Competitor Race Day Info

Index to other information below:

Event Location

Forrest Football Ground, Forrest VIC – Event Expo

The Forrest Football Ground is located on Yaugher Road, 1.5km north of the township of Forrest (VIC) and hosts the following features of the event:

  • Start and finish location for all MTB and GRAVEL races
  • Intermediary points for 100km, 75km, 50km and 30km MTB races
  • The complete event centre with sponsors display stands, food, drinks, entertainment, car parking…
  • The only spot on the course where MTB riders can receive outside mechanical support – including from the onsite bike shop.

Event Expo and Festival

The Forrest Football Ground will host an array of activations throughout the weekend, including:

  • Race registration and plate collection
  • Sponsors displays and demo gear from: Shimano, Fox, Skratch, Pedla, Fenix, Krush bike wash, Tyred Rider, Good Cycles and more
  • Coffee, food, bar, drinks and other sustenance such as paellas, pizzas, souvlaki and much much, more.
  • Kids Entertainment with Bebop Circus.
  • Forrest Brewery event bar
  • Live music and MC commentary

Retro bike ‘show-and-shine’

FRIDAY 27 FEBRUARY, 4pm – 7pm: Bring out your clunkers, your classics and your old bikes from the past for us all to enjoy! So many of us grew up with MTBs and have not parted ways with our much loved (but now superseded) bikes from years gone by – so here’s a chance to show off the old bikes and equipment you still have.

Maybe it’s an old steel hard tale with 26” Mavic Cross max wheels, a mountain bike with handlebars so narrow there is barely space for your hands, or your first dually that you blinged with all the annodised aluminium you could find…

Shine it, show it and check everyone else’s rigs that are normally hidden in the back of the shed. We’ll set them, up in the event expo area during registration.

Race Plate Collection

All riders must collect their number plate before the start of your race (unless you paid for your number plate to be posted to you!). A friend may collect on your behalf too. Options for collection are below:

  • Friday 3:30pm – 7:30pm: All riders welcome to collect for any race
  • Saturday 6:30am – 8:00am: Saturday morning races late collection
  • Saturday 10:00am onwards: Saturday afternoon races AND any Sunday races.
  • Sunday 7:00am – 10:30: Sunday races collection.

Race Start Location

ALL RACES (except Groms) – Riders start ON Yaugher Road in Forrest.... approx 200m up from the Forrest Football Oval (the event expo and finish line area).

Competitor Services

To help you have a hassle-free time at the Odyssey / GOGG, the following services are provided to competitors:

MTB Water points

On course:

Each MTB course has a number of water points along their length (locations are explained in the course description for each race). The following items are provided at each water point:

  • Skratch sports drink powder – you mix to your preferred strength
  • Water – available from either drums or taps (BYO water bottle…)

Forrest Football Ground MTB water point:

The 100km, 75km, 50km and 30km MTB courses all come through the water point on the Forest Football ground. Riders can pre-place your own hydration / nutrition in the race chute ready to collect during the race. Items must be:

  • placed in number order according to the numbered signs
  • limited to water bottles and some food in a small bag only – no deck chairs, eskies or umbrellas!

Riders can also exit the race chute and receive support from non-riders (even buy an ice-cream!) provided you remain on the playing surface of the Football Ground.

Gravel Time Out Zones

Both GOGG Gravel races include at least one time out zone where your race time is paused so you can meet up with friends, have a coffee, and recover (locations are explained in the course description for each race). The following items are provided at each water point:

  • A coffee machine!!! we bring in our own barista to serve and sell coffee when you need it most!
  • Some lollies, fruit and fruit cake
  • Skratch sports drink powder – you mix to your preferred strength
  • Water – available from either drums or taps (BYO water bottle…)
  • Toilets, rubbish bins and a medical team (unless called away)
  • Floor pump and other basic bike tools
  • (The 2nd time out on the 106km course is in the Apollo Bay topwnship so you can get a cafe lunch or go for a swim without impacting your race time!)

On site bike mechanics

The crew from Good Cycles will be set up on the Forrest Football Ground expo to service bikes and selling last minute bike accessories.

Open Friday afternoon, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning.

Pit Tents

We openly encourage riders and clubs to set up your own track-side ‘pit tents’ on the Forrest Football Ground. Please set them up beside the race track on the far side (northern side) of the feed zone near the footy goals.

Bike Wash

Our good friends at Krush will have a bike wash facility set up with plenty of their Rapid Wash product plus buckets, brushes and plenty of love’n for your bike!

Ladies Lounge

We will have set up a women’s only ‘Ladies Lounge’ where you can meet other female riders and congregate before, during and after the race. There will be a women’s only toilet, chairs, bag storage area as well. This is part of our Odyssey Angels initiatives – read more here

E-Bikes

Pedal assisted e-bikes are welcome at the event but will be competing only against other e-bikes and will not be ranked against traditional analogue bikes and will not be eligible for age group or overall prizes or prize money. Other points to note:

  • e-bikes must not have a power output greater than 250watts or a powered speed faster than 25km/hr. The winners’ bikes will
  • be checked and additional spot checks will be conducted with any offending bikes + riders disqualified
  • e-bikes are only permitted to swap battery on the playing surface of the Forrest Football Ground
  • e-bikes will have a bright yellow E sticker on their number plate to denote them as racing in their own category
  • NOTE the start process for e-bikes as described below

Start process – e-bikes and analogue bikes

  • All races start on Yaugher Road, immediately adjacent the Forrest Football Ground
  • Competitive e-bike riders start 5 minutes before the main field
  • Recreational / casual e-bike riders may start with the main field
  • Riders must self-seed yourselves in the start chute – faster riders towards the front!

E-bikes take note: If you are a competitive e-bike rider who is keen to ride hard and fast up and down the hills and on the single track then you should start in the e-bike only start 5mins before the main field. If you are more of a recreational e-bike rider who doesn’t go super fast or who may be a bit slower on single track then you should start in the main start mixed in with all the analogue bike riders. These steps are to ensure the safety and comfort of all riders and to minimise congestion on the trail.