L-R: Boort’s Carly Isaac, winner of all three of her races, including Queen of the Mountain, charges towards the finish line; Melbourne’s Tom Rodgers is cheered on just metres away from being crowned King of the Mountain. Photos: Blake Lee

Alyssa Walker, Buloke Times

An empty throne; a kingless crown; a floating title. It’s been a long 35-years for Jim Russell and Sue Hart atop the rocky seat of Mount Wycheproof, but, last Saturday, that reign came to an end. Word spread quickly about the ruler usurped, and, with the crown up for grabs, people flooded into the home of the Demons, sights hungrily set on claiming the title of the next King and Queen of the Mountain.

Mount Wycheproof, standing at 42 metres above the surrounding countryside, is officially the smallest mountain in the world – but it would certainly seem a lot bigger with a bag of wheat on your shoulders!

Affectionately called “the toughest foot race in Australia”, the premise of the King of the Mount is simple: a 1 kilometre run up a steep slope whilst carrying a sack of wheat on your back (60 kilograms for the men and 20 for the women). The first person to reach the top gets to claim their royal right – and $5000 in prize money, of course.

Over 3000 people flocked to the town for the chance to seize the throne; from locals to Melburnians, and even interstate participants, the crowd hit the community like a breath of fresh air. The pubs were full at various stages over the weekend, the bakery was flat out, and good luck finding any space to watch the Grand Final in Centenary Park in the afternoon!

A ruler is no-one without loyal subjects, however, so before the King and Queen could be crowned, the ruling court had to be filled. With the sun beating relentlessly down, a forewarning for the summer months ahead, these races were a competition against not only other people, but the weather too – though one brave participant decided to run the whole thing in jeans.

You’d be hard-pressed to find any spare space to watch the races, though. Spectators lined every possible centimetre of the track – perched on rocks, trees, or camp chairs, or cheering from the comfort of their own front yard, the race to the top of the world’s smallest mountain certainly had a mammoth crowd.

The first court races were gluten-free, with no bags of wheat in sight yet, as competitors of the Mountain Dash categories took their places at the starting line. Ranging in age from at least 5 to 65, no-one was too young or old to conquer the world’s smallest mountain. With the course being a kilometre long and entirely uphill, though, it could hardly be considered a “dash” for its participants – with the exception, perhaps, of the extremely fit.

The Girls’ Mountain Dash (under-18) was up first. Of the 19 participants, it was Libby Thompson who reached the summit the fastest, with an impressive time of 4 minutes, 39 seconds. Millie Glowry and Priya Coatsworth weren’t far behind, however, and fought valiantly for second place to end up tying with 4 minutes, 47 seconds on the clock.

The Boys’ Mountain Dash (under-18) saw Avery McDermid leave his 44 other competitors in the dust, as he cruised through to the finish line with a time of 3 minutes and 3 seconds, barely even breaking a sweat! William O’Shannessy placed second on 3 minutes, 23 seconds, and Angus Cowell third with 3 minutes, 44 seconds.

The Women’s (18-plus) and Masters Women’s (40-plus) Mountain Dashes were held simultaneously, with 3 participants in the former and five in the latter. Carly Isaac – and get used to seeing her name, because this isn’t the last time you’ll read it – claimed her place in the court a whopping minute ahead of the rest of her competition, with a time of 3 minutes, 43 seconds. Tessa Coles placed second with 4 minutes, 53 seconds, and Pruella Anderson third with 6 minutes, 50 seconds. For the Masters, Joanne Scott claimed her first place in the court with a time of 5 minutes, 5 seconds, and, in another tie, Amy Leahy and Jem Wilson placed second with 5 minutes, 23 seconds.

There were 11 participants in the Men’s Mountain Dash and 5 in the Masters, and, in the fastest time of the day, Harrison Boyd took out the first place for the former, running the whole track in just under three minutes (2 minutes, 58 seconds). He nearly outran the buggy that was at the head of the pack to keep an eye on everybody! Angus Macafee wasn’t far behind him, though, coming in second with 3 minutes and 1 second, and Mitch Whitham third with 3 minutes, 29 seconds. For the Masters, Mark Ryan reached the summit first with a time of 3 minutes, 33 seconds, with Matt Banks second on 3 minutes, 59 seconds, and Jamie Waugh third on 5 minutes, 7 seconds.

