Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA) has announced the 2015 National Cross Country Marathon (XCM) series. Described as a ‘truly National series’, the selection of races spans four states and both territories, offering riders almost 600 kilometres of Australia’s best mountain bike trails across six very different races.
Cross Country Marathon (XCM) racing extends the traditional Olympic Cross Country discipline, with leading riders typically racing for three to five hours. As previously announced, the 2015 XCM Series starts in Alice Springs with the Easter in the Alice event, the series then heads to the landmark pair of the Wombat 100 in Victoria and the Convict 100 in New South Wales.
Winter is a quiet time for mountain bike racing in Australia, and racing resumes in September at the picturesque Dwellingup 100 in Western Australia, moving to the nation’s capital for the iconic Kowalski Classic outside Canberrabefore wrapping up at the Bayview Blast event in Queensland.
There is a prize pool of over $16,000 in the Elite category, with the male and female winners receiving $5000 each, and second and third $2000 and $1000 respectively. Do note that is equal prize money for men and women, something that we assume races in the series adhere to as well.
In 2015 the series is being organised and overseen by the MTBA Events Team after challenges were experienced with a different model in 2014. However, each race will be run by a mix of highly respected promoters and clubs who all have significant experience in their regions.
Mr Shane Coppin, CEO of MTBA, has been instrumental in assembling what will be Australia’s largest and most expansive cycling series.
“It has been a worthwhile challenge to deliver our members and all Australian mountain bikers a package of events that is of a truly global standard” said Mr Coppin.
“Significant effort was invested to ensure that our riders could experience some of the best trails all across our great country and I’m looking forward to racing starting in Alice Springs on Easter Saturday”.
Riders should head to www.mtba.asn.au for more information, or follow links to the individual events below. A dedicated website for the series will be launched at the start of 2015.
The 2015 National Cross Country Marathon (XCM) Series presented by Mountain Bike Australia
Easter in Alice – Bunny Buster Stage – 4 April 2015 – Alice Springs, NT
We raced the whole stage race in 2014 and can confirm the trails in Alice Springs are some of the best in the country – and beyond. Choosing to race just the first stage or the whole race might be a difficult decision for some – weighing up the costs of travel already invested in, and the time to recover for the Wombat 100.
Wombat 100 – 12 April 2015 – Woodend, VIC
A race that has quietly gone about becoming one of the best races in Australia, it takes in countless kilometres of handbuilt singletrack, and rewards a great bike handler and a handy climber. Best of all, the Wombat 100 is very close to Melbourne.
Convict 100 – 2 May 2015 – St Albans, NSW
Another classic race, the Convict 100 is turning the race on it’s head this year – running in reverse, and adding different length options for those not wanting to race the whole distance.
“We are excited to have two events form part of the MTBA National XCM Series. We believe the XCM discipline needs the leadership and structure of a national body to administer the sport, and private promoters willing to support that structure to the benefit of all riders.” Says Henry van Heerden, Race Director of the Wombat and Convict 100 races.
Dwellingup 100 – 5 Sept 2015 – Dwellingup, WA
The Dwellingup 100 has become a highly popular race in Western Australia, challenging riders on the pea gravel, and amazing them with the variety of terrain and trails on offer.
Kowalski Classic – 20 Sept 2015 – East Kowen Forest and Sparrow Hill, ACT
The race for those who believe that too much singletrack is barely enough! The Kowalski Classic will run for the 4th time in 2015, and Alan Vogt (Director) is pleased to be part of the XCM Series with MTBA.
“Self Propelled Enterprises look forward to the Kowalski Classic being part of the National XCM Series for 2015. We support Shane Coppin’s (MTBA CEO) plans for the series and MTBA more broadly. The iconic single track adventure that is the Kowalski Classic is an ideal fit with these aims.”
Bayview Blast – 24 Oct – South Brisbane, QLD
A new race for 2014 – we know little about it. Whether it’s been included to get Queensland into the series, or because it shows great promise for growth – we’ll have to wait and see.
So there we have a six race series that sits as a direct competitor to the Maverick Marathon Series announced on 10th December. But given the spread of the races, and the nature of mountain biking in Australia – the allure of competing for a whole series might not be that relevant to many. What is relevant, is what it means for a race to be included in a series. It shows that the race is well regarded, and probably head and shoulders above other events on the calendar. So most mountain bikers can safely assume that they will be attending a race with excellent services for riders in terms of safety and professional organisation. And, for some elite riders the higher level of exposure, and overall prize money, that comes with racing in a series is attractive.
Well done to MTBA for moving on from the 2014 Series and putting a strong series together for 2015. It will be interesting to see what the point scoring system is, and how many races are needed to qualify for the overall. We would expect 4, although that still has a high requirement for travel. Given the size of our nation that shouldn’t be disregarded. Travelling to a race out of state that requires flights can easily cost over $1000 per rider once flights, hire cars, accommodation and entry are taken into account. This is not unique to the XCM Series, or mountain biking. But it’s a true hurdle for many riders who want to compete in some of the best races in the country.