LiveLighter Blackwood Marathon Relay

The Rotary Club of Bridgetown will again host the Blackwood Marathon in 2019.  Always held on the last Saturday of October, the date for this year’s event is Saturday 26th October.

The Marathon is an annual relay race – first held in 1979 – consisting of five stages; running, canoeing, swimming, horseriding and cycling. Based on the Marathon of classic Greece the aim is to take a message from Boyup Brook to Bridgetown by a series of team members with different transport methods who pass on a numbered bib from one team member to the next.  The Marathon is always held on the last Saturday of October each year.

The event commences at the Boyup Brook Oval and finishes in Bridgetown.

The event is made up of teams to include canoeing (8.5 km), swimming (1 km), running (12 km), cycling (20 km) and horse riding (16 km) as part of the relay.  The inclusion of the horse leg in the relay also requires that a veterinarian examine all horses before they start.

The event is open to all types of competitors ranging from Olympians such as Shane Gould and Robert De Castella to those who compete in a more casual way.

There are those sturdy individuals, Iron Men and Women, who compete in every leg.

Set in beautiful countryside and the Blackwood River, the event is great to watch from the spectator point of view. A useful map is available from the web site.

For more information please see www.blackwoodmarathon.org, and for enquiries please contact blackwoodmarathon@gmail.com