The Mountain Designs Hells Bells Adventure Race returns this weekend, based in the coastal resort town of Caloundra, at the southern end of the Sunshine Coast, and its bigger than ever.
The race is the second oldest in the Australian AR calendar (one of the longest running in the world), and the appetite for a gleefully ‘hellish’ 24 hours of non-stop paddling, mountain biking and trekking isn’t diminishing. In fact the race will be the biggest in the national race calendar this year with 98 teams preparing to test themselves on two courses.
They will be racing the Hells Bells course, a distance of around 120km, or the ‘Fairy Bells’ course, which covers a bit over 70km, both with a time limit of 24 hours. Teams of 2 or 4 from all over the country will be racing and must stay together for the whole course as they race through the night and navigate to find the remote checkpoints.
Hells Bells began is 2004 and the name came about as the track by AC/DC was on the radio when the original creators, Craig Bycroft and Louise Foulkes of Geocentric Outdoors were scouting the first course. The rest is adventure racing history; the race winners include many of the great names of Australian racing, the Fairy Bells course was added in 2009 and in 2016 Chris Dixon from outdoor event specialists Wild&Co took the race on and into a new era.
The race is attracting a new following to take part alongside the established elite teams with years of racing experience behind them. The youngest racer taking part this coming weekend was not even born when the first Hells Bells race took place!
Hells Bells always takes place on the Sunshine Coast, where there are so many great locations to choose from, and returns this year to Caloundra, which was last used in 2017. The coastal resort town is a favourite with families and beach lovers for its laid-back vibe and while the racers and their families will enjoy that before and after the race, it will be all action once the start gun goes.
The surrounding beaches, islands, inland waterways, forest and national parks will feature in a course, designed to test endurance, team work, technical skills and navigation. Bribie Island and Ocean Beach, Beerburrum State Parks, Dularcha National Park, Mount Beerwah and many other locations are within reach, but teams will not know where they will be going until the course briefing on Saturday morning, just before the race start.
Race Director Chris Dixon promises, “For some, we’re covering familiar territory and some as-yet un-raced ground on the Sunshine Coast.
“For Hells Bells teams there is an ocean paddle to start, lots of fun navigation choices, a big hill with big views over the whole course followed by a big steep descent – so be prepared.
“Fairy Bells teams won’t miss out and are in for a real adventure. The course will feature some of the best mountain bike and running trails on the coast and a flat water kayak at night under the stars that will be an unforgettable experience.
“Speaking of kayaks, all teams should come prepared to carry their kayaks so a set of kayak wheels or straps are highly recommended.”
Last year’s winners, Team ‘Yeah the Chatter’, are back to defend the title and try to retain the John Harvey Memorial Trophy, with the experience of veteran racer Dave Schloss added to the male team of 4. There are many other strong local teams and pairs and the Mountain Design’s Wild Women team, led by Kim Beckinsale will be contenders as always.
The winners will claim the trophy and a place on the role of honour for this iconic race, and premiere co-ed teams will score ranking points in the Adventure Racing World Series Oceania rankings. This is race four in the Series and the winners can claim a place in the Oceania Championships.
For all of the teams it’s a chance to get outdoors for the weekend, visit new places in the company of friends and push their own limits. There will be times when they may say “Hells Bells this is tough”, but on the finish line it will be “Hells Bells that was great!”
The race starts from Happy Valley, Caloundra, at 11.00am and finishes in the same place with teams expected to cross the line from the early hours on Sunday and the course closing at 11.00 Sunday, with presentations held shortly after.
Friends and family will be able to follow the race through the real-time tracking of all teams at https://live.trackmelive.com.au/hellsbells2024/ and there will be live commentary and news on the Hells Bells website at https://www.hellsbells.com.au/ and on social media channels @wldnco.
The race is sponsored by Mountain Designs, and supported by Trail Brew and Squirt Cycling Products, and could not happen without their commitment adventure racing in Australia.
For more information on Wild&Co races, which include 3-6 hour races, 24+ hour challenges and The 6 day Legend Expedition Race see; https://www.wldnco.com/
