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Entry Information

Entry Information

Entries close 9am Thursday 16th February or when the field limit is reached (which we typically do in December before the event - so get your entry in quick!)

Entry Fees

  • $128 Kona Odyssey 100km
  • $93 Kona Odyssey 100km junior *
  • $95 Otway Shorty 50km
  • $59 Otway Shorty Junior 50km *
  • $39 Otway Pioneer 15km

* A parent or guardian must submit an acceptance prior to Junior entry being accepted. The Parent Acceptance form can be printed here.

What do you receive for your entry?

  • Entry to the race
  • Fully marked, marshalled course with professional traffic management
  • Professional medical support on course
  • Professional electronic timing and results, with optional SMS notification of results
  • An event branded cotton t-shirt by Kona
  • A copy of the latest Mountain Bike Australia magazine
  • Free usage of the competitors services such as: showers at the finish line, shuttle bus back to Apollo Bay, clothing/hydration/nutrition transfers
  • Live music at the finish line and around the course
  • Event photographers along the course to capture your finest moments
  • Optional Personal Accident Insurance policy
  • + other sponsor freebies and give aways to be confirmed 

Categories for all events

The following categories will be acknowledged as part of the 2012 Kona Odyssey for the 100km and 50km races

  • Junior (Under 18) individual - male & female
  • Open (18-39) individual - male & female
  • Veteran (40-49) individual - male & female
  • Vintage (50+) individual - male & female
  • Single Speed


The 1st, 2nd and 3rd male and female riders irrespective of age will be acknowledged as part of the 15km Kona Pioneer event

Field limit

There is a strict field limit of 2050 entries, comprising a maximum of 1,000 entries for the Kona Odyssey 100km, 800 entries for the Kona Shorty 50km (this is the NEW limit  - it was 600 riders for the 50km) and 250 entries for the 15km Kona Pioneer. Get your entry in quickly to avoid disappointment as the event has sold in every year it has been conducted.


Cyclecover Personal Accident Insurance for Rapid Ascent events

Rapid Ascent has negotiated a specific and customised personal accident insurance policy for participants in all our events, including the 2012 Kona Odyssey. Competitors may sign on for this policy when entering the 2012 Kona Odyssey via the online entry system for a premium of $15 each.

Please note, Cyclecover insurance only covers Australian residents. International competitors will not be covered by the personal accident insurance policy.

We encourage anyone signing on for this policy to read the full product disclosure document along with terms and conditions that can be found here. [For interest sake, details of Mountain Bike Australia’s (MTBA) insurance policy for MTBA members competing in MTBA events can be found here.]

Rapid Ascent supports and appreciates the work of MTBA and encourages all cyclists to join their local Mountain Bike Club, to join MTBA and help grow the sport of mountain biking we all love and enjoy. We now have independent personal accident insurance cover (rather than through MTBA). We have done this in the best interests of our competitors in an attempt to source the best insurance coverage for a reasonable price, to keep entry fees down and because we run more than just mountain biking events and needed a policy to cover our other events as well.


Kona Odyssey elite athlete policy

Should the 2012 Kona Odyssey sell out (as all other Odysseys have), Rapid Ascent will follow the procedures listed below when dealing with elite athletes who do not have an entry in before the field sold out..

Elite males
20 spots in the field will be reserved for elite male riders and will be allocated as follows:

  • Any rider who has finished in the top 10 in the Kona Odyssey in any previous year
  • Any rider who has finished in the top 10 in the Ingkerreke Commercial MTB Enduro in any previous year
  • Any rider who finished in the top 20 in the elite men at the latest Australian Cross Country National Championships

Spots will be held until February 4th and if all 20 spots are not taken by this time, they will be allocated to riders on the waiting list.


Elite females
10 spots in the field will be reserved for elite female riders and will be allocated as follows:

  • Any rider who has finished in the top 10 in the Kona Odyssey in any previous year
  • Any rider who has finished in the top 10 in the Red Centre MTB Enduro in any previous year
  • Any rider who finishes in the top 10 in the elite female at the latest Australian Cross Country National Championships

Spots will be held until February 4th and if all 10 spots are not taken by this time, they will be allocated to riders on the waiting list.

Why do we have an elite athlete policy? Rapid Ascent considers that it is good to have the nation’s best riders competing in this race as it builds the event's prestige and level of competition, attracting greater interest from sponsors, from other riders and from the media, all of which we consider to be good for the sport of mountain biking - full stop. Rapid Ascent reserves the right to accept entries if appropriate.


Kona Odyssey Refund policy:

Payment for online entries is via Credit Card transaction via our secure, 128-bit encrypted credit card payment gateway. Should you require alternative payment options please contact Rapid Ascent

  • Juniors must be under the age of 18 on race day
  • An entrant may transfer their entry to another rider for a $15 transfer fee up to 12 hours before the event (but the earlier the better). No transfers will be accepted after this time.
  • Providing there are spaces available, a rider may transfer from a longer race (eg 100km) to a shorter event (eg 50km) up to 12 hours before the event. In this case the transfer fee will not be charged. No refund of the difference between the 100km and 50km entry fees will be given.Providing there are spaces available, a rider may transfer from a shorter race (eg 50km) to a longer race (eg 100km) up to 12 hours before the event for the costs of the increase in entry fee only – no admin fee will be charged.
  • If a competitor voluntarily withdraws from the event (due to injury, illness…) and notifies Rapid Ascent more than 2 weeks prior to the race: 100km and 50km competitors – entrants have the choice of receiving either a credit towards a subsequent Rapid Ascent event less a $30 administration fee OR receiving a cash refund of your entry fee less a $40 administration fee.
  • 15km competitors - entrants have the choice of receiving either a credit towards a subsequent Rapid Ascent event less a $10 administration fee OR receiving a cash refund of your entry fee less a $15 administration fee.
  • If a competitor voluntarily withdraws from the event and notifies Rapid Ascent LESS than 2 weeks prior to the race: No cash refund or entry credit will be given in any circumstances.

If the event is deemed unsafe or unable to be held on the proposed date due to extreme climatic conditions, the following steps shall be followed:

  • Rapid Ascent will endeavour to reschedule the event to, ideally, the following day or another date with all entries carrying over to the new date
  • If you are unable to attend the newly proposed date no refunds will be made
  • If the event cannot be rescheduled for any reason Rapid Ascent will endeavour to refund a component of your entry fee after all event costs have been taken into consideration OR offer all participants an entry credit (of a value to be determined by Rapid Ascent) to a future Rapid Ascent event

Note:

  • Part of our Parks Victoria Event Permit states that if the fire danger on the event day is rated as Code Red Catastrophic in the South West fire region (Victorian CFA Fire Danger Ratings) then the event must be postponed. A fire rating of “extreme” on event day in the South West fire region may also cause the event to be postponed, following discussions with CFA,DSE and Parks Victoria.
  • In all other circumstances it should be assumed that the event is still going ahead UNLESS otherwise stated
  • Rapid Ascent reserves the right to alter or amend the originally proposed course from that which was published on the event website for any reason
  • Advice of any event postponement or change will be made on the front page of the event website at www.OtwayOdyssey.com as early as possible before the event, and will be posted to the official race notice board at the registration marquee