The headline act will be none other than the long-awaited return of the popular Sweat vs Steam, the first edition of the community fun-run since 2019.
Up to 250 runners are expected to test themselves against the might of the Murray River paddlesteamers, and this time they’ll be competing against the historical PS Adelaide on Sunday morning from 8am.
While recent rain has seen parts of the course submerged, adjustments have been made to cater for the 5km and 10km runs, and it’s “full steam ahead” for the 24th running of the race.
Funds raised throughout the event go back into the local community, and entries for the Sweat vs Steam close at midnight Friday night.
A weekend of wild weather will also greet local cricketers as they look to beat the rain, and the expected inclement weather is casting doubt on the start of the Goulburn Murray Cricket (GMC) season.
Neighbouring league Cricket Shepparton has already made the decision to call off round one of its competition, but with GMC aiming for the earliest season start since 2019 due to COVID-19, the final call on the viability of play will be made by clubs on Friday, according to operations manager James Stokes.
“We’ve decided not to call it too early,” Stokes said.
“We’ve been discussing it for a week now and we’ve been talking to ground curators. We’ll ring around Friday morning and assess how much damage there is.
“If there’s any chance to get on, we probably won’t call it off and clubs can assess what game they can get going.”
Should play commence, the McMahon Shield and women’s A-grade cricket will get the season under way with a series of one-day clashes before B-grade joins them next week, while C and D-grade competitions get under way on Saturday, October 22.
On the bowls front, Moama will make the first roll in its premier pennant clash season opener against Kangaroo Flat, with a series of exciting additions to the squad set to assist the Steamers in their quest to improve on their second-place finish last season.
On the basketball courts, Echuca Pirates are aiming to rebound swiftly against Castlemaine on Saturday night in pursuit of their first win of the season.
