FAQs

Find answers to these questions below What distance should I enter? What if I want more than 750ml of water for each stage? What equipment should I carry with me? What food should I carry with me? How much food should I eat during the race? What should I do if I see somebody crash (who is not ok)? What do I do if I break something on my bike and can’t ride on? What happens if I don’t make the cut off times? Can I change to a different distance during the race? What do I do with my food or gel wrappers?  What if I’m not sure that I’m on the course and I can’t see course markings?

What distance should I enter?
The 90km marathon is aimed at experienced riders who are comfortable and confident at riding long distances.  If you have never ridden this distance before we advise that you try a shorter distance.  It will take the best riders 4hrs to complete the 90km ride and the slowest rider approximately 7hrs.  Choose a distance that is within your limits and speak to your doctor before hand if you have any health concerns.  We do offer support at each Feed Zone to help you, but you will enjoy the event more if you chose a distance which is within your limits.

What if I want more than 750ml of water for each stage? 
We have large water containers where you can fill your own water bottle or camelback at each of the Feed Zones.  You can also drink cups of water at the Feed Zones.

What equipment should I carry with me? 
In a marathon race you don’t want to get caught out and not finish for the sake of a flat tire.  All riders should have at least one spare tube and mini-pump with them.  If you need tire leavers to change your tire you should carry them as well.  It may be worth carrying some instant patches as they are pre-glued patches that you can just stick over a hole in your tube to get you home.  This could very well save you a ride in the sweep vehicle!  If you are planning to use compressed air instead of a pump you should carry enough to pump up three tubes.  You can either put it in your jersey pockets or a medium sized saddle bag should hold all this stuff (which will free up you jersey pockets for food and gels).

What food should I carry with me? 
You can probably race this marathon and start with nothing.  Our Feed Zones have a full range of food and drink to get you through the race.  That being said, if on your long riders you have a favorite energy/protein or muesli bar then it can’t hurt to carry a few of them with you.  Gels are a great pick me up for energy and it is a good idea to carry four to six of these to get you out of trouble. 

How much should I eat during the race? 
A marathon race will push your body to its limits.  It could take you over six hours to finish so you do need to eat during the race.  The best riders in the world will make sure to eat approximately every 30mins during a race.  Keeping your body fueled is just as important as drinking water.  Anybody that has suffered a food or hunger flat-out riding knows that if only they had eaten 15 minutes earlier they would have been fine.  So make sure you pick up some food at each Feed Zone, or if you are a bit more particular, carry enough of your preferred food source to get through the race.

What should I do if I see somebody injure themselves? 
STOP!  This is a friendly event, so please to help out any rider in trouble.  Our course marshals are not far apart so get a rider to ride to the closest marshal so they can call first aid.  We have first aid out on the course and they can be on the scene fairly quickly.  Your company with the injured person during that wait could be vital.

What do I do if I break something on my bike and can’t ride on? 
We have vehicles sweeping the course.  If you can’t fix the problem stay on the course and either walk to the closest marshal or Feed Zone and wait to be collected.  DO NOT under any circum stance try to take a short cut back to the start/finish. 

What happens if I don’t make the cut off times? 
As the short and medium courses follow the same route as the long course we will direct you to take a shorter race distance if you arrive at a turn around point after a cut off.  If you are a rider on the long course and you have passed the medium turn around point and then fall behind the cut off time, race officials may ask you to get in the sweep car.   This being said, the course cut-off times are very achievable.  As long as you have chosen a distance within your ability you should be fine.  We will try to encourage everybody to finish.

Can I change to a different distance during the race? 
In short, please don’t if you can help it.  If you really can’t go on and want to take an earlier turn around than you have entered for, please let a marshal know both at the turn around point and at the finish line so we can adjust your result.  Anybody who changes the distance of their ride without notification will be disqualified.

What do I do with my food or gel wrappers? 
In short, carry them with you!  Littering is against the law and any rider that thinks it’s acceptable to litter just because they are in a race should think again.  We cannot pick up rubbish over 90kms of race course.  Please put the gel or food wrapper back in your pocket.  There are bins at check points so you can deposit them there.  If you see somebody litter please take their number, we will disqualify them.

What if I’m not sure that I’m on the course and I can’t see course markings?  STOP!  Back track until you reach the last course marking and check it’s direction.  Markings will be comprehensive with arrows, bunting and lime markings on the ground.  If you back track but cant find any previous markings, stop at an intersection and wait.  When somebody is recognized as lost we will search all the roads in the area to find them.