Cycling, running or walking, Borden Backtracks draws a crowd as the community curtain raiser for Wild Gravel

A free gravel event last Thursday that attracted 130 cyclists, runners and walkers was an idyllic taster for the upcoming Wild Gravel extravaganza.

Borden Backtracks was a gentle introduction to gravel riding with options to walk or run for those not comfortable in the saddle. The event was based at the Borden Pavilion.

While the longest of the Wild Gravel events later this month is set to be a mammoth 420km ultra race, the Borden Backtracks riders had the choice of 24km, 10km or 5km along the picturesque trails which surround the town.

Joggers and walkers were able to complete a 10km fun run or the Backtracks 5, a scenic out and back course suitable for all ages.

The aim of the event was to introduce the families of the three main towns in the Shire of Gnowangerup to the joys of the outdoors.

There was also a competitive element with an award on offer to the town which offered up the greatest number of participants per capita.

That award, along with a nice trophy with an outline of the Stirlings, went to the hosts who pipped Gnowangerup and Ongerup.

Borden Development Group chair Rebecca O’Meehan said the event had been a great success.

“We were pretty chuffed with the turnout,” she said.

“We had 132 registrations on the day even though with the wind, the run and ride, and even the walk, were pretty challenging.”

She said the event built on the Shire of Gnowangerup’s pre-Wild Gravel community shindig last year and gave local children the chance to wear cycle helmets provided by the shire.

“The shire started it with a small event the day before the full Wild Gravel last year and decided to see if another community would like to run something,”.

“We decided to give it a go during the school holidays so it gave people the chance to train for Wild Gravel but also allowed children to wear their new cycle helmets.

“CycleSense were also there to check over the bikes so all in all it was a great local promotion.”

The full Wild Gravel experience will start on October 23 for the ultra riders with the main events taking place on October 24.

Organisers were hoping a number of riders who took part in the weekend’s UCI Gravel World Championships in Nannup would stay on for the Gnowangerup-based event.

Global cycling superstar Marianne Vos, of the Netherlands, won the women’s event after rival Rosa Kloser crashed out, while Denmark’s Magnus Bak Klaris took the men’s title in a sprint finish.