Strong start for St Martins students

ST MARTINS LUTHERAN College’s Pedal Prix program continues to go from strength to strength, with students achieving podium success at Round 1 of the 2025 UniSA Australian Human Powered Vehicle Super Series, held in late March at McNamara Park in Mount Gambier.

Two of the college teams proudly brought home bronze: ‘Carbonated’ (Years 7–9) secured third place in the S2 Category, while ‘Saints’ (Years 5–6) also earned a third place finish in the S1 Category.

Senior students from Years 10–12 also competed in the highly competitive S3 Category.

Pedal Prix is a distinctive sport involving recumbent trikes.

The focus is on endurance racing, where groups of six to 10 riders take turns on the track, working collaboratively to complete as many laps as possible during events that typically last six to eight hours.

As part of the St Martins Pedal Prix program, the trikes are designed, maintained, and raced by student teams.

Participation in the Australian Human Powered Vehicle Super Series (AHPVSS) includes competing in three short duration events as well as the final round, a 24-hour race.

For St Martins, the season begins locally in Mount Gambier, followed by two events at The Bend Motorsport Park in Tailem Bend before the 24-hour race in Murray Bridge—a challenging and rewarding finale for all participants.

While events are generally held on weekends, Pedal Prix has also been incorporated into the curriculum at St Martins through a dedicated Year 9/10 elective class.

Students in this program develop mechanical skills such as tyre changes, brake maintenance, and body repairs, while gaining insights into aerodynamics, design, and physical conditioning to enhance performance.

Central to the success of the St Martins Pedal Prix program is the outstanding support from parents and the broader College community. From spray-painting trikes to preparing meals and volunteering across race weekends, their contributions are invaluable.

The support from sponsors Godrick Construction, Robinson Pastoral, Monview Engineering, University of South Australia (UniSA), Icon Signs, Zobel Insurance, Eastside Storage Murray Bridge, Mackenzie Upholstery, and J.O. Berkefeld is also critical.

Students will now turn their focus to the next round of the series, set to take place at The Bend Motorsport Park on May 17.