THE annual O\u2019Keefe Challenge is just around the corner with a night bike ride this Saturday, 29 April, before the main walking and running events hit the track a week later.<\/p>\n
Challenge director Nigel Preston said the Light the Trail Night Ride was an untimed social event.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s just for people to come and have fun,\u201d he said. \u201cGroup night rides are very rare and it’s a fantastic experience riding along the trail with everyone who has decorated their bikes and clothes with glow sticks and fairy lights.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are Bendigo to Heathcote and Axedale to Heathcote lengths. The Axedale to Heathcote is more popular.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Saturday, 6 May, Barrack Reserve at Heathcote will come alive from 8am with an event village offering up entertainment alongside the regular monthly bush market.<\/p>\n
Mr Preston said it would be organised and hosted by Heathcote Community House.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere will be a climbing wall and other active games for kids with sports games and sports activities,\u201d he said. \u201cThey’ll be some carnival activities as well to tie in with the market.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year the Challenge will be on a Saturday rather than a Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’ve moved the day to tie in with the local Heathcote market and response so far has been really positive about that,\u201d Mr Preston said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNumbers for the marathon are touch under 100 at the moment, our half marathon is a touch under 200 and in our relay we’ve got about 20 to 25 teams.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe relay is a really good way for people to participate in a group. For example some people are from the same gym, some people are from the same workplace.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere’s also really good numbers in our five km run and walk in particular,\u201d he said. \u201cWe’ve got about 75 in that so far.<\/p>\n
\u201cEntries tend to come in later for that given that it’s five km and a bit more relaxed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat’s our specific event that’s linked to the Heathcote Dementia Alliance, so it\u2019s got a particular resonance for lots of people.\u201d<\/p>\n
HDA\u2019s prototype care villa, Costerfield House is due to arrive in Heathcote a week before the Challenge and will be on show on the day.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople who are walking the five kilometre event are going to be invited to take a short detour just at the start to have a quick look at Costerfield House, because the route has been designed to go quite close to it,\u201d Mr Preston said.<\/p>\n
The O\u2019Keefe Challenge follows the O\u2019Keefe rail trail marking the route of the original Heathcote to Bendigo train line which opened in 1889.<\/p>\n
Registrations for some events, including the night ride and the 5 km walk, are available on the day.<\/p>\n