.

For more information and to register please HERE

YOUR TOP TIPS for our awesome region.

Best place to....

Grab a quick bite…Home Grain Bakery

Have a more serious feed…Agostino Wines

Get a cuppa… Fleurieu Roast

Have a beer (or cold drink)… Kick Back or Goodieson Brewery

Taste some wine (or just enjoy the winery atmosphere)...Leconfield & Richard Hamilton Wines

Go for a dip…Port Willunga beach

Explore nature…(and go for a run) Aldinga Scrub or Kuitpo Forest

When I’m on the Fleurieu and/or KI, I…

feel…at home

always make sure I visit…the beach – I never take seeing the sea everyday for granted

stock up on…fresh air

Weirdest thing that’s happened to me here:

Had a big old kangaroo rear up at me in Aldinga Scrub and I also had to hurdle a brown snake along the cliffs near Maslin Beach (both while I was out running would you believe?)

Best memory of being here:

Far too many to single one out – beach days with the family, watching Tour Down Under speed through, Day on the Greens at Leconfield Wines & this year’s Sky Song, how clear the Milky Way is on a clear night…

Most colourful character I’ve run into:

If you like a good yarn you should head along to Aldinga Bay Surf Life Saving Club and ask for Rocky. We were also lucky to be neighbours with Geoff Howe (sadly no longer with us) from a local fishing dynasty, who’s Uncles you see on the many photographs of fisherman on Port Willunga Jetty in its heyday and Howe Road is named after his father, I believe.

My best piece of advice for anyone heading to the region: 

Plan to come for a couple of days, then add on a couple more. Take everything in at a nice relaxing pace (apart from your running) and if you can’t fit everything in just come back again later 😊

Any links for further information/social media links for you & your business?

Visit the Great Southern Runs website at https://greatsouthernruns.com/ and subscribe to our mailing list or follow us on Facebook to keep up to date with our events.