Bago Bluff Mountain Epic
Earlier this month a brand new MTB marathon took place near Port Macquarie on the NSW north coast; the 2016 Bago Bluff. Over 60 riders signed up, with 12km, 50km and 100km distances to choose from.
Starting at the Bago vineyards, the course kicked off on singletrack that was built by the Hastings Valley Mountain Bike Riders. From there the going got tough as riders headed out into the National Park, scaling the northern side of Bago Bluff. With spectacular views over the Hastings Valley, the rocky fire trail traversed east before plummeting back down through Broken Bago State Forest.
After a refueling opportunity in the historic Timbertown theme park, the course undulated through the northern escarpment, taking in some of the best kept trail secrets the region has to offer. After one more climb, riders dropped back down to Bago vineyards to complete one 50km lap with 1,300 metres of climbing. That meant a total of 2,600 meters climbing for the full 100km distance; many competitors rated it as the hardest marathon event they’d done. Tough it may have been but the rugged terrain, spectacular scenery and the challenge of tackling little known trails made it a rewarding day out for everyone that took part.
Port Macquarie is home to some of Australia’s best riders, and the inaugural Bago Bluff even had Jason English on the start line. The seven time World Solo 24 Hour Champion won by a convincing margin, finishing in 4:43:25 and completing his second lap in a faster time than his first!
For news on the 2017 Bago Bluff marathon go to the Trail Terra website.
