▲  Race Facts

MOUNTAIN:     WALSH'S PYRAMID
HEIGHT:           922 METRES
VENUE:            NORMAN PARK, GORDONVALE
RACE TIME:     2.30 PM
COURSE:         NEVER ENDING UPHILL SCRAMBLE & CONTROLLED DOWNHILL FREEFALL

                        (Gloves maybe be required for downhill run).
NUMBERS:      COMPETITORS LIMITED TO 100 (For safety reasons on the downhill run)

▲    Race Records

Great Pyramid Race

Junior Female, Jessica Pickering, 1:43:13, 2001

Junior Male, Matthew Dewar, 1:32:26, 2005

Open Female, Anita Crossley, 1:32:06, 1997

Open Male, Neil Labinsky, 1:15:34, 2007

Veteran Female, Lynn Gordon, 1:36:26, 1994

Veteran Male, Graham Barralet, 1:19:25, 1997

Masters Female, Mo McIntosh, 2:03:26, 1994

Masters Male, Graham Barralet, 1:28:02, 2003

Senior 60+ Male, Jaap De Jong, 2:29:43, 2002

Senior 50-60 Female, Judy Davis, 2:38:01, 2002

Senior 60+ Female, Jenny Hadleigh, 3:07:49, 2002

Senior 50-60 Male, Andrew Campbell, 1:43:46, 2004

5km Road Race

12-14 Female, Emma Rooke, 18:23, 2007

12-14 Male, Bini James, 17:49, 2008

15-16 Female, Adaline Storch, 21:01, 2008

15-16 Male, Rory Hunter, 17:26, 2008

Open Female, Anna Sterchi, 19:30, 2008

Open Male, Brian Walmsley, 17:19, 2007

▲    2008 Winners

Great Pyramid Race

Junior Male, Brendan Fenwick, 1:38:38

Junior Female, Toni Trainer, 2:51:35

Open Male, Neil Labinsky, 1:17:18

Open Female, Deahne Turnbull, 1:46:02

Veteran Male, Ian Grant, 1:35:45

Veteran Female, Stevie Johnston, 2:00:31

Masters Male, Graham Barralet, 1:35:03

Senior Male, John Carlton, 2:05:11

5KM Road Race

12-14 Male          Bini James               17:49    Race Record

12-14 Female       Emma Rooke             19:34

15-16 Male          Rory Hunter            17:26    Race Record

15-16 Female       Adaline Storch         21:01    Race Record

Open Male          Scott Brown             19:10

Open Female       Anna Sterchi            19:30    Race Record

Criterium

Juniors

1st - Josh Pollock    2nd - Will Marnane        3rd - Matt Pollock            4th - Mariska Marnane

'D' Grade

1st - Kerry Hardy     2nd - Maree Roberts      3rd - David Savage           4th - Drew Burgess

'C' Grade

1st - Allan Paraha    2nd - Ricky Roberts       3rd - Allison Kirkwood      4th - Darren Finch

'B' Grade

1st - Mark Viney      2nd - Damien Newton     3rd - Gillian Burgess        4th - Michael McGoldrick

'A' Grade

1st - Ivan Cook        2nd - Andrie Tonello        3rd - Andrew Costello       4th - David Edwards

Dash for Cash

Under 10 Male        George Carlyle

Under 10 Female     Letitia Rogers

Under 12 Male        Giuseppe Cavalieri

Under 15 Male        Jarrad Ahern

Under 15 Female     Jenna McDonald

Under 18 Male        Ben Rhodes

Under 18 Female     Hayley Romer

Open 1st Male        Neal Teale

▲    How the legend began

It began 49 years ago, in a local Gordonvale pub, with two cane farmers having an ‘argument’ after the end of a hard days work!  They decided to settle this ‘argument’, with a race to the peak of the nearby Walsh's Pyramid.  This was (and still is) no ordinary race.

A wager was made between the two cane farmers to see who could run up in the quickest possible time.  This race created so much interest that the local bookie took bets on which cane farmer was ‘right’.

From this humorous start, to a full day event with the "Great Pyramid Mountain Race" now having up to 100 runners.  Since the race began, the training for the competition has gone from "no training at all and chasing wild pigs in the scrub", to "intense training programmes for dedicated athletes".   

The first official race took place in 1959 to coincide with Queensland's Centenary Celebrations and now is an annual event where some of the finest and strongest from around the world gather and strive to conquer the Mountain.

Now recognized on the National Race Endurance Calendar and part of the Australian Mountain Running Association Calendar and with Trans Tasman links and other international attention, it has made this Mountain Challenge a "Great Race".

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▲    2005 PYRAMID RACE by Vivian Pott

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The Great Pyramid Race and Country Fair Association Inc, Gordonvale, Far North Queensland, Australia
email:  info@pyramidrace.com.au
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