Muckleford Maxi

The Maxi has become a regular event on the OV calendar. The first Maxi was held in 1991 on the Crocodile Reservoir map near Castlemaine. Since then, it has been held every year with a break in 2014 and 2020, the latter due to COVID. The Maxi started out as a team event held over 3 hours and has since incorporated individual entry. It has always been a score event with a mass start. This has been a key characteristic of the event, as people gather at the end of the event for a social get together, often around a fire and a late lunch, provided by the hash house crew.

In 2021, we were fortunate to stage the event between lockdowns. Derek Morris has set quite a few Maxi events. For the 2021 event he decided to set a 6-hour course alongside the 3 hour and the 90-minute courses. The 90 minute was introduced for the 2019 event at Glenluce. A BikeO-75 MapRun was run on Saturday. Heather Leslie and John Gavens looked after the administration of the event on a course previously set by Rob Edmonds in 2017, using a revised MTBO map. 40 riders took part with Carolyn Jackson and Steven Law scoring the most points.

We were given permission to use a paddock in the Muckleford Forest by local landowners, Robyn and Michael Ruggles. Many camped overnight at the assembly area. We were also fortunate that the local burn off that was to be held in the Muckleford Forest was held off till the day after the event. We were blessed with a fine day. 28 tackled the 6-hour, 61 the 3 hour and 21 the 90-minute variations.

We also raised $150 from a gold coin donation to assist in the crowd funding of a sacred tree and its surrounding land. The sacred "grandmother tree" and culturally significant land in Central Victoria will be protected for future generations after the local Indigenous group bought back the land from its private owners. The "grandmother tree", a towering river red gum named Me-Mandook Galk, is estimated to be up to 400 years old and is sacred to the Dja Dja Wurrung people.

Paul Monks and Alester Meehan were the winning men’s team in the 6-hour. Shelley Bambrook and Elizabeth Dornom were the winning women’s team and second overall.

In the 3-hour, the first 3 placings went to Warwick Williams with 930 points and a time of 2:40:34. On the same points were Elyse Cripps and Todd Lakeman in 2:57:53 with Craig Feuerherdt and Leah Wells 3:00:04 third.

The 90-minute event was won by Shayne Hil with 790 points, 2nd Hania Lada with 540 points and 3rd Georgina Macken with 520 points.

Previous winners of the Maxi can be found on the Nillumbik Emus website.

https://emuorienteers.com/club-history/maxi-winners-hall-offame/