Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Yerrabi/Mulligans Flat

Yerrabi Pond and Mulligans Flat Canberra

A lovely multi-sport course in Canberra's northern fringe

Long and short course options
Flat, easier courses suitable for beginners
Both races open to solo athletes and relay teams of 2 or 3 members
Scenic yet accessible, in bushland adjacent to Canberra's northern fringe

About the event

"Pedal, paddle 'n puff." The Sri Chinmoy Yerrabi/Mulligans Flat Multi-Sport Series will be staged on Sunday 10 May in 2015; featuring the delightful Yerrabi Pond District Park, plus the bushland of Mulligans Flat and Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve. A perfect introduction to multi-sport racing.  A long course and a short course race are offered.

The Courses

Short Course (grading - easy) – view the course map and description

  • 2.5 km run / 2.5 km paddle / 15 km mountain bike /3 km run

    Long Course (grading - moderate) – view the course map and description
  • 4 km run / 5 km paddle / 28 km mountain bike / 4 km run

    Both long and short races start from the popular Yerrabi Pond District Park, off Wunderlich St, Gungahlin at 9 am on Sunday 10 May 2015. Registration opens from 8 am.

Both races are open to solo athletes and teams of 2 or 3 members. Athletes must bring their own craft for the paddle leg (canoe, kayak or ski).

View the list of current entrants in the 2015 race.

Events

Short 2.5k run/2.5k paddle/15k MTB/3k run

    • 9 am
    • Pre 27 April Solo $45/Team $55; thereafter Solo $55/Team $65

Long 4km run/5k paddle/28k MTB/4k run

    • 9 am
    • Pre 27 April Solo $55/Team $65; thereafter Solo $65/Team $75

Contact

Prachar Stegemann
(02) 6241-2779 or 0404 071-327
Send Email

Award categories

  • Trophies for top 3 solos under 50 and top 3 solos over 50 (long and short course)
  • Trophies for 1st placed team in each category (long and short course)

Event information

This race is sanctioned by Triathlon ACT as a member of Triathlon Australia, and is conducted in accordance with Triathlon Australia race rules, with the exception of those rules covering drafting on the bike course and the carrying of mobile phones, whihc are required on the mountain bike courses. Drafting is permitted in these events.

The race rules which pertain to this race are set out on the Triathlon Australia website.

There are 3 Team Divisions for each race. The Divisions are: All-Male, All-Female and Mixed.

Teams may have 2 or 3 members (it is intended that both run courses will be completed by the same team member).  Teams with 4 members will be accepted, but are not aligible for awards.

Athletes may use any form of craft for the paddle leg, provided the craft is occupied and powered by the athlete alone, employing one single- or double-bladed paddle. A personal flotation device (PFD or life jacket) must be worn at all times while in the craft.

There will be no handicap system to distinguish between faster and slower craft.   It is the athletes' prerogative to choose whichever form of craft he or she feels most comfortable with.

There are a limited number of craft available for hire through various outlets in Canberra.   It will be a case of first in, best dressed!   We recommend you try the following, and mention that you are seeking a craft to use in this race:

1) Join the Burley Griffin Canoe Club.   Then you will have first option on hiring one of their craft, which are suitable for more experienced paddlers.   Phone (02) 6288-6799.

2) Contact Rohan at Row 'n' Ride (link is external), ph: 6228-1264.

3) Contact Wetspot Water Sports (link is external), 13/68 Wollongong St, Fyshwick.   Phone is (02) 6239-1323.

In the mountain bike legs, athletes may use any bike of their choice and may not swap bikes in the course of a leg, ie the same bike must be used for the entire leg.

For all pre-entered Teams and Solo Athletes, compulsory registration will commence from 8am at the barbecue area at Yerrabi Pond District Park, off Wunderlich St, Gungahlin.

If you have made any changes to the membership or composition of your team, these will need to be entered into the database at Registration. At Registration you will collect race numbers, receive information on any last-minute course alterations and meet with some of your competitors.

Please note that all competitors will be asked to sign the participant waiver before commencing their respective leg or legs of the race.

Copies of the waiver will be available at Registration.

Any competitor who commences a leg without first signing the participant waiver will be subject to automatic disqualification.

Please play your part to ensure a safe and enjoyable event for all.

The race will be attended by members of Sports Medicine Australia, and a boat will patrol Yerrabi Pond.

The most important component of ensuring a safe event is common sense, particularly on the mountain bike courses. Carefully check your brakes and tyres the day before the race. Please exercise care while negotiating all descents, especially if you are unfamiliar with the course. The time lost through sensible caution is nothing compared to the time lost through a trip to the hospital.

