The inspiration from the south-west’s number one tourist attraction prompted him to change, the recently renamed Warrnambool Running Festival’s feel, location and course.

“In a way I have based the new event on the concept of the Great Ocean Road in the sense that it’s not going to be a fast course but it offers something special,” Ansell said. “It’s a really good opportunity to be able to promote Warrnambool and running. It’s very scenic and enjoyable run.”

The one-day event previously only had a 21-kilometre run from Koroit to Warrnambool along the rail trail. But the course constantly flooded.

Ansell and the WAC board decided to shake up the event and turn it into a running festival and move it away from the flooded areas of the rail trail and bring the start and finish to Warrnambool’s Flagstaff Hill.

The festival, which runs on Sunday, September 16, will still include the half-marathon but it introduces new 12-kilometre and six-kilometre runs, which Ansell hopes will have a positive effect on the event.

“We feel that by doing it this way it gives us the chance to really build the event in future years,” he said. “We believe this event could become something a lot larger and build on bringing people into Warrnambool with that festival-like atmopshere.

“Bringing in different distances and a new location really helps us to make the festival a celebration of Warrnambool and running in the south-west.”