BiCyCle SA

DiSCOver flinDerS rAngeS
Are yOu the rACing kinD?
race the kona Mawson MtB Marathon
8- 12 June 2010Outback South
Australia
Michael Bridge
The Kona Mawson MTB Marathon is Australia’s
newest cross country endurance challenge.
Whether riders complete the gig in stages or
non-stop, the Kona Mawson MTB Marathon is
set to redefine endurance racing in the southern
hemisphere.
Traversing over 350 km of single track, dirt
roads and access trails in outback Australia, the
Mawson Trail is one of the country’s premier MTB
assets. The route runs north to south, and while
there are plenty of climbs and descents, the net
result is downhill. The track is a mix of compacted
gravel, forest floor and rich red earth, with
numerous creek crossings and wash-outs; and
some of the sections are connected by sealed
roads.
Bicycle SA has been running numerous
recreational MTB rides along the Mawson Trail’s
full 900 km length since 2002, and now has
decided to run a race along the very best northern
section in the Flinders Ranges: a craggy range
looking every bit its 600 million years.
The northernmost point along the trail is the
small community of Blinman, the highest town
in South Australia. This is the start of the Kona
Mawson MTB Marathon. Riders muster outside
the Blinman Hotel (the top-most arrow actually
points into the hotel’s front bar... Maybe not the
best place to drink before a ride, but certainly
the most welcome finish if you ride up from the
south).
When the flag goes down, teams of two ride
non-stop to the finish for a share of the $30,000
cash prize pool (first prize of $8,000 will be sitting
on the pub verandah, ready to be picked up by
the first across the line). The top teams expect to
cover the distance in less than 24 hours, which
means they ride through the night.
Meanwhile other teams and solo riders
complete the event in four stages:
Blinman to Rawnsley Park 93 km
Rawnsley Park to Hawker 91 km
Hawker to Quorn 112 km
Quorn to Melrose 71 km
Everyone finishes on the Saturday in Melrose
at the foot of Mount Remarkable, in the middle of
the annual Fat Tyre Festival, when a whole other
group of mountain bikers take over the town.
Melrose has embraced mountain biking since
Bicycle SA first ran a ride there almost 10 years
ago. Since then the locals, with help from Bicycle
SA and Green Corps, have cut miles of black
diamond single track, with a few more modest
intermediate runs thrown in. The area now has
strong associations with Fruita in Colorado, USA.
Andy Bell, Mick Ross and the late James Williamson on the Mawson Trail. Photo by
Michael Bridge
“the kona Mawson MtB Marathon is more than just a marathon. it’s an epic
adventure!”
So the choice for Marathon riders when they
rock up at the Melrose finish is whether to rest
and recuperate, or stay on the bike and ride the
trails.
Time will tell who rides the first event in June;
though a number of known XC names have
thrown their hats in the ring, including Kona
rider Andy Bell. The expectation is that plenty
of regular riders will come along just for the
challenge — to make it to the finish — but also to
enjoy the spectacular surroundings, the views
along the spine of the Flinders Ranges and out
west towards the salt lakes and desert; at least
when they’re not focusing on the track, dodging
rogue kangaroos and emus. Local fauna gets right
of way.
Another unique feature of the Kona Mawson
MTB Marathon is that riders have the chance to
compete for additional prizes in the Triple Peak
Challenge: when they get off their bikes along the
route and race on foot to the tops of Saint Mary
Peak, Mount Brown and Mount Remarkable. It’s
up to the rider if they choose to make this extra
effort.
The inaugural Kona Mawson MTB Marathon
is also being filmed for an hour long documentary
for global TV broadcast. The event is already
capturing the imagination of mountain bikers
around the world. Now, with all the action being
viewed by millions, the stakes are that little bit
greater.
Dave Hughes racing at the Kona Dirty
Dozen
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