The snowgum-cloaked slopes of the Mt Baw Baw Alpine Resort in Victoria will again welcome a crew of multisport athletes with the second staging of the Seasons of Pain trail running and mountain biking event on Saturday 13 April, 2013. The first ‘Season’ took place in late January, and was raced by Subaru-MarathonMTB.com racer Nienke Oostra, who finished 4th.
Organisers have confirmed – following overwhelmingly (if puzzlingly) positive feedback from the inaugural event in January – that the notorious ‘Sting’ will remain in the course line-up. The course includes a 10km trail run, 8km mountain bike ride, 8km trail run, and another 8km mountain bike, but the final 1.5km ‘dash’, a 400m vertical ascent to cross the finish line, is the ‘Sting’ in the race’s tail end.
While some of Australia’s top multisport talent vanquished the “tough” course in just over two hours in January, plenty of weekend warriors had a go, too, taking up to four hours with some opting to enter as a team of two to share racing responsibilities.
Seasons of Pain – Mt Baw Baw
The summer event winner, Jarad Kohlar, rates the course as one of the harder, more technical ones he has faced. “I had to work for every single metre. It was fun though, riding through the snowgums, and having this kind of short sharp racing in such a pristine environment.”
Commenting on the final uphill run, Jarad was unequivocal that the event fulfilled its promise: “It’s runnable. But only just. And you have to hurt,” says Kohlar who believes the bike-run format is a winner for anyone who enjoys an outdoor challenge.
“I believe Seasons of Pain fills a void on the Australian multisport and adventure racing calendar,” says Kohlar. “It is something that everyone from triathletes to adventure racers to runners buddying up with a riders can have a go at. And the environment up here is just stunning – absolutely amazing terrain to race through.”
Race director, Mount Baw Baw’s Grant Seamer, is hoping more Gippslanders will venture up for the event to experience their backyard landscape au natural, before the snow blankets come.
“Seasons of Pain, despite the name, is a very relaxed, social affair,” says Seamer. “And totally achievable – we had first time competitors in both teams and solo categories last time and everyone lasted the distance. So we’re encouraging people to just come up and have a go, enter as a team, find a ride or run buddy and enjoy a few hours in the bush, followed perhaps by a few at the bar for a good Baw Baw sunset.”
Seamer noted, too, that the following day, Sunday 14th April, sees the Baw Baw Classic road cycling event, with riders taking on the steepest road cycling challenge in Australia.
“So bring your mountain bike for the Saturday, and your road bike for the Sunday,” said Seamer.
More information and entries at the Race Website