Since 2008, the Cape to Cape mountain bike stage race has developed into the biggest and most popular event of its format in Australia. Starting as just 100 riders getting lost on sandy four-wheel-drive tracks, it has evolved into a must-do MTB event on the calendar.
Every October, punters and pros come from all around Australia (and the world) to experience what the southwest corner of this country has to offer in the Margaret River region. From 16-19 October, riders will flock to WA to experience the four-day stage race in Western Australia.
Flow caught up with Megan Grygorcewicz, one of the owners of the Perth-based EventMatrix — who took over Cape to Cape from Ironman last year — as they prepare for another cracking race in 2025.
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What is the Cape to Cape mountain bike race?
For those who don’t know or have been living under a rock for the better part of two decades (or are new to MTB), Cape to Cape is a four-day mountain bike stage race in the Margaret River region of Western Australia.
The format has been dialled in to be the Goldilocks level of difficulty for most people—not too easy and not too challenging. That ends up being roughly 50km of mountain biking per day with around 500m of climbing each stage. It is challenging enough for the pros but achievable for first-timers or beginner mountain bikers.
Initially, there weren’t many purpose-built trails in the region, but over the years, this has changed dramatically.
“The government’s been super supportive; they’ve just been investing so much in the trails, which has been incredible and such a benefit to us having the event here,” Grygorcewicz says.
2025 Cape to Cape Course
Traditionally, Cape to Cape went from Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse to Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse, but as the event got bigger, the logistics became too tricky for riders and organisers. The loop format was adopted, taking in similar areas but not requiring a support driver or transport for 1,500 riders and support crew.
A key drawcard for the course design is that each stage starts and finishes at a point of interest, such as a landmark, winery, or brewery. One significant change last year was the addition of Nannup for day two of the event.
The course for 2025 hasn’t been officially announced, but Grygorcewicz did give us a lay of the land as to what the four days will look like.
“Stage one is the iconic Cape Leeuwin stage around the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse. Day two, we will be heading back to Nannup, which is really exciting. Day three, we’re at CBCO (Colonial Brewing Co) with the queen Margaret River stage. Day four, we’re in Dunsborough around the Cape Naturaliste area,” she says.
When talking about adjustments to the course for this year, Nannup seemed to be the stage getting dialled in. Last year, the 50km and 1,200m of climbing may have been slightly too much for some.
“Obviously, we don’t want to just copy and paste every year. We want to keep delivering good value with different courses, and for Nannup, we’re looking at some adjustments based on the feedback to remove some of the difficulty, but still make it a challenge for everybody,” Grygorcewicz said.
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The main goal is to have around 200km total for the four days. There is also some early planning to have a prologue for the elite riders on the Wednesday before the main event, but that is to be confirmed by the event organisers soon.
New Free Skills Clinics:
As Cape to Cape is designed around encouraging fresh faces to get involved, the EventMatrix team has put together an initiative to give people a taste of what mountain biking is like and to help them make an informed decision if the event is for them.
“We are…delivering four weekends of free clinics to riders. It’s a two-day clinic people can attend in Dunsborough, and that’ll start from very basic mountain bike skills to actually getting out and doing some of the day four trails,” Grygorcewicz explains. “The intention is to get more people into the sport and then hopefully into the event.”
The four weekends of free clinics will run every month from June to September and are hosted by Andy van Kann, an international skills coach—for further information and to register, email [email protected]. Priority will be given to first-time riders of Cape to Cape.
2025 Clinic Dates:
- 7-8 June (Women-only clinic)
- 26-27 July
- 30-31 August
- 20-21 September
Solo or Pairs at Cape to Cape
Since Ironman took over the event, Cape to Cape has been a pairs-focused race as a feeder for other big multi-day events like Cape Epic and Swiss Epic. But now that EventMatrix is in charge, it’s back to solo as the primary focus.
“The solo event is what we started to transition into being the primary race for 2024. They’ve always made up over 80% of the field,” Grygorcewicz tells Flow.
But if you still like the idea of riding with a mate, pairs racing is still an option.
“There’s still absolutely a place for pairs; we love the idea that you can buddy up and train with someone. You have someone who’s going to be with you along each of the stages,” Grygorcewicz says.
The Cape to Cape now has two age categories based on the combined age of the two riders and their gender. So there are Men, Women, and Mixed categories with Open and Masters age categories. The Open is for a combined age between 30-89 years, while Masters is for a combined age above 90 years.
“Luke Durbridge (of the Jayco Alula World Tour road team) actually rode the event with his Mum (in 2023),” Grygorcewicz explains.
For the elite riders making the trip over to WA, EventMatrix has boosted the prize purse and increased the depth of who gets cash.
“There will be double the prize money available to the solos, so we’ll be paying down to 10th place in the open field,” Grygorcewicz is happy to announce.
There will also be $500 up for grabs for each stage for the first male and female across the line. Brent Rees was 2nd on every stage last year and will be looking to change that to get in on the stage prize purse.
