Please ensure you read the entire brief and check the mandatory gear list
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Race Map
The race starts at 9:00 am at the Wild Mersey car park, Shale Rd Latrobe. There are public toilet facilities at the car park.
The race is an out and back course covering approximately 12 km each way. The course covers shared access mountain bike and walking trails, with a short section of quiet road at the start finish.
The race will start on the road section southeast of the carpark, following this for approximately 1.5 km before crossing the Mersey River over the bridge. After crossing the bridge, runners turn right onto the Railton Express, looping clockwise under the bridge, before heading southeast along the track. From this point runners will follow the Railton Express trail markers the length of the course. At approximately 4 km into the outward journey, runners will come to Great Bend Road where a race marshal will cross runners (when safe) before continuing on the Railton Express. At approximately 10.2 km runners will hit a gravel road which parallels the Railton Express; due to forestry works, runners will follow the gravel road for ~1 km before rejoining the Railton Express track. At approximately 11.5 km, runners will cross a gravel road before hitting the turnaround point. This point will be a marshaled drink station where runners can reload their water supplies before the return journey. The return journey to the finish follows exactly the same route in reverse. The finish line will be the same location as the start chute.
All runners must stick to formed tracks during the run. This is a strict condition of our access to these tracks. Any runners caught going off formed tracks at any point the course will be automatically disqualified.
The race has a hard cutoff time of 2 pm.
This is a self-supported trail race. As such runners are required to carry during the run:
- water holding capacity (bottles and/or bladder) of at least 1 L.
- A compression bandage
- Survival blanket
- Thermal top
- Pea-less whistle
- Mobile phone preloaded with
- St John First Aid app (recommended)
Ultimately runners are responsible for their own safety. Please consider the course and weather conditions, and prepare yourself accordingly by wearing appropriate footwear and clothing.
All runners are asked to take care while crossing the swing bridge over the Mersey River. The bridge moves under your weight and will sharp if fallen on.
Water to refill bottles will be provided at the marshaled turn around point. The club will not be transporting runners’ own bottles to the drink station. Please note: you will be required to fill your own bottles; this is not the marshal’s responsibility. Disposable cups are not permitted. All runners are required to carry any and all rubbish to the finish line.
All runners must clean their shoes using the provided wash station at the start area prior to their start time.
A tail runner will be following the last runner on the return leg.
Runners are reminded that they are running on a public shared use trail and must be considerate of other trail users at all times. Runners are expected to give way to all mountain bike users of the trail.
Race cutoff is 2 pm.