BRC12 Course

A Junior and an Open race over 12km will be run on Saturday. BRC 12 paddlers will commence their event in Mareeba and finish below the Biboohra Bridge. It is expected that paddlers will have experience in a minimum of moving grade 1 water. There will be two categories of Junior competitors – Single and double. 
The Junior event will have several experienced adult paddlers accompanying the junior competitors. The Open 12 km event has been introduced this year to cater for novice paddlers who may be new to the sport or who have not had the training or experience to tackle the 50 km course. This event is scheduled to begin at 2pm Saturday May 12th. 
Registration and inspections will commence from 08:45 am Saturday at Centenary Park on the southern outskirts of Mareeba.

BRC 50 Course

Sunday’s race begins at the low bridge in Mareeba and finishes at the High Bridge in Kuranda. Depending on prevailing water levels, you may encounter two Grade 3 rapids & numerous Grade 2 rapids. From Mareeba the Barron winds through close overhanging trees to near Koah, where the river opens to reveal a myriad of turbulent Grade 1 races where line selection is paramount.

It’s all downhill after the 31km Koah checkpoint, where paddlers will brace for the more challenging Oak Forest rapid. Three low bridges/ causeways bring the spectators close to the action, as the average paddlers race to beat the cut-off time at Russet Park. Six kilometres later, and 2km from the finish, the decision to (or not to) portage Ireland Rapid on river left may make or break a team.

With the High Kuranda Bridge overhead, the final smooth water sprint to the finish at Kuranda Beach, masks the true “Barron River Challenge”

Registration and inspections will commence from 08:45 am Saturday at Centenary Park (Heritage Centre) on the southern outskirts of Mareeba. 
The BRC 50 starts from River left below the Low Bridge in Mareeba from 8:00 am on Sunday 13th May.