Environmental Awareness

The 2011 Freycinet Lodge Challenge is run through the Freycinet National Park and there are a number of environmental issues competitors need to be aware of. The compliance of competitors to these environmental issues allows the race to be conducted in such a beautiful yet delicate park.

General

Any person found littering will be disqualified from the event. Competitors need to secure all rubbish from energy foods and drinks and have a strategy in place to deal with sticky gel packets etc. Remain on the marked tracks, this also applies around carpark areas, tracks are in place to protect the park.

Sharing tracks with walkers

Recreational walkers will be on the tracks utilised in this race and courtesy is required when approaching or passing walkers. Particularly on the Sunday when there will be a lot of other users on the Wineglass Bay track.

Hooded Plovers on Wineglass Beach

Areas of Wineglass Bay may be roped off to protect shorebird nests. No-one is to run above the high tide mark in the dunes along Wineglass Bay, competitors found doing so will be disqualified.

Environmental weeds and pathogens

It is essential that Freycinet Challenge competitors ensure that their equipment is clean before entering the National Park. All running shoes and mountain bikes need to be free of any soil or mud to help minimise the introduction of soil pathogens and foreign seeds. The soil borne pathogen Phytophthora cinnamonii (a root rotting fungus) is found in the Freycinet National Park and it is therefore essential that equipment is also cleaned after the race to minimise the spread of Phytophthora.

Kayaking equipment also needs to be cleaned before the race to ensure it is free of any vegetative matter, in particular coastal beach weed seeds which are beginning to spread into the park.

Race equipment will be checked for compliance prior to the race start.

More information from National Parks website here.