About the Club

History of the Club

A motion to change the name of the Gunnedah Cycling Club to the Gunnedah Cycling and Triathlon Club was voted on a unanimous decision in May 1999.

Gunnedah businessman Charles Priest and Peter State promoted a triathlon on Australia Day in 1983 with only John Hickey and local swimmer Martin McCann accepting the challenge. Hickey won the event after being behind in the swim and cycle leg. In 1983 at the request of councillor Mikkie Maas, John Hickey began to run the Australia Day triathlon and any other sporting event he wished to promote on Australia Day.

The Gunnedah triathlon has been run every year attracting the district's best triathletes, it is now the second longest running triathlon in Australia, with women eventually competing for the first time in 1985. Donna Hickey and Amanda Haling were the first girls to attempt a triathlon in Gunnedah and with numbers rising the women now have their own womens triathlon on Australia Day morning.

Maiden triathlons are run on a monthly basis for juniors, inexperienced and experienced triathletes from October to March. These events are conducted around the Gunnedah Memorial Pool on Saturday mornings.

Coach for the more serious competitor can be organised with Club coach, John Hickey, who runs coaching sessions on a daily basis.

The club has proven to be one of Australia's most sucessful clubs with many althletes, both senior and junior, winning state, national and world titles.

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The Sundowner Cycling Road Race

The Coonabarabran to Gunnedah "Sundowner" Cycling Road Race was first run as a club organised invitational handicapped road race in 1967. The winner was Gunnedah’s Bill Saunders over Glen Innes cyclist John Dunn and Rob Everson of Tamworth. Tamworth’s Des Glen clocked the fastest time.

The race went into hibernation for eight years and was revived in 1975 as an open event. In that year New Zealand’s Barry Tall became the first international cyclist to win the event. Second went to Gold coast rider Des Thompson with Peter McIntosh third. The fastest time that year was set by Tamworth’s Alan Cush in 2 hours 43 minutes and 56 seconds.

Gunnedah’s Val Hodges started riding on 21st February 1975. When Val entered the race, local bike shop owner Gordon Turner suggested that she take an Eveready Lantern called the “Sundowner” on the ride with her because he thought it would be sundown before she arrived home. When Val completed the race that year she was presented with the Eveready “Sundowner” Lantern. From that day forward the race has been known as the “Sundowner”.

In 1976 Inverell’s Dave Mason was victorious over Central Coast riders Stephen Chapman second and Peter Parkinson third. Dave Mason backed up again in 1977 with a win from Dulwich Hill cyclist Alan Sumner and Armidale’s Chris Pratt third. Forty-year-old Dubbo cyclist Clive Wrigley rode strongly in 1978 to win the event off limit beating the whole field home by more than eight minutes.

In 1979 the race was not run and through the drive and enthusiasm of former Councillor, Mickey Maas, it was back up and running in 1980. The “Sundowner” has been run every year since. In 1982 there were approximately 65 riders competing in the “Sundowner”.

Stuart and Gail Downes were the driving force in the organization of the “Sundowner” where they ran the event from 1986 to 1995. Sadly in 1991 Gunnedah cyclist Keegan Downes was killed in a car accident. In 1992 the Keegan Downes Memorial Trophy was established and the winner of The Sundowner receives this trophy every year in memory of Keegan Downes, one of Gunnedah’s lost cyclists.

Gunnedah’s very own Cycling Classic!

An email recieved 28th December 2011-

Dear Chris, I am Robert Everson who gained 3rd place in the original race. As I remember there was ten riders started the race with only five finishing. I was the only rider from the Tamworth Club to finish and Des Glen who recorded the fastest time belonged to the Gilgai Cycle Club at that time. The event was called the "Plainsman Trophy" at that time.

Regards

Robert Everson. (Robert now lives in Raymond Terrace)

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Junior Development Program

The aim of the program is to introduce and educate children and young adults into the sport of Cycling & Triathlon, addressing the skills and requirements of cycling, swimming, running, strength training, flexibility, transitions and personal management using a club coaching structure. For further information and membership forms, click here

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