Flight Centre Active Travel Cycle Epic
More Competitors Than Ever at 'Brutal' Flight Centre Epic
News Release / 17.09.2013
A substantial increase in female competitors has lifted the Flight Centre Active Travel Cycle Epic mountain bike event to an all-time high participation rate with more than 2,100 riders competing in the event at Spicers Hidden Vale, west of Brisbane, over the weekend.
The highlight of the event, the 87km Epic marathon, featured a thrilling finish between national champion Andy Blair and two-time winner Jason English while Jodie Willett continued her dominance of the women’s race.
Brisbane-based Willett claimed a record fifth Epic victory, finishing the race in four hours, 40 minutes and 48 seconds, more than nine minutes ahead of Victorian runner up Tory Thomas. Queenslander Anna Beck was a further 8min.30secs back in third place.
Epic race organiser and track builder Hayden Brooks said the number of female competitors had grown rapidly in recent years, with women embracing the family focus of the event.
“We’ve probably had a 20 per cent increase in the number of female riders and there’s a lot more children competing in the events we stage for them over the weekend,” Brooks said.
“We’ll continue to push the family fun theme we have for ongoing MTB events at the Hidden Vale Adventure Park with the Giant 3Plus3 just before Christmas our next event.”
The men's marathon race was a titanic struggle. Canberra's Blair was neck and neck from the start with world 24 hour solo champion English before pipping him at the finish line for his maiden victory in the event.
Blair completed the course in hot conditions in 3hr58m47s, with English less than two tenths of a second behind. English, of Port Macquarie in NSW, was seeking to complete a hattrick of wins in the event. Two time winner Adrian Jackson of Victoria was third.
Retired Australian road cycling legend Robbie McEwen finished his first attempt at the Epic in 5hr1m47s to be placed a commendable 16th in the elite men’s section.
McEwen was full of respect for the MTB event, posting on his twitter account that it was “brutal”.
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