It’s a 65km handicap road race for women only.

All racers ride the same route, starting in groups of similar ability, setting off at several minute intervals, from slowest to fastest.

First over the line wins! Prizes for 1st to 10th, plus fastest time.

This race was built from the ground up, for women, by women. Everyone who has taken part raves about the inclusive vibe, the attention to detail and the sheer buzz generated by a hundred excited women putting it all on the line. Every event has rated >4.5 stars in post-event surveys!

Saturday Feb 28 2026, based at Hanging Rock Reserve, off Colwell’s Rd (the quieter northern end). About 1 hr from Melbourne.

9:00AM start with an expected finish of around 12 noon.

We’ll have the same beautiful Hanging Rock backdrop for registration and post-race celebrations, coffee cart, catering, and more.

Pretty much anyone who is up for a challenge, whether elite, experienced in road racing, or not. You need some group riding experience, and to be able to maintain a pace of about 28 km/h over 2.5hrs (rough guide only).

Approximately 64km in total made up of 2 anti-clockwise laps of ~32km, rolling hills, 580m total elevation gain per lap, nothing steep. Click here to see the course in Strava.

Racers need an AusCycling race licence (free 4-week trial licence and one day Event Licenses accepted ).

Open to anyone age 15+.

This year we and AusCycling have made it easy for riders needing a race license - just tick the option in EntryBoss when entering and it will be added to your entry.

Great value at only $40.

Everyone, from novice to elite, races the same course. Slower riders start first, followed by progressively faster riders. First over the line wins. Riders are in small bunches which have to work together to chase those in front and stay ahead of those chasing from behind. It’s teamwork in action, and hard work all the way. See this handy guide: How Does a Handicap Race Work?

A UCI-compliant road bike with drop bars and working brakes (ie a standard road bike). No flat bars, suspension, TT bars.

A section of road at the start/finish will be controlled (ie vehicles prevented from interacting with riders). The remainder is on open roads, chosen for their low traffic volumes. Precautions include corner marshals, follow cars, AusCycling-accredited race commissaires (referees). First aid in attendance. Permits from council, VicRoads, police and sanctioning by AusCycling. Safety is our priority.

First 10 riders across the line are awarded prizes (vouchers and merchandise provided by our great sponsors). Winner gets their name engraved and to keep the unique perpetual trophy for one year.

Hawthorn Cycling Club, with help from a large cast of volunteers, on the day and in the planning.

Please support our generous sponsors who have provided vouchers and merchandise.

Via Entryboss – click here to go to the entry page.

If you haven’t raced before you will need to set up an account; it is quick and painless.

You will also need a valid AusCycling race licence - see the question ‘Do I need a licence?.

Please provide helpful information to the handicapper when you sign up. ‘This is my first race’ ‘I am really slow’ ‘I’m not good on hills’ are not helpful on their own.

We need to know things like what grade you race or have raced in (any bike discipline), who else you are of similar ability to, or your FTP in watts/kg.

Other helpful information you can provide include what groups you ride with, your Strava or Zwift profile, what is your best time up an iconic climb eg Kinglake or 1 in 20, your best time in a time trial/gran fondo/triathlon bike leg.

And if you haven’t been riding much but you are an elite athlete in some other endurance sport, we would like to know! We might ask you for more information

The handicappers put in a huge amount of time and effort ensuring the handicap groups are evenly matched. This is the key to a satisfying race for each rider. They need the time too put riders in the most suitable group. Largely this can only be done once entries have been closed.

Also allows start lists to be published the day before race day for riders to review.

We will publish a startlist with groups the day before. You will have a chance to argue your case then.

The start line is outside the gate to the reserve and the finish line is a little further west along Colwell's Rd, 500m from the last corner.

Yes, plenty of free parking at the venue.

Train to Woodend and ride from the station (9kms). Or ask to share a lift on SheRace.

Billy’s coffee cart will be serving the good stuff from 8am. There will be food and soft drinks available post-race, either salad wraps or a food truck. Bring some cash in case!!

The first (slowest) riders start at 9am, then progressively faster groups at several minute intervals. The last (fastest) group will start at about 30 minutes later.

Everyone finishes around the same time, mostly between 11.15 and 11.45am.

Start times will be included in the published start lists.

Start times and handicap groups will be published on EntryBoss on the day before the event.