After a quick break, it was time for the next court positions to be filled – it was time for the Wheelbarrow Relays.

No, not the type of wheelbarrow race where you hold the legs of another person as they try and walk on their hands. This was a literal wheelbarrow. And it was also the end of the gluten-free part of the event.

People gathered in teams of two to four, spread out at intervals throughout the whole 1-kilometre track, and raced to push not only a wheelbarrow uphill, but also the bag of wheat inside it. “It was hard enough just walking up the mountain,” one spectator was heard to say. “I can’t imagine doing anything like this!”

The final person in each leg of the race had the hardest job, though – the hill was steepest closest to the summit of the mountain, and because the wheelbarrow had to be steady, it wasn’t just the legs that were absolutely knackered at the end. Thank the stars for the emergency service workers and volunteers that were set up at the top with shade cloths, soft-fall mats, seemingly endless supplies of water bottles, and a chest full of Gatorade.

For the Women’s Wheelbarrow Relay, the team “Carly’s Girls” claimed victory with a time of 4 minutes, 2 seconds – and if you guessed that the “Carly” mentioned was Carly Isaac, you’d be right. This particular Boort Magpie was swooping in to claim victory everywhere! The winning Men’s team was “Can I Pat That Dog”, with a time of 4 minutes, 7 seconds.

And then it was time for the royal race. It was time for the King and Queen of the Mount to be crowned. The anticipation was palpable as the sun beat down, it obviously wanting to watch, too. With 26 participants battling for the throne in the women’s race, 20 kilogram bags of wheat on their backs, the only question was how badly they wanted to win.

You can’t use your arms to run, because they’re busy holding the wheat bag steady; you can’t look up because you’re bent double under the weight. With no idea how far you’ve gone or how far you have to go, it’s just one foot in front of the other, again and again and again. It’s a test of spirit as well as strength and endurance.

And, for the women, Carly Isaac had it all in spades. The Boort Magpie swooped in to claim another win and start her well-deserved reign as Queen of the Mount, with a time of 5 minutes, 4 seconds. Tara Eccles placed second with a time of 5 minutes, 53 seconds, and Mary-Anne Pollard third with 6 minutes, 3 seconds.

Nationals’ Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, ran the race too, and applauded the efforts of all involved in the event.

“I am no stranger to a good challenge,” she said with a laugh, once she’d recovered her breath at the summit, “but I was surprised with just how hard it was to run up that mountain with a twenty kilogram wheat bag on my shoulders.”

The men, however, had to deal with an extra 40 kilograms in their race. Lugging 60 kilograms anywhere isn’t easy, but uphill and battling not only heat, but flies and fatigue? For the 28 competitors fighting for the title of King, it was a gigantic effort to conquer the smallest mountain under those circumstances.

The city-dwelling out-of-towner, Tom Rodgers, certainly wasn’t going to let the country get the better of him. He made a name for both himself and Melbourne when he fought to the summit to claim his place as King of the Mountain, with a time of 6 minutes, 19 seconds. Matt Hall finished second with 7 minutes, 3 seconds, and Steven Jennings third with 7 minutes, 51 seconds.

Then, of course, it was time for the celebration to begin. Centenary Park was home to a crowd of revelry and sported activities for people of all ages. Vendors offered delicious treats for those competitors and spectators who needed to replenish their energy. Live music played from a central stage to provide an ambiance full of light and laughter, and the kids found jumping castles and face painting a brilliant way to spend their afternoon whilst the adults recovered (some perhaps learning the hard way that they don’t quite have the springboard knees of their youth anymore) before the Grand Final was projected on the big screen to all.

After a 35-year hiatus, the return of the Wycheproof King of the Mount was undoubtedly a triumphant one, and its success shall be the talk of the town for a long time yet. It was the dedication and the enthusiasm of participants, the unwavering support of the community, and the incredible band of volunteers that truly made the day something special; the return of this event serves as a testament to the strength of the human spirit, in more ways than one.

And so, the sun set on a new rule for the smallest mountain in the world. A throne has been filled, crowns now have a head to rest upon, and titles firmly attached and worn with pride. Carly Isaac and Tom Rodgers had their King and Queen of the Mount coronation, and though some may wish them a long and prosperous reign, there will be many others who hope it won’t be another 35 years before they can try to seize the throne for themselves!

See all the photos in the issue.

This article appeared in The Buloke Times, 6 October 2023.