BHE Marathon challenge enters its 3rd year at Avoca ! So what's new?

There is no doubt that this event has been very talked about. Since the first year at Avoca in 2010, as the MTBA Australian Marathon Championships course, the event has often been referred to as the hardest marathon in Australia - and maybe it still is.  However a lot has changed, making it one of Australia’s greatest marathons and a day that should be on every riders’ calendar.

Challenge is all about reward and the BHE Marathon challenge is offering more reward than you can poke a stick at.  You need only ask somebody who has participated to find out that this event never stops rewarding its participants. Big Hill Events is run by Rohin Adams and it is an opportunity to share some of his huge international racing experience with fellow Australian riders.  The main difference between this marathon and others in Australia are the on course feed zones.  Whilst other events may offer a bottle drop and water refill the BHE Marathon Challenge gives you sports drinks, sports gels, tables covered in bakery food, fresh cut fruit and lollies to keep you riding.  

The course has been designed to be similar to a European marathon course, it’s not jammed full of single track but instead has a great mix of open fire roads, harder climbs, longer gradual climbs, undulating sections and then the reward of riding the Pyrenees Endurance Trail which cuts right through the Pyrenees hills behind Avoca.  Yes there are some hard sections but it’s all part of the challenge, and completing the course is another part of the reward.

Since the first year of the event Rohin, and many dedicated volunteers have spent hundreds of hours re-building the Pyrenees Endurance Trail. There is a big future for the area and the track has changed substantially over the years.  This year some great new sections of restored trail are back and the steeper descents have been replaced by newer longer and far more rewarding tracks. This trail will soon become a big cycling destination and this event offers you the opportunity to ride it fully supported whilst you challenge yourself over your set distance.

In 2012 the BHE marathon Challenge is offering a new intermediate distance as an alternative to the full 90km. The new 65km distance will have 4 fully stocked feedzones and takes in the entire Pyrenees trail whilst the 45km route covers only half. However the 65km course is not to be taken lightly - it’s still got a whopping 2500m of climbing and includes the majority of the events challenges. So if you have done the 45km in the past and still feel you’re not ready for the full 90km it’s a great stepping platform for you.