Race Photos
Camp Mountain Challenge – Postponed
The Camp Mountain Challenge is usually held each year at Camp Mountain. This year, however, the event has been cancelled due to COVID-19. Please see the home page for a general statement.
This event also includes the Queensland Mountain Running Championships, which are the State Championships organised on behalf of Queensland Athletics .
Race distances are either 8.3km or 13.3km for the open and masters categories and 8.3km for juniors (U18 and U20 – 16 – 19 years old). For young people 10 – 15 years old the schedule usually includes 1, 2, 3 and 4km races.
TRAQ hopes to see you at this event in 2021 – with a date announced later in 2020 or early 2021.
Registrations and General Information
Registrations
All races are running events, so we expect you to be able to run all downhill and flat sections, but you may walk some of the uphill sections. We aim to have the 14km course should be cleared in 2 hours and the 9km course in 1hr and 20mins.
No registrations will be taken on the day
Where and when
Bellbird Grove, via Mt Nebo Road (10min drive from The Gap, 25 minutes from Brisbane City, 45 minutes from Brisbane Airport).
Sunday 15 September 2019, 8:00am.
Accommodation
We’ve had a few questions about accommodation – there are plenty of options, from hostels to hotels and motels and AirBNB.
If you are relying on public transport, find your accommodation at South Bank, the City, Milton, Bardon, Ashgrove, Paddington or The Gap, anywhere along the bus line that can take you to the Park N Ride at the end of The Gap (you can indicate on your form that you are looking for a lift from there). Here you can plan your journey.
If you have your own wheels you can book anywhere, but check how far it is from The Gap or Bellbird Grove. Mount Nebo and Mount Glorious are very nice to stay too, which is beyond Bellbird Grove (about 15 – 25 minutes).
If you get stuck for accommodation, email events@traq.org.au, and we’ll see if we can help out.
Entries, Categories and Awards
There are 5 different races/starts.
Two races comprise of the Australian and Queensland Junior Championship races of 9km, one for young men and one for young women, aged from16 up to 20 years old.*
Two races comprise of the Australian and Queensland Open Championship races of 14km one for men and one for women aged 20 years and older, which incorporate the Masters categories.*
One is a non-championship race using the Junior Championship course; 9kms for men and women aged 16 years and older.
Athletics Australia awards the Australian and State team medals to the Junior and Open categories.
Indiidual Masters categories are awarded by the Australian Mountain Running Association within 5 year age brackets from 35 – 65+ as follows: 35 – 39, 40 – 44 and so on with the oldest age category intended to be 65+.
Queensland Athletics awards individual medals to the Junior, Open and Masters categories. The Masters categories are 35 – 44, 45 – 54, 55 – 64 and 65+ (age on the day). The Junior categories are Under 18 and Under 20 (birth year).
* If you are a Queensland Athlete, you automatically enter the Queensland Championships when you register for the Australian Mountain Running Championships – only one race to run!
We keep registrations open until 5pm Saturday 14 Sept, unless sold out. No registrations are taken on the day.
Pre Race Dinner
We’d like to invite runners and volunteers for a pre race dinner at Tiramisu Restaurant in Paddington. It’s an authentic Italian Restaurant with Risotto, Pizza Antipasto and delicious desserts on the menu. The address is 283 Given Tce, Paddington, Qld, 4064.
If you would like to join us, please let us know here. Main course prices are between $16.50 and $27.50, fully licenced, but you can byo (corkage $4).
Race Day
The start and finish lines for all races are at Bellbird Grove at the start of the main fire break.
Time Table
Below is the provisional time table Note the Changed Start Time for the 9km Races!
06:30 Collection of Race Bibs Open *
07:30 Close of Bib Collection.
07:45 Marshalling and Race Briefing of 14km and 9km Races at the Start Line
08:00 Race Start Senior and Masters Men
08:05 Race Start Senior and Masters Women
08:10 Race Start of Junior Men, Junior Women and Non-Championship Run
10:00 or 10:15 Presentations
- Please collect your race bib by 7:30am!
Hydration and Nutrition
Make sure you are sufficiently fuelled up and hydrated for this race. Also, make sure you are healthy and flu free.
Water and sports drink are provided at 1.8km, 6.8km, 4.4km and 9.4km, which is where the course starts its loop and at the top of the mountain just before the descent.
Post Race Refreshments and Cups:
There will be water at the finish line and we further provide post race food and drinks including sports drinks, cola, fruit, cake and other goodies, which is included in your entry fee. Please ensure that you provide your own cups for drinks and coffee / tea.
Cups are a sensitive issue. TRAQ is a great supporter of a no cup policy, but considering the fast paced nature of this event, there are some cups available at the drink stations on the course and at the finish line. We however ask entrants in the non-championship race to carry their own hydration bottle or bladder, and we applaud those who do the same thing in the Championship races.
Getting there and Parking
It’s about a 10 minute drive from The Gap. After about 7 minutes take the right hand turnoff to Bellbird Grove. From there it is about 2 – 3 minutes to the Bellbird Grove picnic area.
When you arrive at the main picnic area, you can see where the event area is. Please keep driving for another 100m, turning left, until the end, then turn right into Red Ash picnic area, where you can park.
Please consider carpooling to be kind to the environment and to minimise the traffic on a busy Sunday Mount Nebo Road. When you register online, you will be asked about carpooling. TRAQ will facilitate this by sharing some of your details with others, who may come from your area, or who indicate that they can give someone from Interstate a lift.
If you take the 385 bus to the last stop (The Gap Park N Ride and terminal) and would like to get a lift from there, please indicate this in your online registration.
Course Information
The start and finish lines for all races are at Bellbird Grove at the start of the main fire break. Bellbird Grove is part of D’Aguilar National Park and is a popular picnic and recreation area.