For safety purposes, to enable the rapid reporting of any accidents or injuries on course, athletes are required to carry a mobile phone on the mountain bike course.  All athletes will be required to program the Race HQ phone number into their phones at Registration.  Please note that mobile phones are not permitted to be used during the race as a music or communications device other than in such an emergency.

These courses pass through environmentally sensitive areas.

Please be aware that this event takes place in a public as well as a natural domain. We do not have exclusive use of any of these areas, all of which are used by many people on weekends.

The run courses and a few kilometres of the mountain bike course are on cycle paths which are very heavily used by all manner of pedestrian traffic. Please exercise caution and restraint while running and riding along these public cycle paths and respect the legitimate needs of other users, especially walkers.

The remainder of the mountain bike course is on 4WD tracks through Canberra Nature Park (Mulligans Flat and Goorooyarroo). Keep to the left at all times and respect other users of these tracks.

Please do not litter any where on the course. Carry your litter with you and dispose of it in the bins provided at the finish. Our aim is for each race to leave no footprint.

Yerrabi Pond can be subject to windy and choppy conditions at any time of day, any time of year.

In the event of high winds, especially if accompanied by cold weather, the organisers reserve the right to cancel or amend the paddle leg.

The management of Canberra Nature Park reserves the right to cancel the mountain bike leg through Mulligans Flat and Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve in the event of a total fire ban, extreme heat, cold or potentially dangerous weather conditions.

If any leg or legs are cancelled or amended either in the lead-up or on the day of a race, organisers will endeavour to stage an alternative leg or legs, subject to prevailing conditions.   Organisers reserve the right whether directed by authorities or not, to shorten, alter or cancel any leg or legs of the race within reason, and without warning.

In the event that the race is called off completely prior to the start, the race will be postponed to a later date.   Only if the race is postponed, entrants may elect to transfer their entry to the revised date or place their entry on hold.   Entries 'on hold' will be valid until used once for the same event within 3 years successive to the date of the original entry.

Once the race has commenced, the race entry will be deemed to have been 'used' and is not redeemable, even if the event is called off before its scheduled finish.

Race numbers are recorded at number checkpoints and transition compounds throughout the race. Anyone whose number is not recorded within a reasonable time will become the object of a search (and, if necessary, rescue) mission.

For this reason, any individual or team member choosing to withdraw from the event must inform either an official course marshal or a race official at a transition compound.

In the event of a team member being unable to complete his or her leg, another team member may complete that leg on his or her behalf, provided race officials are informed of the details and circumstances before the replacement team member proceeds. The resulting split time for that leg will not be credited to any team member, and the team will not be eligible for awards. Otherwise, the team may choose to leave that leg uncompleted and another team member may start the next leg, commencing from the advertised cut-off time of the previous leg. In this case, the team will be allowed to proceed, and other team members' split times will be recorded, but the team will be recorded as a DNF, ineligible for awards.

Previous Results

  • 2015 May 10th
    Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Yerrabi/Mulligans Flat, Canberra, 10 May 2015

    In the teeth of what can only be described as a howling gale, a small, brave troupe gritted, grunted and ground their way around Yerrabi Pond and through Mulligans Flat and Goorooyarroo Nature Reserves. That so many even turned up on such a morning revealed a dauntless spirit not about to be ruffled by mere bluster.

    Long and Short course races started concurrently, in opposite directions.

    Rowan Beggs-French defied the elements to post one of the most impressive victories on this course, just missing the elusive 2 hour mark with 2:00:34 – an amazing time in the circumstances and 21 minutes ahead of 2nd-placed Steve Hanley (2:21:49). Most impressive about Rowan’s race was that he appeared calm and effortless even in the face of the raging wind. Jon Schol took out the Men 50+, not far behind Steve with 2:22:23 after a tight battle with Steve’s biking skills probably the deciding factor.

    Similarly, Clare Lonergan and Danielle Winslow had a tremendous tussle in the women’s race, with Danielle opening up a substantial lead in the paddle leg, only for Clare to catch up again on the bike. Heading out of the final transition close together, it was Clare who ran more strongly to take the race in 2:36:24.

    Fastest team on the day was the duo of “Madge & Co” – Erica Collins and Grant Madge – in 2:35:11.

    Kerry Baxter (Male 50+) from Goulburn took line honours in the Short Course, leading from the start. Though overtaken in the paddle leg by Craig Hancock (1st Male Under 50), Kerry reclaimed his lead on the mountain bike and never looked back to win in 1:25:56.

