SOLD OUT: Hundy spots snapped up in record time

It’s the race where athletes are encouraged to come and “suffer in paradise” and this year, the call was answered quicker than ever before.

It’s the race where athletes are encouraged to come and “suffer in paradise” and this year the pace at which that call was answered was faster than ever before.

The Hervey Bay 100 sold out in record time on Thursday morning with 550 competitors locked in for the November triathlon.

Almost 90 per cent of those are from outside the region, meaning their arrival will be a sugar hit to the Coast’s post-Covid economic recovery.

This year the Hundy is a qualifying race for the world title in Townsville.

Hervey Bay Triathlon Club President Jeff Morris said registration was opened an hour early on Tuesday morning (6am) for those who had raced in the Hundy in previous years.

At 7am, registrations opened to the general public and capacity was reached within 10 minutes.

Jeff said the early registration for past supporters was important because the club didn’t want all the spots to be filled by people who were simply coming so they could “take a shot at the world title”.

While the Hervey Bay 100 is now pitched as the most picturesque long course in Australia, it came from humble beginnings and Jeff said the club wanted to support the athletes who had booked in last year amid Covid uncertainty and those who had been there “from the start”.

He puts the popularity of the event down to the fact that organisers are passionate athletes themselves and have created the kind of course they would enjoy.

The Beach House Hotel returns as the major sponsor this year and Jeff said owner Janet Pearsal and manager Paul Robins “always put on a great party”.

He said that afterparty, held on the Sunday, had become so enjoyable many athletes and their families often stayed an extra night on the Coast just so they could attend.

“They make a really good atmosphere there,” he said

“It means many people from outside of Hervey Bay often don’t just scoot off.

“They stay in accommodation for another night and support local business which really helps the town.”