A race so tough, no man has never won it … or finished it.

This year’s event started in Cockle Creek, Tasmania with the route taking the riders through some incredibly tough terrain on the way to the finish line, Uluru - a riding distance of 3,569km.

It's not a race of perfect conditions, beautiful clean bikes, support vehicles and a good nights sleep. The race is solo and unsupported, no roads - well some roads, but it’s tough and that’s why the riders do it.

You don’t tune in and watch this race on TV. There’s no live streaming or mainstream media coverage, people track the riders by literally watching dots move: https://racetotherock2018.maprogress.com/

Hammond, or “Teef” as she’s known, rides hard and strong. In one case she rode over 400km without services, through sand and deserts. Through rain, snow and heat, covering an average of 240km per day.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Update: Sarah Hammond @flexgoogly was first to complete the 510km Tasmanian section of the 2018 Race to the Rock at about 11:44pm on Sunday night. Congratulations, Sarah! It has been a wild ride since she left Cockle Creek in the deep south of Tasmania at 6:22am on Saturday. Snow, cold, rain and some serious hike-a-bike sections made it a tough start to the race. The @northsouth guys filmed this clip early on Sunday. There’s a lot going on behind the dots! When do you think we will see Sarah in Melbourne? She has to cross the Bass Strait before starting the next leg from the Melbourne Town Hall to Uluru another 3,060km away. . . . #racetotherock #adventurecycling #cycletour #bikepacking #visittasmania #biketour #adventure

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Sarah just started the 2018 @racetotherock. It was a very wet start in Cockle Creek, Tasmania, the southernmost road in Australia. At 6:22 am this morning (1 Sep) she started her mission to Uluru. First up is a 510 km blast across Tasmania with some extremely cold conditions and snow expected tonight. Don’t forget to share your purple dot sightings! Can she make it three from three victories in this super remote 3,500 km race to the centre of Australia? She is the only person to have won this incredibly tough race. This pic was from Sarah’s final shakedown ride last week. Follow the dots 👇 https://racetotherock2018.maprogress.com (Guest post from her partner-in-grime, ND) . . #shredthepatriarchy #racetotherock #bikepacking #ultraendurance #cycletouring #biketour #adventurecycling #adventure #eciwabb #goodlinework

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Hats off to you Teef. Take your shoes off.