Key Points
- The Indian Pacific Wheel Ride is a coast-to-coast ultra-endurance race across Australia.
- The unofficial race has no prize money and riders do not travel with a support vehicle.
- One person died in this year's event after being hit by a vehicle, while another was hit and had to be hospitalised.
A few dozen adventurous cyclists left Fremantle at 6.22am on 16 March — except this was no average weekend ride.
These ultra-endurance athletes set out on a 5,500km, solo, unsupported ride across the country, from the Indian Ocean in the west to the Pacific Ocean at the steps of the Opera House in Sydney.
They're taking part in the Indian Pacific Wheel Ride (IPWR), an event that has only been held once in an official, organised capacity back in 2017.
However, keen endurance cyclists from Australia and around the world have made it an annual event on an unofficial basis.
The very specific start time was implemented after the organised 2017 race, marking the time on 31 March that well-loved British competitor Mike Hall was struck by a vehicle and died.
The IPWR website states the start time would be a "way of continuing his journey".
"We ride on and seek to finish what he started."
Tragedy strikes again
This year's ride was also marred by tragedy after a rider died six days into the race.
Aiden Barker, the son of competitor Chris Barker, confirmed his father's death on social media. He was struck by a vehicle on the Eyre Highway along the Nullarbor Plain.
"I can't express how sad today is, dad was doing something that he loved," Barker posted.
"I've never heard dad talk so much about this 1 event in my life, today my family lost a great person and so did his IPWR family. My heart is broken."
A truck driver has since been charged with manslaughter over the incident. The same day, in a separate, unrelated incident, another rider was hit by a vehicle and had to be hospitalised.
Barker's death prompted a number of riders to retire early from the course, but many others have decided to continue.
The IPWR website makes it clear that athletes taking part will be doing so at considerable risk.
"The race route plots out a serious adventure through remote sections of regional Australia, one which is dangerous and has serious risks for those unprepared," the website states.
It notes the race, for which there is no prize, traverses "unforgiving environment" and is "not for everyone".
The riders who do take part and their supporters (known as dotwatchers because they monitor riders' progress on maps that track riders as dots on GPS systems) share updates on the course and progress in groups on social media platforms.
According to online tracking website dotwatcher.cc, the first of the IPWR riders have made it to Adelaide.
