HARRIS AND JOHNSTON RULE THE OTWAY ODYSSEY

Celebrating its 13th year on the Australian calendar, Rapid Ascent’s Otway Odyssey attracted one of the most competitive fields to an Australian marathon race in years. On the morning of 23rd February, the nation’s best lined up to tackle the 100km mountain bike marathon, with hundreds of other riders arriving in Forrest, Victoria to race the shorter distances.

Known for delivering a mix of fast and open doubletrack and twisty singletrack, the demanding course in the Otway Ranges delivered. The elite women’s start saw a talented bunch leave Forrest at 7am, and soon enough the race was whittled down to a handful of women thanks to the pressure applied by Renata Bucher, Samara Sheppard, Holly Harris, Imogen Smith, Peta Mullens and Jess Douglas. While Mullens succumbed to a mechanical, the rest were left to duke it out – but it was Sheppard and Harris who lead the charge, until Harris was able to make a move in the final stretches of singletrack to win alone. Renata Bucher came 3rd, with Jess Douglas crossing in a PB in her 13th Odyssey and taking 4th place ahead of Imogen Smith in 5th.

In the men’s race the talent ran deep. Current XCM, XCO and XCE National Champion Cam Ivory was on the line, as was 3x National XCM Champion Brendan Johnston. As a previous winner, Adrian Jackson would be a contender, as would Tasman Nankervis and his brother Russ. Kyle Ward had made the trip to Victoria, as had Jay Vine, Reece Tucknott and plenty of fast riders.

The first 30km were hard and fast, and Tasman Nankervis said they were the fastest he had experienced in the race. But, he also felt that the race starts at the 65km mark, about when the race leaves Forrest again to head into the final loop. The front group had Johnston, Tucknott and the Nankervis brothers. And it was on a steep climb that Tasman made his move and Johnston followed. Johnston was able to counter attack and ride solo to victory through the final singletrack section, with Tasman beating his brother home for 2nd. Tucknott was 4th and Jackson was 5th.

With beer on tap at the finish, along with gourmet pizzas, burgers, a chill out area and live music, Forrest really comes alive with the Otway Odyssey, and 2019 was no different. Many riders hung around for the Great Otway Gravel Grind the following day, where 97km of gravel roads was raced or ridden along – depending how you approached it. Tasman Nankervis and Samara Sheppard won their races and that crowned them the King and Queen of the Otways. If marathon mountain biking or fast singletrack is your thing – make sure you get to the Otway Odyssey in 2020!