Hale started the Pedal Prix season in Term 2 with the hope, amidst all the uncertainty at the time, that there would be a race in which to compete in Term 3. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 and border restrictions, the Busselton Pedal Prix event, which is run by the South Australian organising committee for the Australian International Pedal Prix, was cancelled.
To maintain the momentum of Pedal Prix at Hale School we felt we needed to do something in lieu of the cancellation. The search began with a list of selection criteria: support the “Do it in WA” campaign, must be a weekend away, must have a large safe road surface for a race track, and suitable accommodation for up to 40 people. Through consultation with CBH Group and the Mukinbudin Shire we were given permission to use the roads around the Mukinbudin CBH grain storage facility (currently empty and not in use) and stay in the Mukinbudin recreation/sporting complex.
On the weekend of 15 and 16August, instead of heading south to Busselton the Hale School Pedal Prix Team headed east to Mukinbudin for a six-hour lap-a-thon. It was the only Pedal Prix event run in Australia this year.
It was a great weekend. After the four-hour bus trip, Saturday afternoon was spent exploring Deeranning Rock and finding the Indigenous rock art followed by attempts to catch yabbies in a dam. Sunday was an early start down at the CBH grain storage facility setting up the course for the lap-a-thon. Despite the rain and the subsequent mud, it was another all-round great Pedal Prix weekend. Well done to all the boys who participated and completed over 400 laps (520 kilometres) and thank you to the Shire of Mukinbudin for making this trip possible.
