The details on this website were updated on 1 February 2013 and are the final details for the 2013 event. The 2013 Kona Odyssey event program containing all the details on this website plus additional diagrams, maps and sponsor offers can be downloaded from here and we encourage all riders to download and read prior to the event. (Either left click the link to download or right click and ‘save link as’ to your desktop. 22meg)

Schedule

2014 proposed date: Sunday April 27th, 2014. Date to be confirmed by late May 2013.

Friday February 15th, 2013

Saturday 16th February, 2013

EVENT LOCATIONS

Forrest Football Ground – start and finish line for all races

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

• Race registration on Friday afternoon and evening
• Start line for the 100km Kona Odyssey, 50km Kona Shorty and 15km Kona Pioneer
• Finish line for all events - the 100km, 50km and 15km
• Forrest Festival and Bike Industry Expo providing food, drinks, kids entertainment, live music and much more, for riders’ families and the general public
• Intermediary 38km, 65km points for 100km riders and 25km point for 50km riders being the only location where riders may receive external assistance from support crews
• Race presentations at 3.30pm

Forrest is located approximately 2hrs from Melbourne with the quickest route being via Geelong and Winchelsea. Forrest is a 40 minute drive from Apollo Bay and 25 minutes from Colac.

NOTE: The 100km course does NOT START IN APOLLO BAY (as was the case in previous years)
 

Car parking and traffic

Due to the new 100km course that now starts and finishes in Forrest, we expect parking in Forrest to be put under severe pressure. In order to keep traffic flowing and still allow cars and riders get to the race we please ask you to follow the guidelines below:
- 100km riders are asked to park in the ‘Barwon Water’ parking area on the eastern side of the football ground
- 50km riders are asked to park in the ‘Pony Club’ and ‘Scotts’ parking areas on the western and southern side of the football ground
- Parking in these areas will be by gold coin donation on entry – please HAVE YOUR GOLD COINS READY when you arrive to speed up the parking process and then please park as directed. (moneys raised go to the Forrest Football Club)
- The Birregurra – Forrest Road will be closed to all northbound cars between 6:45am –7:00am and closed to cars in both directions between 7:10am and 7:45am. These road closures may impact 100km riders who are running late so all 100km riders are encouraged to be at the Forrest Football Ground by 6:40am. The Colac – Forrest Road will remain open all day and is another recommended driving route
- NO PARKING is permitted on Yaugher Rd between Birregurra Rd and Forrest. Please do NOT park on the roadside as this places everyone’s safety at risk.
- We encourage riders to park on the wide street verges in the Forrest township and ride your bikes to the football ground (along the rail trail)
 

COMPETITOR REGISTRATION REGO AND SPONSORS EXPO ON FRIDAY

Competitor Registration

All riders for each of the 3 events must collect their number plate before the start of their event.
NOTE: you can arrange for a friend to collect your number plate for you .
Any riders under 18 years of age must have a parent or guardian sign an indemnity form when collecting number plates.

All 100km and 50km riders must register on Friday between 4:00pm and 9:00pm at the Forrest Football Ground. Late registration for 50km and 100km riders on Saturday morning is ONLY AVAILABLE by prior arrangement directly with the Rapid Ascent office. Kona Pioneer 15km riders can also register on Friday afternoon or on Saturday between 12:30pm and 2:00pm at the Race Administration marquee.

At registration we will give you:

• Number plate. Please note the following about your number plate:
  • It will have your unique timing chip stuck to the back of it (these chips are disposable – we don’t want them back after your ride)
  • Attach your number plate to the front of your handlebars in front of all brake / gear cables so that it has an unobstructed view from the front. Number plates cannot be trimmed or altered in any way.
• Event t-shirt. All entrants will receive a free event t-shirt.

Note: You do not need to have a MTBA licence or day licence to compete. We strongly encourage all riders to have ambulance membership and your own personal accident insurance available through Cyclecover. Please contact our office on 03 5261 5511 to obtain a policy (if not already secured at time of entry).

COMPETITOR BRIEFING

There will be a competitors’ briefing conducted immediately before the start of each race, when all riders are gathered on the start line. There will also be a notice board for race information with course maps, profiles and additional race information in the vicinity of the registration marquee and expo for any last minute information.

