But that won’t stop anyone from giving it their best in twin town tradition.
The Echuca Moama Triathlon Club’s multisport weekend kicks off tomorrow, with all eyes on the Morley Auto Group Aquathlon.
The event, which will be without the traditional bike ride due to roadworks, will instead focus on a 700m swim and 7.5km bush run, taking in the best of Echuca Moama’s beauty.
Club president Steve Loader admitted to mixed feelings about the event due to the absent bike leg being, but said the club was left with very little choice.
‘‘It is exciting to get here, but it is a little disappointing that we don’t have a full triathlon,’’ he said.
‘‘The lead up is a bit different and that’s a shame, but we are really excited to still put on a major event.’’
Road closures meant two choices — drop the bike leg or move to a different location.
‘‘We could have run the race elsewhere, but it is iconic to the town and we didn’t want to move it away,’’ Loader said.
‘‘With Warren Street out of action, VicRoads won’t allow other roads to be closed in the region so we weren’t left with much choice.
‘‘It will be unfortunate for this year, but it’s great for the town and for the event in the long run.’’
Though the loss of the bike leg will effect travelling numbers, Loader believes the town will still benefit.
‘‘We hope there will be more locals involved in the event,’’ he said.
‘‘The lack of a bike leg eliminates some cost, so if someone likes their runners and swimmers, it’s great to take part in, and if you enjoy it you can have a look at continuing with the sport next year.’’
Unlike the 2018 event, the temperature will be around 33 degrees, not 44 degrees.
‘‘It was touch and go last year as to whether it went ahead,’’ Loader said.
‘‘People train hard and prepare for these events when the temperature is high and I think that will advantage them on race day.’’
There is also an added bonus for locals — with EMTC putting up a $500 cash prize to the local club with the most participants.
‘‘Any of the football or cricket clubs or local sporting organisations — the tri club excluded — have the opportunity to bring a bit of extra cash in just by competing which we think is great opportunity.’’
The weekend will also feature the Moama Bowling Club’s Junior Duathlon, run at 9.30 on Saturday morning.
The junior event will be broken up into age groups, with seven to 10-year-olds running a 400m leg, riding 2km before running a further 400m.
For the slightly older 11 to 14-year-olds, two legs of 800m runs broken up by a 5km ride will be your event.
The weekend will finish on Sunday morning with the annual 3km Morrisons Wharf to Winery swim.
Loader didn’t guarantee a winner, but had some suggestions.
‘‘Our club champion Jeremy Walker always produces a good time, so he will be one to watch,’’ he said.
‘‘And some of the teams we think will do incredible times this year as well.’’
Registration is still open today at echucatriclub.com.
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