The Bay will become an off road action hot spot this weekend when triathletes, mountain bikers and trail runners descend on the area for TreX Port Stephens.
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TreX, which will be staged in Fingal Bay and surrounding areas on September 22 and 23, encompasses a number of events including the Tomaree Trail Run Festival and TreX Cross Triathlon Series.
Last year’s event attracted more than 400 athletes which Port Stephens Council’s tourism and events coordinator Janelle Gardner said helped to deliver a “significant economic return” for the area, with about 70 per cent of participants attending from outside the Hunter.
“These are fantastic events for Port Stephens to host as they show off our amazing natural assets to a global audience, all while bringing an economic boost to our local businesses, to the tune of around $120,000,” Ms Gardner previously told the Examiner.
“These events aren’t just for serious athletes either. There truly is something for the whole family, whether you're a beginner just starting out, an amateur competitor or you have kids who want to get involved too.”
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Port Stephens will be round two in the seven race national TreX triathlon series. Elite triathletes entered into the Port leg of the series will take on an extra challenge this weekend.
They will race to secure a place in the team to represent Australia at the 2019 ITU MultiSport World Championships to be held in Spain.
World qualifier contenders will tackle a challenging 1000m swim in Fingal Bay, followed by 25km of heart pumping cross country mountain biking in Tomaree National Park, and finish off with an 8km trail run along the Port’s coastline.
Not just for elite triathletes, TreX Cross Triathlon Series also includes sprint, junior, teaser and dirt kids courses with something for all ages and abilities.
A highlight of TreX Port Stephens is the Dirt Master and Dirt Mistress Titles.
Contenders take on two gruelling long course events across two days covering more than 55km. Events include the TreX XTri standard course on Saturday and the Tomaree Trail Run 21km half marathon on Sunday.
Nathan Archer from Fern Bay and Stuart Lowrie from Fingal Bay both claimed Dirt Master titles in 2017.
Lowrie will look to claim another Dirt Master title when he takes part in the event this weekend.
The Tomaree Trail Run Festival will be held on Sunday in conjunction with the triathlon.
Starting in Fingal Bay, the trail run courses – a 21km half marathon, an 11.5km and 6km – challenge runners with a diverse array of terrain and scenery – the bushland tracks of Tomaree National Park, coastal trails, Samurai’s sand dunes and the rocks and white sand of Fingal Beach.