The 2023 RunDungog Trail Running Festival drew over 300 registrants

With runners starting their engines on the morning of Sunday, August 6, coordinator Michael Grant said that it drew more people than 2022 despite the rain.

"We had 311 registered participants which is great, despite a bit of rain. Fantastic numbers there," he said.

With five kilometre, 10 kilometre and 20 kilometre races, the highlight for Mr Grant was the 10km race that nearly doubled in entrants since last year.

"We had a bumper crowd of 10km runners, we had 133 people out for the 10km this year which is nearly double what we had last year so that shows some really good interest building," he said.

"The rain probably did keep a few people away but that was a great number to get on the 10k run, it was fantastic."

Competitors from all over Australia travelled to Dungog for the event with people coming from as far as Adelaide, Narrabri and Coffs Harbour, as well as the regular suspects from Newcastle and Port Stephens.

However, Mr Grant saw that the rain on the day kept a few people away from the event.

"The rain probably kept a few of our walking friends away and maybe kept us down for a few registrants on the day, we had a lot less of those [walkers] than last year," he said.

"I think that was the only thing that rain really did, it eased off through the day and it really wasn't bad conditions for running. It was nice and cool and it's probably better to be a little cooler than hotter to be honest."

Despite coordinating so successfully for the first time this year, Mr Grant is extraordinarily proud of the staff that supported him.

Although trail running takes centre stage, the Trail Running Festival is also the chief fundraising event for the Dungog Shire Community Centre.

At the end of the day the event raised over $20,000 in revenue with all funds, after costs, going towards the community centre.

"I'm super proud of our whole team, every single one of them," Mr Grant said.

"It brings our community together, not just the fundraising aspects but it brings all our people together in the town... it also brings people from out of the area."

The festival is the biggest fundraising event in the community centres calendar.

One of the biggest changes that this year's Trail Running Festival bought was a change of the starting position from the top of the Dungog Common to the bottom.

Mr Grant said that this change made life a lot easier.

"I think the new position was a real winner with the fantastic amenities there," he said.

"There's a lot more parking down the bottom rather than at the top."

Adam Stanley and Alannah James took home the men and women's five kilometre races, James Knox and Meg Isbester the 10 kilometre races and Anthony Lamb and Emily Gilmour-Walsh won the 20 kilometre races.

Last year's winner of the women's 20 kilometre race Sarah Jagoe-Salamone took out second place.

For more information about the RunDungog Trail Running Festival visit their website.