Publication of the start lists will be notified on both the HCC Hanging Rock and HCC Instagram channels (@hcc_hangingrock and @hawthorncycling).

Start times and lists will also be available at the rego desk.

Aim to arrive about 8am (when the gates open), which gives plenty of time for getting ready including a warm up.

Yes, we offer a concierge service to new riders. Just make yourself known at the rego desk.

Yes please, we will use them.

If you don’t have a set you can order a set when entering in EntryBoss.

No, the timing system will only recognise Northern Combine transponders (these are used at the HCC crits, Coburg events, Brunswick gravel crits and Northern combine road races).

Anyone without a Northern Combine race number and transponder will be assigned a temporary race number and transponder (to be returned to the rego desk after you finish.

Yes, your will be issued a temporary race number and transponder at the registration desk.

They will be made available via a link, published on Entryboss

Absolutely, just walk across the park and go for it. Entry to the carpark includes entry to the whole park.

Sure. Just ask to see the race director, Alison. Better still contact us beforehand and we can assign a job, whether it’s helping with car parking, catering or marshalling (experienced volunteers).

Follow us on the dedicated Instagram channel @hcc_hangingrock

Entryboss: click here

Email: hangingrock@hawthorncycling.org

Organiser and Race Director: Alison Skene

We know women can and want to race, but frankly, sometimes our experiences suck. Sometimes the races offered are too long, or too short, we are not given a fair handicap, we are not expected to win, or even to finish, we’re expected to sprint against men with inherently more power, our efforts are not celebrated, and sometimes we hear all this and don’t even try. Don’t get me wrong, women (and men) are working tirelessly, mostly at the grassroots club level, to improve our race experiences. But we thought it was time to try something ambitious, something novel, something fun, something inclusive and show how it can be done. We want to attract everyone, from the beginner to elite, no matter their level of experience or strength, or level of confidence.

Because it is a different and just as challenging format of racing. It is very hard to predict the outcome except for the fact you will get a great workout from the gun.

A handicap is a race with riders of all standards all with theoretically the same chance of winning. Groups of riders of similar ability start together but at different times to the other groups, and race the same distance. The slowest riders ('limit') start first, then the progressively faster groups, (the '20 minute bunch' the '14 minute bunch' and so on), with the fastest ('scratch bunch') starting last. You have to work together to catch the groups in front and stay away from those chasing from behind. Handicaps are great for practicing bunch-riding skills.

Absolutely, that’s where the beauty of handicapping comes in. Everyone, on a good day, no matter their level, has a chance of winning. Imagine telling your friends/kids/workmates how you beat elite NRS riders in a race.

First across the line wins. We award the first few riders over the line, plus the rider with the fastest time (not necessarily the same!). The depth of placings depends on entry numbers, but on previous experience we will award at least down to 10th place.

This year we are awarding vouchers and a huge stash of awesome cycling-related merchandise, thanks to our generous sponsors.

All for a modest entry fee of $40.

There is also a unique trophy, and heaps of spot prizes. Even if you don’t place, you are guaranteed a great experience!

Aim to arrive one hour before the official race start time. We will publish a list of the names of all the riders, and the start times for each group, the day before. This can be very confusing so pay particular attention.

A warm up is vital because you will be going hard from the start. A 20 minute spin with a couple of short (30 second) efforts to spark up the legs/heart/lungs should do it. The slowest group (‘limit’) will start at the official race start time.

If you are on the slower end beware of following people doing a leisurely warm-up then missing your start.

Be at the start line no less than 10 minutes before your appointed start, for the briefing. Organisers get cross if you rock up at the last minute and may not let you start. The start line is about 300m from the rego area.

So many different terms! – The fastest group is called scratch and they start last. The slowest group is called limit and they start first. The other groups are referred to by the time difference relative to scratch eg the ‘13 minute group’ starts 13 minutes in front of scratch.

Your start group is all friendly and agrees to work together, mutter about rolling turns or track turns (see below), start at the appointed time, quickly gather together and get up to speed (ideally ‘threshold’ or time trial pace), then revel in the awesomeness of a fast working bunch.

It is vital to keep together as long as possible, and there is always a lot of chatter about staying smooth and not surging, don’t worry if you feel like you’re getting yelled at, it’s all in the spirit, chatter is good.