Don’t be mislead by the (for many) shortish distance; this is a fast course with an average ascent and descent of 10%, on which you can really push yourself, so you can make it as tough a race as you would like to make it. There is one 700m section towards the end of the course that is steeper and more technical, take care in this section!
14km
The 14km course is the same as the 9km course, with the approx. 5km loop over the top of the mountain run twice.
Please note that your course measurements may differ depending on weather circumstances and the measuring device used.
Total elevation/descent: approx. 750 -800m
GPX file
9km
The 9km course (minimum age 16 years old) leads up the mountain for 1.8km after which it turns right at the fork in the road. At 2.9km there is a steep ascent to the top of Camp Mountain on the Samford side. Once at the top (4km) take the forestry track that runs parallel to the picnic ground and the road. Then continue to run about 150m alongside the road before descending back down to about 7.6km. Then descend along the steep rocky road (Pump Station Rd), which runs straight off the main trail alongside the powerline. Descend to the creek and run back up. At the top, turn right to descend to the finish line 700m down the main trail..
Total elevation/descent: approx. 475 – 525m
GPX file
Strava segment
marshals and volunteering
volunteer
If you cannot run, but would like to be involved and be part of this great event, please contact Hubertien – details in the general information section below.
Jobs include registration, parking, marshalling, checkpoints, water station, catering, timing, stand by 4WD.
First Aid
There are three paramedics in attendance, one at the start / finish Line, one at the top of Camp Mountain and one mid-course. Furthermore, there are self help first aid kits available at various points on the courses and at the start / finish line.
Team Nomination and Selection
Nomination
You need to nominate yourself so that the selection panel know that you will be in a position to travel as part of the Australian Mountain Running Team to and from Argentina (minimum of 11 – 12 days away from 9 November – 19 / 20 November 2019) and compete in the World Mountain Running Championships. Your nomination needs to be submitted before the Australian Mountain Running Championships, so before the 15th of September 2019. Apart from the Junior and Senior divisions, there are no age categories selected.
In order to nominate, you need to complete the nomination form which includes your verifiable performances – mainly over the past 12 months. This form can be used to express your interest for the short / ‘classic’ distance of 14km for the seniors or 6.6km for the Juniors. Please note that to compete in the Junior division you need to be aged between 16 and 19 on the 31st December 2019. The form can also be used to nominate for the part of the team that competes in the World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships, which will be held on the 16th of November at the same location.
Selection Process
The Australian Mountain Running Team Selection is conducted by the Australian Mountain Running Association.
The basics of the selection process work as follows:
- You nominate to be part of the Australian Mountain Running Team before the 15th September 2019 and include relevant past performances from approx. the last 12 months.
- If you win your championship race (Junior or Senior M/F), you automatically qualify for the Australian Mountain Running Team 2019.
- The rest of the team is selected based on individual athlete performances relative to the winner’s time, so if you come in second or third, you are not guaranteed a spot on the team.
- If the race lacks competition, and the winning time is slow, the selection panel may select only the winner for the team or look further afield / look at your past performances.
Regarding looking further afield: For example, if an athlete is ill on the day of the Australian Mountain Running Championships and does not compete, but has a convincing, excellent competition record, he / she may be selected on the team. However, it must be stressed that the selection panel only looks at this latter option if the performances at the Australian Mountain Running Championships are inadequate and the out-of-competition athlete is outstanding.
There is no specific selection race / race series to select team members to compete in the World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships and is solely based on recent (approx. 12 months) domestic and international marathon distance trail and mountain running performances by individual athletes. Please note that the minimum age to be selected is 20 on the 31st of 2019. Use the same nomination form and submit before the 15th of September 2019.
Team Travel
The team is likely to be headed up by Tim Crosbie, who has been Team Manager for many years. Juniors who don’t travel with a parent or carer will be traveling with the Team Manager.
Following the proposed team travel itinerary you will be travelling a long day on the 9th of November, from Sydney to Santiago in Chile and then to Puerto Montt (Chile). The team will be based there for 4 nights from Saturday the 9th to Wednesday the 13th of November to acclimatise. On the 13th the team will travel by car to the race venue at Villa La Angostura in Argentina.
The team will be provided with 4 nights of food and accommodation in Villa La Angostura till Sunday 17th November.
On Sunday 17th November the team will travel back to Puerto Montt to catch a flight back to Santiago and then on to Sydney, arriving there on Tuesday 19th November. There are options to stay longer, but the recommendations for travel provided by the World Mountain Running Association are expensive and better suited to those travelling East West and North South, like north Americans, Europeans and Africans.
Funding
Estimated travel cost are $2,500 at the moment but are subject to change. Athlete accommodation and food for the 4 nights at the race venue are covered. The AMRA provides the uniforms for the team and a little extra athlete funding, depending on the generosity of donation and the success of the association’s fund raising efforts. The World Mountain Running Association usually provides some team funding and it is recommended that athletes seek (some) funding support from their clubs and investigate grants and other forms of funding available from their States / Territories. These funding options may provide $100 – few $100 from each source.
Further Information
For further information about the World Mountain Running Championships, please go here for general information and inspiration and here for the team manual to read the specifics. If you have any questions, please contact John Harding at hackettrunner at Hotmail dot com.
If you would like to have a chat or need further information, please give send our Event Organiser Hubertien an email via events@traq.org.au
General Information and Contacts
Please pick up your race bib from the registration table at least 30 minutes before your race starts.
Please carpool.
Don’t leave any litter behind, take all litter with you.
As this event is conducted in a National Park you are not permitted to bring in domestic animals.
Hubertien Wichers, Australian and Queensland Mountain Running Championships Event Organiser for TRAQ
Please email me for further race enquiries: events@traq.org.au