    Sharon Clarke was first Female Under 50 home in 1:37:22, with Pauline English taking the Female 50+ category in 2:07:37.

    While congratulations go to all who raced today, special thanks also to the helpers and officials who stood for hours in the freezing breeze: Philip Livingstone and Fiona McWhinnie, the TACT Technical Officials and Lauren Markland from Sports Medicine Australia, Carinna Tong and a dozen volunteers from the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team.

  • 2014 May 11th
    Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Yerrabi/Mulligans Flat, Canberra, 11 May 2014 – Results
  • 2014 May 11th
    Sri Chinmoy Yerrabi/Mullians Flat Multi-Sport Race Report

    Sri-Chinmoy-Yerrabi-Mullians-Flat-Multi-Sport-race.jpg


    The day was hiding as the competitors slowly made their way to registration at Yerrabi Pond District Park this morning, with a light fog over parts of Canberra and cloud covering the rest.

    Everyone was rugged up waiting for the start, which saw both the long and short course competitors starting together – sprinting off in different directions on the start command.

    As the competitors made their way back into transition after their first run leg, the clouds had parted to give way to perfect conditions for all.  

    Rowan Beggs-French was leading the Long Course at this stage but gave up the lead on the paddle leg – a discipline he is a new at -  just keeping in contact with the main group, with Jon Schol in the Male 50+ taking the lead after the paddle in an impressive 31:42.

    With Rowan back on dry land he headed out on the bike and took our mountain bike course in his stride.  Flying into transition with a comfortable lead, he maintained his pace to win in a rare sub-2-hour time of 1.58.23.  Second and third were close with only 10 seconds between them; with Ben Rattray running the fastest final leg of all competitors to come within 10 seconds of 2nd   place getter Seb Dunne (2.04.43) giving Ben a time of  2.04.53 to take third.

    The women's race was won by Danielle Winslow in 2.27.03.  Danielle claimed the lead in the paddle section and did not give it up for the rest of the race.   She arrived early to pick up her number with a beautiful baby in the pram.  Her husband Gary Rolfe was competing in the long course teams event and was able to run with the cute little tot (safely in the pram) on the final leg so that both parents (and baby) could compete in this event.   Heather Gow-Carey was second in 2.32.38 shaving a few minutes off Danielle’s lead in the final run section.  Third went to Caroline Christenson in 2.53.06.

    The short course event was won comfortably by Bill Hick – Male 50+.  This 66-years-young power house was only seconds behind the leader in the first run leg and then took the lead in the paddle and extended it on the bike coming in to finish in 1.24.39 as the overall winner (both individuals and teams) and winner of Male 50+.  Not one to let the  dust settle he had competed in the 5km Sri Chinmoy Royal National Park Trail Run the weekend before (having just completed a 1500 km cycle along the Murray River) and was already asking about our next race in Sydney.  Scott Birdsall took out second in Male 50+, and second overall, in 1.34.48.

    Male under 50 went to Brendan Read in 1.43.45, with 2nd going to James Fletcher in 1.50.36.

    Vanessa Bleakly took out the woman's short course in 1.38.25 and Pauline English won the women's 50+ category in 1.58.05.

    The teams event went to team Kaos!  Ella Cuthbert took the lead in the run and each of the team members after that extended it, with Ella coming home with a sprint finish in 1.30.13.  Well done to Team Kaos!

    Second placed team went to a combo of Jessica Clissold and Sarah Heins in 1.50.26 and third to first time competitors and 3 mothers 'treating' themselves on Mothers Day in 1.52.26: if you didn't know they were mothers before the event you knew by the end with all the children cheering on the team as Caitlin Halliday came into the finish.

    With the sun still shining and the competition over, all enjoyed a relaxed time near the lake enjoying their post race pancakes.  Chef Rathin even had gluten-free and vegan options on hand so every competitor could savour some delicious pancakes.  A big thanks to Steven Hanley - 5th place getter in the long course and vegan who supplied us with his Vegan Pancake recipe!

    Sadly, this will be the last time this event will be staged due to the mountain bike course no longer being available for events.  We will always be on the lookout for new venues for our multi-sport races, so if you find a good option with a nice transition area and exciting run, paddle and mountain bike possibilities, please let us know!

    Full results from both the Long Course and Short Course races are published, along with two photo albums from around the course.  Enjoy!

  • 2012 May 13th
    Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Yerrabi/Mulligans Flat, Canberra, 13 May 2012 - Results