The day after running in the Queensland Health Junior Dash, a group of visiting 10-year-olds from Osaka, Japan were shown the finer points of Australian Rules Football (AFL) and sausage sizzles to complement their 'Aussie' Gold Coast Airport Marathon experience.

Amongst the group was Riko Kakihana who won the girl’s 2.25km Junior Dash and Daisuke Umemoto who was second in the boy’s race.

This was the second year that the visiting group from Izumiotsu City was given a taste of AFL and an Aussie barbecue by the Surfers Paradise Demons juniors, and all of the kids and their parents loved it.

The kids participated in kicking and handballing drills with their Surfers Paradise friends, and then exchanged gifts of goodwill. The Japanese kids were excited to be presented with Gold Coast Football Club footballs – the club that will be introduced into the AFL national competition in 2011.

The visit by the group is an extension of the Gold Coast Airport Marathon’s sister marathon relationship with the Senshu International Marathon in Osaka, Japan.