It's one of the major events in the State's running calendar but due to the COVID-19 uncertainty, the Gloucester Mountain Man Tri Challenge has been cancelled.
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The 2021 date is are already locked in for Sunday, September 12.
The event was due to celebrate its 30th year of offering one of the most unique and picturesque tri challenge events in NSW. However, at a meeting on Thursday, July 9, the committee unanimously voted to pull the pin on 2020.
The decision comes in the wake of the scrapping of Ironman Australia, which announced its complete cancellation on July 7. The Ironman, held annually in Port Macquarie, was originally due to take place in May, but in March organisers made the call to delay until September due to the pandemic.
If the event did proceed on the September dates it would have clashed with Gloucester's event, so it was some relief to the committee that it was cancelled.
But given the unfolding situation of growing confirmed COVID-29 cases in Victoria, the Gloucester committee thought it best not proceed.
According to race director Sam de Witte, the committee looked at the reality of safely holding the event, assuming MidCoast Council would permit it to proceed.
"Until recently we thought we might do it," Sam said. "And now with what's happening in Victoria, we know it would be more difficult to run."
The committee had to look at all the additional requirements it would have to put in place to be COVID-safe and the costs involved in purchasing the additional gear like masks and hand sanitiser for everyone.
"It's disappointing but we're all in the same boat, with masses of people huffing and puffing," Sam said.
"It's not worth the chance of cross contamination. A lot of our volunteers are over 65 and in the high risk category."
The committee wants its 30th event to be something special and if it were to go ahead this year, they'd have to cancel the popular Carbo Dinner held the night before and modify how many support people competitors could have. Not to mention the logistics of staggering the starting times in order to meet the social distancing restrictions.
"It would have been a little flat," he said.
This is the second time the event has been cancelled since its inception.
"We had to cancel it once after a massive rain storm the night before the race," Sam said.
"We must of had about 10 inches of rain and the river was too high. We had to cancel because had no alternative planned. It happened on the 13th or 14th year."
The following year the same thing happened except this time organisers had registered an alternative plan with council and the event went ahead.
Much like how they got back on their feet then, the committee is gearing up for a big celebration of its 30th event in 2021.
"It'll fire everyone up after missing out this year," Sam said.
"We want to make it a little bit special. We're going to contact some of our original competitors to see if they're up to it again."
The event is much loved by those who take part and the committee hopes those from the past will be willing to come again.
"They had such a good time originally," he said.
Anne Keen
Anne has been a journalist with the ACM (Australia Community Media) since 2016. She primarily works at the Gloucester Advocate but also contributes to the Manning River Times.
Anne has been a journalist with the ACM (Australia Community Media) since 2016. She primarily works at the Gloucester Advocate but also contributes to the Manning River Times.
