23 Years of the Flight Centre Cycle Epic at Hiddenvale

The Flight Centre Cycle Epic started as a soul-crushing point-to-point mountain bike grind that started in Toowoomba, Queensland, and sprawled across the Lockyer Valley. It’s grown and matured into something far bigger – not just in scale, but in what it delivers for the modern mountain biker. 

What began as a gritty test of endurance has transformed into a celebration of trail culture and community, which also features some of Queensland’s best singletrack. More than two decades on, the Epic remains a cornerstone of Australian endurance mountain biking. This is the story of how it got there.

The Early Days of the Epic

It’s 2003. The third-generation iPod launched, the Iraq war began, and Finding Nemo made animated fish cool. Jeans were low-slung, lycra was baggy, and satin sportswear somehow became fashionable. It was a weird time – one that, as someone careening toward their 40s, feels both like yesterday and a lifetime ago.

2003 also marked the inaugural Flight Centre Cycle Epic. The first course was dreamed up, scouted, and ridden in 2002 by a group of mates who would become the event’s unofficial pioneers.

Back then, the race started atop Toowoomba’s range and took on a point-to-point format. Despite being billed as a 100km event, it was actually a soul-crushing 117km – something that caught out more than a few unsuspecting legs en route to the finish at Spicers Hidden Vale.

Despite mountain biking being even more niche back then than it is now, the Epic drew massive crowds. It wasn’t uncommon to see thousands of riders line up for the challenge.

True to the era, those early Epics combined long gravel grinds, open road sections, grassy paddocks, and hand-carved singletrack through Ma Ma Creek. It suited the bikes of the day – 80–100mm suspension, lycra shorts (of the slightly-too-baggy kind), and bar ends for efficiency on the flats…and hooking trees in the singletrack.

There are eight riders who have competed in every Epic, and John Forbes is one of these Epic experts who can recall every edition of the course; from the early years on his 26” Giant XTC to now on his 29” dually. His wife Alison Forbes is also an Epic veteran, having raced a huge 20 editions of the event. 

Speaking of the first years, John explains “on that first course in the first year, it rained and it was an absolute mudfest where people had to carry their bikes. You couldn’t push it because your wheels wouldn’t turn through Ma Ma Creek.”

Despite the inclement weather making the race a part mountain bike race, part cyclocross-style adventure, the Epic continued year after year – though the inaugural event’s mud-slogging disaster wasn’t the only misadventure for riders.  As John recalls, “one year it was 41 degrees as we rode through a town called Mount Sylvia. Another year they ran out of water on the feedzones, and the course was 117km instead of the 100km advertised so there were some broken riders that year. The organisers were heading backwards through the course, delivering water and coke to riders along the way”

Then came a turning point: the devastating 2011 floods that tore through the Lockyer Valley. Footage of water raging through Toowoomba’s centre dominated the news, cars tossed like toys, entire communities devastated – and lives lost. The iconic route through Ma Ma Creek was decimated, which forced a pivot in Epic course.

Rebuilding the Epic

With every cloud comes a silver lining, and Flight Centre CEO and Epic founder Graham ‘Skroo’ Turner is no stranger to having to pivot when times get tough. Growing up on an Orchard in south East Queensland, young Turner rode his bike to school – a passion that eventually evolved into developing the biggest mountain biking event in the region. Since the first year, Flight Centre has been the primary sponsor of the Epic.

A CEO that walks the walk, Turner is always listed in the results sheet at the Epic – being one of the eight riders to have competed in every Epic since its inception. In the 2025 race, namesake ‘Skroo’d Up Trail’ will feature to honor his involvement in building a mountain bike community in the region.

He established early editions of the race along with Flight Centre sponsorship, and had long held a vision: to host the entire event on the Spicer’s Hidden Vale property, owned by his wife Jude Turner. In the aftermath of the floods, that vision began to take shape. As mountain biking gained momentum and new trails were built, the 2011 Epic evolved to a showcase of the best trails Hidden Vale has to offer.

