By Hollie Harris
Once again the calibre of this year’s competitors means there are no favourites to win the hotly contested race.
Brisbane based, 25-year-old athlete Ben Duffus has represented Australia in many events overseas and won the race following both of his previous attempts in 2013 and 2014.
He will return this year for his third King of the Mountain challenge and will face fierce competition from reigning champion, 33-year-old Mark Bourne of the ACT who also won his maiden race.
Six seconds is all that separates their personal best times and both men have competed many times between them in New Zealand’s equally iconic sister race Kawerau King of the Mountain.
But before hedging bets on Ben or Mark consider Daniel Jones.
Returning to Pomona for the first time since he set the yet-unbroken record as a junior in 2008, Daniel, a New Zealand representative, finished third at Kawerau in 2016, one spot behind Ben Duffus and one spot in front of Mark Bourne.
Another athlete looking to take part in this year’s Bendigo Bank Mountain Challenge has already set a record for being the oldest competitor in the history of the race.
Seventy-seven-year-old Frank Falappi from West Woombye has competed in many long distance events ranging from 45-100klms since 2014, and is proof that age is no barrier to taking on new challenges for those who are fit and well prepared.
