About the Pyramid Race & Country Fair

The Great Pyramid Race and Country Fair is held every year in mid August in the small community of Gordonvale, located 24 kms south of Cairns. Other Sporting activities on this day include a 5km Road run and 1.5km Road Race. Markets, Entertainment, Children’s activities, workshops, rides and amusements are held in the central park, culminating in a fireworks spectacular and local bands ’ Rage Avenue’ and ‘Far Northern Soul Collective’ playing till late.

Race Facts

How the legend began

It began 53 years ago, in a local Gordonvale pub, with two cane farmers having an ‘argument’ after the end of a hard days work! They decided to settle this ‘argument’, with a race to the peak of the nearby Walsh’s Pyramid. This was (and still is) no ordinary race.

A wager was made between the two cane farmers to see who could run up in the quickest possible time. This race created so much interest that the local bookie took bets on which cane farmer was ‘right’.

From this humorous start, to a full day event with the “Great Pyramid Mountain Race” now having up to 175 runners. Since the race began, the training for the competition has gone from “no training at all and chasing wild pigs in the scrub”, to “intense training programmes for dedicated athletes”.

The first official race took place in 1959 to coincide with Queensland’s Centenary Celebrations and now is an annual event where some of the finest and strongest from around the world gather and strive to conquer the Mountain.

Now recognized on the National Race Endurance Calendar and part of the Australian Mountain Running Association Calendar and with Trans Tasman links and other international attention, it has made this Mountain Challenge a “Great Race”.

Great Pyramid Race Records

5km Road Race Records