SPONSORS EXPO AND FOOD ON FRIDAY

There will be quite a bit going on at the Forrest Football Ground throughout Friday afternoon and evening during registration and we encourage you to support the following providers:

• A number of sponsors will be set up and open for business so make sure you check out their stands on Friday before you are too knackered after the race on Saturday
• The Forrest Football Club will be conducting a Pasta Night on Friday evening to give you plenty of pre race carbs
•  

Check the vouchers section of this event program for offers from the following sponsors who will be selling products:

• Kona
• Evoc
• Mavic
• Schwable
• Shotz Sports Nutrition – make sure you redeem your voucher for a free sample
• Adidas Eyewear

THE START

All races will start with a ‘mass start’ involving all riders in that event on the one start line at the one time. All races will start on time so if you are late to the start then your time will have already commenced.

100km start:

Starting sequence for Elite Womens Category of the 100km Kona Odyssey:
6:30am – 6:35am  Riders congregate at the intersection of Kents Road and Yaugher Road
6:40am – 6:43am Riders move to the start line on Yaugher Road
6:45am Elite Women’s Category of the 100km Kona Odyssey starts.

NOTE: For 100km riders warming up on Yaugher Road before your race, please keep out of the way of the Elite Women when they start 30 minutes before you.


Starting sequence for the 100km Kona Odyssey main field:
6:50am      100km riders congregate on the Forrest football ground
7:00am      100km riders move onto Yaugher Road in front of the football ground - Please self seed yourself according to your honest ability
7:15am      100km Kona Odyssey Mountain Bike Marathon starts

50km start:

Starting sequence for all riders in the 50km Kona Shorty:

6:50am      100km riders congregate on the Forrest football ground
7:00am      100km riders move onto Yaugher Road in front of the football ground - Please self seed yourself according to your honest ability
7:15am      100km Kona Odyssey Mountain Bike Marathon starts

Please note the following for both the 50km and 100km race starts:

• It is very important that youare honest about your ability and naturally divide yourself into the start group that suits your speed
• Please allow space for faster riders to move forward on the grassy verge beside the road so they can get near the front if they need to
• Your start time will be recorded when you roll across the start line so it does not really matter where you start in the start grid as your time will be corrected anyway

The 15km Kona Pioneer Start

2:20pm       15km riders gather at the start line – note the start line is on YaugherRd, approx. 100m past the intersection of Yaugher Rd and Kents Rd.
2:30pm       15km Kona Pioneer starts with all competitors riding up Kaangalang Rd towards Lake Elizabeth. Please keep left on Kaangalang Rd to avoid any potential collisions with the 100km riders.
 

Self Seeding

The 50km and the 100km starts will be self seeding with all riders encouraged to be sensible about your skills and speed, and position yourself on the starting grid accordingly. The starting grid will be split into ‘speed zones’ with advisory signage set up to indicate the approximate positions for riders of all abilities – these signs will be:

OLYMPIANS (top seeded 20 riders only, starting 10m ahead of the rest of the field).
This zone is for seeded male riders with numbers between 1 and 20 only.

BIG RING RIDERS (FAST)
100km: expected time 5hrs - 7 hrs .
50km: 2hrs–3hrs
This zone is for serious riders who do a number of races of different levels and want to have a good crack at the event.

MIDDLE RING RIDERS (MODERATE)
100km: expected time 7hr – 8hr30
50km: 3hrs – 4hrs
This zone is for more social riders who do a fair bit of riding but aren’t the fastest on the track.

GRANNY RING RIDERS (SLOW AND STEADY)
100km: expected 8+hrs
50km: 4hrs+
This zone is for those who generally enjoy the scenery and their time out on the bike no matter how long it takes!
 

Elite Women’s Category of the 100km Kona Odyssey

In an attempt to stamp out pacing by male riders and create a fair race between all elite women, we will be starting the Elite Women in the 100km Kona Odyssey 30 minutes ahead of the main field. This start is ONLY FOR WOMEN WANTING TO BE IN CONTENTION FOR OVERALL PRIZE MONEY in the open women category. Riders hoping to win either the Queen of the Mountain Climb and/or the Timed Descent must also start in this elite women’s start.

If you are a female rider in the 100km event who is not of an elite level and is not in the hunt for prize money or hoping to win the Queen of the Mountain Climb and/or the Timed Descent, then you must start with the main field - otherwise you will block the way and cause congestion for the elite males on the single track when they catch you.