A Start Studded Field | Elite Riders and Celebrities at Cape to Cape
Each year, there is always an opportunity to brush shoulders with the elite riders of Australian mountain biking. From Olympians, National Champions, and World Cup racers, there’s always a fast group of lycra-wearing bandits.
So far, the organised elites that have confirmed are Cam Ivory, Izzy Flint, Conor Wright, Em Viotto, Karl Michelin-Beard, with the rest still working out their race calendar.
One notable non-cyclist attending is dual Olympic gold medalist sailor, Matt Wearn! After taking a break from his Olympic campaigns, he can now focus on doing some MTB events like Cape to Cape.
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Cape To Cape On The Little Screen | Relive last year’s race
A documentary is created to tell the story of the event every year, and since the early days, it has been broadcast far and wide. We even remember it being played multiple times on network TV and sometimes in remote locations on the big screen at the pub! Quite unique for a mountain bike event in regional Western Australia.
It’s a great way to get insight into the event, and last year’s documentary is online for your viewing pleasure.
“The elites are a big portion of the story and the race. It was amazing to have National Champions competing and be really close after four stages of racing,” Grygorcewicz explains.
“If you do watch the documentary, if we’re focusing more on those elite races, some people might be put off and think that’s all the event has to offer. But really, we see the Cape to Cape MTB event as a mountain bike holiday,” she continues.
The documentary is a bit of a love letter to the Margaret River region and tells the story of the regular Joes and Janes in the field while covering the racing action.
Race your e-MTB at the Cape to Cape
As Flow covered last year, e-MTBs were allowed for the first time. This allows people to take on the challenge at a slightly lower intensity (depending on how you approach it). It was only a small field of e-MTBs last year. We love e-MTB’s here at Flow and are excited to see how this category develops.
Check out the article on e-MTBs and Cape to Cape if you want to find out more.
What Makes Cape to Cape So Popular?
Margaret River is a tourist destination, so it has a lot to offer. The town itself has quite a buzz to it. It has a country-town vibe, but it also has heaps of cafes, restaurants, and interesting stores to check out. There are also famous wineries in every direction, as well as natural caves, and obviously, the beaches are world-famous.
For the Eastern state riders, you can now fly direct to Busselton, as Flow did for our last WA road trip, reducing the travel time to the Margaret River region.
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Staying in Margaret River is probably the most central location for the event. But booking accommodation near the beach can really give you the full holiday vibe. The closest beach areas are Prevelly or Gnarabup, where you can watch the breathtaking WA sunsets from the coastline.
The relatively short stages allow time for riders to recover and then experience the region.
“You’re racing for half a day until lunchtime, and then you’ve got the rest of the afternoon to really enjoy Margaret River and what that offers,” says Grygorcewicz.
Get Planning and See You There!
As the Cape to Cape is a multi-day event, it takes a bit more time to organise and train for it. It’s a good motivator to have on the horizon to help get you out on the bike during winter (especially for the eastern state crew). The Cape to Cape is designed for a wide range of mountain bikers and is a memorable experience.
With the EventMatrix team working hard to deliver a world-class event and building it from strength to strength, it will be a great time to get involved and have a riding holiday in the stunning southwest region of Australia. Cape to Cape is on from 16 to 19 October, 2025.
For more info or to grab your spot, head over to the Cape to Cape website.
Vandy’s Top Tips for Cape to Cape:
Bike Choice:
Cape to Cape attracts a wide range of riders; it also has a great range of bikes at the event. The optimal ride is a modern cross-country dual suspension. But you can ride whatever mountain bike you have available. It’s a run-what-you-brung type deal, and you won’t find yourself totally out-biked on any of the terrain. With that said, if all you have is a big, burly enduro bike or a hardtail, there is nothing stopping you from rolling up to the start line on that, too!
Bring your mates:
The social aspect of Cape to Cape is even more relevant for the multi-day event. A core group of friends and family really boosts the nearly week-long experience. It also gives you a crew to drag around to the post-race excursions to check out everything Margaret River has to offer.
Give yourself time:
If you can arrive one or two days before the event, it really helps create a relaxing vibe. You can also ride some of the singletrack sections near Margaret River to get your eye in before the event and make sure your bike is still running well after the flight.
Training:
It always makes the racing more enjoyable if you get some consistent training. Anyone can come off the couch and battle through one day of racing, but the cumulative effect of the multi-day stage racing can get quite challenging if you haven’t done some consistent riding in the months leading up to Cape to Cape. I’m talking a few hours riding 3-5 days per week if you can find the time.
Enjoy the area:
It’s essential to explore the region with your crew. The Margaret River area is full of wineries, breweries, chocolate factories, natural wonders, and the list goes on. Don’t go wild with the extra activities, but maybe plan to do one non-race-related thing per day to enjoy it fully without exhausting yourself too much.
Photos: Daniela Tommasi Photography
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