The redesigned 89km course moved away from its point-to-point roots. It now started and finished at Spicers Hidden Vale, looping out toward Mulgowie Pub and up the infamous Razorback climb. Though it retained some road and fire road, the updated Epic featured over 50km of singletrack – ushering in a new phase that matched the increasing capability of bikes and riders alike.

And that was just the beginning. Plans were already underway for a 100% singletrack Epic, fully contained within the property.

A New Epic for the Modern Mountain Biker

By 2016, that plan became reality. The Epic was reborn as a full singletrack marathon, wholly within the Hidden Vale Adventure Park’s trail network. It debuted with the 2016 Marathon National Series and included 10km of trail never before ridden.

With around 2,000m of climbing and descending – mostly on singletrack – it was a true test. New features like the Skyfall blue gravity trail and the flowy Ripple Effect helped shape the Epic into a race for real mountain bikers.

Gone were the long bunch-friendly gravel sectors. This new Epic demanded highly refined skills along with strength and endurance. It was raw, hard-earned, and deeply rewarding.

As Epic veteran Forbes explains “It sort of suited me in the early years because there were a lot of roads and fireroads, with big long climbs. When you compare that to the more recent routes, which is just about complete single track, they’ve made it shorter, but it’s much more arduous.”

Now, each year features a slightly different vibe as new trails are added and others omitted, but regardless – every single year is a challenge.

A Changing Crowd

As the saying goes “evolve or die” and the Epic has certainly moved with the whims of the mountain bike community: once a race dominated by lycra-clad cross-country racers, the Epic has grown into something more inclusive, more reflective of where mountain biking is today.

These days, you’re just as likely to see trail bikes and baggy kits as you are race whippets guzzling down 100g carbohydrates per hour via sickly sweet gels. While elite riders still show up to throw down, most participants are there to challenge themselves, conquer climbs, and enjoy the descents.

The event’s base at Hidden Vale makes logistics a breeze – accommodation at Spicers, family-friendly camping, and a vibrant event village atmosphere. While the 89km Flight Centre Epic is the showpiece (featuring an eye-watering 2500m of climbing in 2025), there’s something for everyone: the kids’ 4.2km, 11km and 22km Mini Epic events, the 49km Pursuit, and even a range of trail running events on Saturday. All this combined makes the Epic the perfect excuse for the ultimate family weekend away.

The Best Part of the Epic

Now, full disclosure while I tear that fourth wall down – I’ve done the Epic a bunch of times. Nine, to be exact, including six full Epics (two while pregnant), one DNF courtesy of daycare bugs, a couple of half-distance Epics, and even the 25km trail run event that, honestly, felt like a fever dream (because running is hard). Braggard alert: I’ve even won it a few times back in the day.

But now? I keep going back for the vibes.

That’s not something easily captured in words. The trail building over the past decade has been exceptional. Hidden Vale’s newest downhill line, Jalapeño, is a proper slice of techy goodness. While it’s not on the Epic course (you’ll dodge the gnarliest rock gardens), it’s a testament to the crew’s commitment to evolving with rider demand.

That doesn’t mean you aren’t in for a huge day on the trails. While the trails themselves are a joy (and towards the end, a suffer), the feeling when you cross the line at a marathon isn’t something that can be put into words. The elation, relief, joy – such a complex pelting of emotion after a huge feat on the bike regardless if you’re crossing the line in first or hours later.

The Spicer’s event village is sublime – head for a swim in their pool, relax on the lawns and have a celebratory beer and burger. It’s the perfect location for a family weekend away and for many riders, a mountain biking highlight of the year.

As John Forbes puts it as to why he rides the Epic every year, “I enjoy it and I think ‘I’ve done every one, I can’t miss it now’”.

So what are you waiting for, entries for the 2025 Flight Centre Cycle Epic are open now. 

Huge shout out to all that have played a part in making the Flight Centre Cycle Epic come alive over the past two decades including Hayden Brooks, Peter Creagh, Graham Turner, Tod Horton – without the passion of these few to negotiate road closures, land access, build epic trails and sponsor the event the Epic wouldn’t be in it’s 23rd year. Chapeau!