If a female rider starts in the main field and finishes in a time that gives them a place and thus prize money, this prize money will not be awarded as prize money and recognition will only be awarded to those that started in the women’s Elite only start. Competitors wishing to race in this category must notify Rapid Ascent at registration. To be eligible for Queen of the Mountain and the Timed Descent prize money, riders must complete the whole course.

COMPETITOR SERVICES

To help you have a hassle-free time at the Kona Odyssey we will be providing the following services to competitors. 

Clothing security
We are happy to look after a bag of clothing whilst you are out racing so you have some clean clothes to get changed into after the race. All clothing must be in a single bag, with name, race number and telephone number clearly marked and must be dropped off at the race registration marquee on the Forrest Football Ground before your race. Clothing will be available for collection from the same spot upon presentation of your race number plate anytime on Saturday.

Hydration and nutrition drop offs
For 100kmand 50km riders:
You can pre-place your own hydration / nutrition alongside the race chute in the football ground ready for you to collect it duringthe race. Hydration / nutrition dropped off:
- Must be placed in number order according to the signs (so it is easier for you to find it!)
- Is limited to a water bottle or two and some food in a small bag only – no deck chairs, eskies, umbrellas or kitchen sinks (we’ve seen all these before!)
- Do not dislodge or move anyone else’s gear as they also need to find theirs when they come past on their bikes

For 100km riders only:
We will transport your pre-prepared race food and drinks from the Forrest Football Ground to the water point at the 85km point at the top ofWest BarwonDam Access Rd (There will be water drums (and Shotz tablets) to fill up your own bottles at this location as well).

Hydration / Nutrition Drinks and food to be transported must have your race number clearly written on the top for easy identification, and must then be in a single bag (that is separate from clothing bag) and must be handed in to the Race Admin.marquee during the hours of registration (4pm-9pm) on Friday night. We will transfer them to the water point and lay them out in consecutive number order next to the race track. It is your responsibility to find your bag / bottles.
 

On site bike shop and mobile bike mechanic
The Kona Odyssey’s designated mechanic – Lorenzo Moro - will be mobile around the course on a motorbike during the event on Saturday to provide any repairs and emergency maintenance during the event. All work will be charged at a reasonable rate. The mobile service will first go to the top of Haydens Track and then the base of the Sledgehammer, then into the Yaugher Forest and then Kaangalang road throughout the day. We cannot guarantee that they will be there if you need them (100km is a lot of track to cover) but they will try their best. Lorenzo will also have a manned bike mechanic marquee at Forrest Football Ground during the race.

Showers at the Forrest Festival
To make it more comfortable for you to hang out at the Forrest Festival after the race, we will be providing shower facilities at the finish line. Showers will be free, but we ask you to be Water Wise as the water is transported to Forrest and we want it to last for everyone.

Bike Wash - Small change for a great cause!
If you’d like to wash away the pain, mud, sweat and tears from your bike at this year’s Kona Odyssey, and donate some change to a good cause, please visit the bike wash situated next to the mobile shower truck. For just $5 you’ll be supporting the local Scout / Venturer Unit whilst getting your ride pampered and cleaned beyond recognition as part of their first class bike wash service.

Massage
Ki Health are providing remedial massage therapy and corrective exercise advice for all riders! Get your aches and pains sorted, while learning training methods to improve your biomechanics and ride even faster - www.kihealth.com.au

AcuPro® are launching the ultimate exercise accessory - The Acumat® is a dynamic exercise mat that stimulates circulation while removing trigger points or knots from tight and tired muscles! Come and try it yourself to recover faster and improve performance - www.acupro.com.au - ph: 1300-ACUMAT

The details on this website were updated on 1 February 2013 and are the final details for the 2013 event. The 2013 Kona Odyssey event program containing all the details on this website plus additional diagrams, maps and sponsor offers can be downloaded from here and we encourage all riders to download and read prior to the event. (Either left click the link to download or right click and ‘save link as’ to your desktop. 22meg)
 

EVENT PHOTOS BY SUPERSPORT IMAGES

Supersport Images will be on course to capture you racing at the Kona Odyssey 2013.

To view all event photos and to check out your ACTION SHOT visit the Supersport Images website - www.supersportimages.com.au