Trail runners and mountain bikers are expected to mass like never before on Mt Baw Baw

this summer with news that a new off road run and ride event, the first in a series of four dubbed ‘Seasons of Pain’, will be held on Saturday 26 January (ENTRIES NOW OPEN HERE).

A slice of trails to be enjoyed at the inaugural Season of Pain trail run and mountain bike event on Mt Baw Baw.

Seasons of Pain will challenge adventure athletes to take on a 42km single track course weaving its way across the flanks of Mt Baw Baw, in Victoria’s alpine region, two and a half hours’ drive from Melbourne. There will be one Seasons of Pain event held in each season of the year, with riders and runners immersing themselves in the mountain’s changing climate and environment as summer, autumn, winter and spring blanket Baw Baw’s slopes.

A unique format on the Australian adventure sport calendar, Seasons of Pain will feature the two popular disciplines of trail running and mountain biking, with competitors able to enter as individuals or a team of two to share duties across four race legs.

The race will feature a run-bike-run-bike progression with organisers promising a sting in the tail: a 2km technical downhill dash followed by a lactic-acid-inducing uphill trail run to the finish line at Mt Baw Baw’s village.

“That’s the real ‘pain’ component,” says Mt Baw Baw Events Manager, Grant Seamer, who came up with the concept after being handed the responsibility of luring the adventure sports crowd to Baw Baw during summer season.

“Seasons of Pain offers off road athletes a very different cocktail of mountain sport,” says Seamer.

Season of Pain will feature 20km of MTB paired with 22km of trail running, all broken up into four main legs with a ‘sting in the tail’ organisers promise.

“We’ve designed the event to be very achievable by anyone with a moderate level of fitness and basic mountain running and riding skills – the course will be well marked so there is no need for navigation. It also makes a great year-long fitness target with the four events spread evenly throughout the year, and held on roughly the same course, so you can track and directly compare your time improvements.”

“Seasons of Pain offers competitors three to four hours of fun out on the mountain trails and with the first one being held in summer, we think the cooler high altitude climate will appeal come the hot days of late January.”

Additionally, the summer edition of Seasons of Pain will be held at twilight to ensure competitors do not face the prospect of a meltdown should temperatures rise.

“And the mountain wilderness is a stunning place to be out in at dusk,” says Seamer. “Of course, come winter, we’ll time the race time a bit earlier to try and capture any sun going!”

Also enticing competitors to the new event will be a roster of mountain adventure incentives held during what is the Australia Day long weekend. Seasons of Pain competitors will receive free entry to and shuttle bus for Mt Baw Baw’s new downhill mountain bike trail.

Organisers are also promising free canapés at the conclusion to Seasons of Pain, post event music, accommodation discounts for competitors, and a free, short mountain run time trial on the Sunday morning, featuring a 1-2km steep downhill technical trail run as a taster event for Baw Baw’s Trail Run Festival, happening on 9-11 March 2013.

There is an all new 4-Hour mountain bike enduro being staged at twilight on Sunday 27th January.

“So some of the mountain bikers competing in Seasons may want to stick around for that,” says Seamer.

“All in all it’s going to be a great long weekend of trail running and mountain biking and we believe the Seasons of Pain format will become a popular addition to Victoria’s roster of mountain sport events.”

FOR MORE DETAILS OR TO ENTER SEASONS OF PAIN TODAY VISIT:
www.mountbawbaw.com.au/whats-on/events/Seasons-Of-Pain–Summer

EVENT DETAILS
SEASONS OF PAIN: SUMMER
Trail Run + MTB
Mt Baw Baw, Victoria
26 January
Teams or solo.
Run 8km // Ride 12km // Run 8km // Ride 12km + a smidge (1-2km) of pain.

mountbawbaw.com.au
03 5165 1136