75KM MTB – The NEW “Goldilocks” Event
The NEW 75km Odyssey is classic weekend warrior material – not quite a tonne but more than a 50. It features all the single track but far fewer climbs; and all the flow and less of the floundering of the 100km. If you want a sizeable challenge without needing to sacrifice your marriage to training and preparation then the 75km is the perfect hit.
The 75km takes in almost all the single track Forrest has to offer and breaks it into 2 bite sized loops that start and finish at the Forrest Football Ground. This is a new-school Odyssey.
COURSE SUMMARY
Start / finish: Forrest Football Ground
Date: Saturday 28th February
Race Start: 7:45am
Length and elevation: 73km with 1,580m ascent
Course Segments:
- 34km leg 1: The best of the gradient
Racing kicks off with a climb – but whatever goes up comes back down – so soon enough you’ll be racing down the iconic Red Carpet, hitting up the berms of Follow the Dog and railing the corners on Roller Coaster. A firm but fun way to start
- 39km Leg 2: let it flow
Leg 2 takes in the best of the Yaugher single track network with a race down all the favourite tracks including the Super Loop, Marriners Run, J2 and the best sections of Vista. Manage your speed, stay off the brakes and let it flow all the way to the finish back at the Footy Ground.
CLIF Nutrition and Skratch Hydration points:
- WP1: 20km pt at West Barwon Dam
- WP2: 34km pt at Football Ground
- WP2: 47km pt at Yaugher trailhead
- WP3: 53km pt at Yaugher trailhead
- Finish: 73km mark
Double up?
Make the most of your weekend in Forrest by ‘doing a double’ and racing on Saturday and Sunday! (and get 40% off the 2nd entry fee!). Here are a couple of double-up options (more details here):
- Ride the 75km MTB on Saturday and the 30km MTB on Sunday?!
- or bring your gravel bike as well and ride the 75km MTB on Saturday and the 106km Gravel on Sunday? Mix and match how you like!
COURSE MAP
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS
Not too spicy, not too tame…
The 75km is the new kid on the block, and could just be the “Goldilocks” zone you’ve been lusting after.
- The 75km is brutal, but won’t leave you chewing the headstem for the last 10km…
- It’s fun and flowy, but will still ask you to dig deep in the dying ks…
- It will require training, but not 10+ hour weeks while living like a Shaolin monk.
For the elite, masochistic and hardcore, the 100km is the go.
For milder-mannered & mere mortal, the 75km could be just the trick!
The course starts on the infamous Kanglaang Rd climb. Here it’s up, up and away as you find your rhythm and establish your pecking order in the pack.
After 8km of climbing it’s a sharp left on the quarry track and the real party begins…
You hit up all the crowd favourites – Red Carpet, Follow the Dog, Roller Coaster and the other “Super Flow trails” in the West Forrest Network before making your way back to event village at the ~33km mark.
Finally, it’s into the Yaugher trail network for some old school XC shenanigans.
WARNING: Before the back half you’ll want to fuel up up on carbs and caffeine. It’s a heap of fun when fresh, but an endless labyrinth of agony if you’ve “bonked”.
