Melrose 18 Hour

Located at the southern end of the Flinders Ranges, around three hours from Adelaide, the small town of Melrose is gearing up for their annual 18-hour MTB event. More than just a mountain bike race, it’s a festival that gets the whole community involved.

This year the event takes place on September 1st and 2nd and follows a ‘can’t stop the music’ theme. It will run in conjunction with the Burning Bike Festival to provide non-stop entertainment. There’ll be live bands playing throughout – including out on course – and a novelty shenanigans shortcut for those who dare. 

Racing kicks off at midnight on the Friday and continues through to 6pm on Saturday. With the racing wrapped up, the party will kick off in earnest with live music continuing into the night. The timing provides time to recover and pick up the pieces on Sunday before cruising home. If you’re coming form afar, it also opens up the ability to check out other nearby attractions; craft beer at Pikes, wine tasting in the Clare or the Barossa regions, the stunning Flinders Ranges or the latest ribbons of singletrack.

Melrose is well known for their trails and the event will take you on a 10km loop through their all-time favourites; expect a lap to take between 30-45 minutes. One of the coolest features is that the event centre is also the town centre; you’re not stuck out in the boonies for this race. Instead, the event takes over the whole main street and the trails head out from there.

In addition to the main 18-hour event, there will also be a six-hour category. You can race solo or get together a team of two or four riders. There will also be a six-hour youth category for riders between 12-15 years as well as a ‘Minis’ event for eight to 11 year olds (this will run on an easier trail).

Click here for more information.

Photos: Sam Bruce