Click here to check out the 2009 race: http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2008/s2577053.htm
About the race
In May of each year, the Tablelands plays host to The Great Wheelbarrow Race and we would love your support for next year's event. The 2009 race attracted a record number of entries, with 23 teams or more than 200 people participating in this wonderful annual event.
Some teams go to remarkable lengths to raise money for their nominated charity during the lead-up to the race. Last year, competitors raised a total of $44,000 for a range of charities, including Make A Wish Foundation, Angel Flight, the Queensland Cancer Council and the Australian Association of Assistance Dogs.
The first Great Wheelbarrow Race, in 2004, was the brainchild of the former Mareeba Shire, who wanted to honour the pioneering miners of the early 19th century, to raise funds for local charities and to provide a boost to smaller communities along the way.
The race is a gruelling 149km between Mareeba and Chillagoe and is run in three stages - the first stage is from Mareeba to Dimbulah (50km), the second is from Dimbulah to Almaden (65km), and the third stage is Almaden to Chillagoe (34km).
For solo competitors, the event is quite a test of endurance, as they can be on the road pushing a wheelbarrow for up to 9 hours each day. Teams of up to 10 people also compete, often wearing themed costumes for the first day of the race, and taking turns to push the wheelbarrow during the three-day race.
The Great Wheelbarrow Race may test the endurance of many competitors, but it largely about having fun and raising money for charity in a team environment.
