There are plenty of ways to stay busy in NSW this year. The bustling state is constantly packed with events to not only look forward to but also do a hell of a lot more than just watch.

Whether it’s to dust off an old hobby, challenge yourself in ways you haven’t before or unleash your warrior spirit, we’ve teamed up with Destination NSW to share six events across the state and throughout the year that you can spectate — or enter — to achieve a new level of physicality in your life.

First up in the calendar of challenges is the Mudgee Classic. It’s part of The Classics, a national series of cycling events taking the best parts of the celebrated hobby and scaling it up to a level that makes it a bit above your standard Sunday morning ride. Set amongst the beautiful regional wine country of Mudgee, 268 kilometres north of Sydney, the one-weekend-only event is split into five courses to cater to all experience levels.

On Saturday, April 29, those looking for a cycling ride equivalent to ‘the scenic route’ will take to the Dirty Mudgee course, a 55-kilometre loop trail of smooth rural lanes, trails and country roads across 700 metres of elevation. Then on Sunday, April 30, riders can challenge themselves across the Social Classic (35 kilometres), Roulers Classic (65 kilometres), Challenge Classic (125 kilometres) or Maxi Classic (175 kilometres).

If April is too soon for you to enter, make a trip to the gorgeous Southern Highlands for a similar event in the form of the Bowral Classic. Taking place in the quiet country town across Saturday, October 21 and Sunday, October 22, the event will bring all the cycling action you’ll need to the usually peaceful locale. This is especially true at The Crit course on Saturday, a day of fast-paced racing around a tight-corner course in the middle of town.

And just like Mudgee, the following day will see the event open up with four alternative courses to meet any and all skill levels. Choose from the Social Classic (35 kilometres), Roulers Classic (85 kilometres), Challenge Classic (120 kilometres) or Maxi Classic (150 kilometres). At the time of publishing, registrations aren’t open, but you can register your interest on the website.

Iron Man flies, build gadgets, fight aliens and saves the world. The average competitor in an IRONMAN competition might not be able to do all that, but they probably feel like they could after finishing this mammoth, multi-legged race. Returning to Port Macquarie on Sunday, May 7, the historic triathlon brings the ultimate test of endurance to its brave participants, with three legs of different physicalities stretched over a whopping 226 kilometres course.

You read that right, 226 kilometres. If you’re unfamiliar with triathlons, they’re a single race divided into sections of swimming, cycling and running. This one takes you through Hastings River, along the shores of the Pacific and through Port Macquarie. The course will be lined with spectators and dotted with fuelling points since cheers alone won’t carry you to the finish. This event is not for the faint of fitness, and qualifying finishers can go on to compete in IRONMAN World Championships later in the year.

Further south and later in the year is an event of a similar calibre, but is only as extreme as you want it to be. That event is the Sydney Marathon, Australia’s largest running festival — and a candidate to host the Abbott World Marathon Majors. Happening in the Sydney CBD on Sunday, September 17, the marathon is split between four courses, each a different length but all going past the beautiful Sydney sights.

No matter your fitness level, you can enter: the 3.5-kilometre Family Run, the ten-kilometre Marathon, the 21-kilometre Half Marathon or the full 42-kilometre Full Marathon. Anyone over the age of 18 is eligible for the 10-kilometre or above. If all goes well, the Sydney Marathon will soon join the likes of the Tokyo Marathon, Boston Marathon, TCS London Marathon and more as a part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors.

If you want something in your race other than flagpoles telling you which turn to take, and you don’t mind getting a little messy, it might be worth registering for Tough Mudder. Tough Mudder is regarded as one of the biggest and best obstacle courses in the global obstacle community, and it’s happening for the first time since 2019 this October in Picton.

With the support of Destination NSW, the legendary event will run on Saturday, October 28 and Sunday, October 29. The event is split into five-kilometre, ten-kilometre and 15-kilometre courses that will have you running, walking, climbing, crawling, diving under and jumping over all sorts of obstacles — including walls, ladders, ropes, mud, ice, water, barbed wire and even live electric wires. Yes, obviously, this is not for the faint of heart. But fear not: you and any members of your team can skip any obstacles you don’t feel comfortable tackling.

If you like the sound of Tough Mudder, you can also enlist in Spartan Race and its Spartan NSW Trifecta Weekend, also hosted in Picton, on Saturday, September 16 and Sunday, September 17. This is an event of a similar nature but is instead themed around the ancient Greek warrior culture it’s named after. There are four courses to pick from with this event: a five-kilometre Sprint, a ten-kilometre Super, a 21-kilometre Beast, a four-hour Hurricane Heat, or for any young warriors, a 1-3km Spartan Kids.

Of course, there’ll be more obstacles than you can throw a spear at, including walls to climb over, ropes to swing from, barbed wire to crawl under, burning logs to jump over and not-burning weights to carry, plus spears to throw — this is Spartan Race after all. All finishers will receive a medal worthy of a warrior (a medal that is designed to attach with others if you dare enter multiple courses) and will get to make the most of onsite facilities to rest and recover before the trip home.

Middle images, left to right: Destination NSW, Marc Rafanell Lopez (Unsplash)

For more information on these events, and others happening throughout the year in NSW, visit the Destination NSW website. 

Images: Destination NSW