{"id":304975,"date":"2021-08-31T20:09:35","date_gmt":"2021-08-31T10:09:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=304975"},"modified":"2021-09-09T14:33:28","modified_gmt":"2021-09-09T04:33:28","slug":"relay-riders-head-for-the-hills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2021\/08\/31\/relay-riders-head-for-the-hills\/","title":{"rendered":"Relay Riders Head For The Hills!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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We’ve got this! The Ride 4 Relay riders look pumped before the start of the event … but beware, there’s hills ahead!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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South Burnett Relay for Life president Rowena Dionysius was at the showgrounds to farewell Ride 4 Relay organiser Jason Wyeth, from the South Burnett Mountain Bike Club, and his team of cyclists<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

August 31, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n

A group of mountain bike riders wheeled out of Kingaroy Showgrounds on Tuesday morning with just two targets in mind … to pedal 400km over the next five days, and raise more than $24,000.<\/p>\n

If the Ride 4 Relay cyclists hit that dollar figure it will mean the total amount raised for Cancer Council Queensland by the unique Relay For Life event will top $100,000.<\/p>\n

This is the fifth year the South Burnett Mountain Bike Club’s Ride 4 Relay has been held.<\/p>\n

Organiser Jason Wyeth said 18 riders were taking part in this year’s ride and $14,300 had already been raised towards the target.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The riders have come from across the South Burnett as well as Millmerran, Toowoomba and Brisbane.<\/p>\n

There are a few newbies this year but many of the riders have taken part in previous Rides 4 Relay.<\/p>\n

Jason said the route for this year’s event was sticking as closely as possible to the boundaries of the South Burnett Regional Council area (except for a quick diversion into the edge of Gympie council area) just in case of any more snap COVID lockdowns.<\/p>\n

“Every rider taking part has a story to tell about cancer,” Jason said. “Either personally or in their family.”<\/p>\n

The cyclists rode off at 7:30am, heading towards their first night stopover at Proston Showgrounds.<\/p>\n

Other nights would be spent at Wondai Showgrounds, the Barambah Environmental Education Centre in Wrattens Forest and Wooroolin Hall.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Along the way they will visit Boat Mountain, near Murgon, and Goomeri.<\/p>\n

Only one section – less than a kilometre – will be on a main road; all the rest of the ride will be on back roads (and there will be lots of hills!).<\/p>\n

The riders will have two support vehicles travelling with them, loaned by Bill Hull Car Centre and Hansens Kitchens and driven by volunteers.<\/p>\n

Community groups will be providing dinners on some nights, while the riders are self-catering their lunches and breakfasts.<\/p>\n

Jason emphasised it was a social ride and not a race.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“We look after each other,” he said.<\/p>\n

They aim to get back to the Kingaroy Showgrounds by lunchtime on Saturday after a leisurely 50km last-leg ride from Wooroolin.<\/p>\n

Jason said he had been especially inspired to organise this year’s ride by a post he saw on social media by Brisbane paediatric oncologist Dr Tim Hassall who had written that “too many times I\u2019ve had to tell a parent that there\u2019s nothing more I can do”.<\/p>\n

“One day, maybe not in our lifetimes, doctors won’t have to make that phone call,” Jason said.<\/p>\n

Footnote: This year’s Relay For Life main event will be held at Kingaroy Showgrounds on October 9 from noon-8:00pm.<\/strong><\/p>\n