You are trying to catch the group(s) in front, who are slower, and not get caught by those faster ones chasing from behind. If you are genuinely feeling like you can’t contribute to the pace-making at this stage, take a turn or two out from the rotation, then get stuck back in as soon as you can. It is very bad form to let others do the work otherwise, just to save your energy for later; people will notice and probably tell you.

They will try to hang on if possible, let them contribute to your working group if they can. If they just want to sit on, or you feel they are causing the pace to drop, be ruthless and encourage the group to bump up the pace, shelling any weaker ones. This catch doesn’t usually happen until halfway or more through the race.

This time you want to hold on as long as possible. You don’t need any loyalty to your original group by this time. Contribute to the pace-making if you can but you’re not really expected to.

The first group that catches you is meant to be only a little bit faster than you, so hanging on is often possible. Every group that catches you from then on is progressively faster (check out their higher numbers) so your chances of staying on get slimmer. But doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.

If you find yourself in the front group on the road, you will know it because you are just behind the ‘lead car’. You have a chance of being in the winning group, so keep working, until you are caught or not. Holding off a storming scratch bunch is the greatest feeling. At some point, and hopefully near the end, it’s every racer for herself.

Sometimes your bunch really is too fast for you and you are shelled early. This is not a nice feeling. Maybe you just need a breather and can hop on the next bunch that comes through. If it happens because of surging then let your bunch know as it’s happening and try to keep it smooth.

This is a case where providing the handicapper with good information (like where you sit in comparison to other riders) puts you in the right bunch in the first place.

You would be breaking the golden rule of handicap racing, which is never to leave your bunch this early, so it’s definitely only done out of desperation.

Even if there are a couple of you that feel like breaking away, resist this temptation. You are probably better off waiting for the bunch behind to inevitably catch you then jump in, turn on the gas, and work with them. See ‘helping the handicapper’ above.

Rolling turns is the default formation for efficiency and involves 2 lines of riders, one moving slightly faster than the other, those riding up the line out of the wind, once you’re at the front you move immediately across to the other line, easing off the pace slightly, and make your way slowly to the back, then move across to jump on the last wheel of the forward moving bunch.

This is commonly used on social/group rides. It is most efficient when there is a large number (6 or more) and they are evenly matched. No one stays on the front longer than a few seconds and everyone contributes.

If you are really struggling you can take a breather by sitting on the back but you still have to pay attention to close the gaps. It is helpful for this person to act as a ‘gate’, letting the last rider know when to move across, eg by saying ‘yep’.

Track turns (aka a paceline) are for speed rather than efficiency and also work best a) when there are few riders because at any one time most are protected from the wind, and b) when abilities vary, so stronger riders stay on the front longer and go as fast as they want before peeling off. There is only one line, the rider at the front stays on for an agreed amount of time, then peels off into the wind and moves fairly quickly to the back of the line to join at the back.

There are lots of great videos about these techniques on the web.

All formations fall apart on hills, be aware of this, let people go their own pace up and try to regroup as soon as possible, because the bigger riders might be slow uphill but are needed on the downhills.

Easy to remember, pull off into the wind. If the wind is coming from the left then the faster line moves up on the right (anticlockwise rotation), and the other way for a wind coming from the right.

If the wind is both very strong and coming from the side, you can form an echelon. It’s pretty intuitive, just sit to the opposite side of the wind, making sure your front wheel is still behind the back wheel of the rider in front (no ‘overlapping’, which is dangerous). There is a limit to the number of riders that can fit on one side of the road, so make sure you don’t cross the center line, which is potentially grounds for disqualification.

If all these rules and tactics seem way too complicated, just get out there and have a go, and it becomes intuitive.

If the handicappers have got it right, then everyone comes together within the last km, but it doesn’t often pan out that way. Say you find yourself in a group within a couple of kms of the finish - you’re in with a chance. It's every woman for herself now and tactics come into play.

Watch out for individuals trying to break off the front in a long range attack, and try to follow if possible.

Those who fancy themselves in a sprint (ie very fast over <200m) will probably want to sit in behind others until the last minute.

It helps to know your strengths, but also depends a lot on who else is there. Remember that it’s not just the first 3 who will get the chocolates, we’ll pay many places over the line, plus fastest overall time and probably a few other prize categories we’ll make up!