Before the start of Marys Mayhem, CycleHub asked Colleen (from Allambie Heights) what her hopes were for the event that her husband was lining up for.

"That we don't end up in a hospital," she said. "He could break an arm. He has done it before."

In the end, her husband, Guy, survived, but Colleen wasn't the only one feeling nervy.

Richard, from Armidale, was feeling underprepared for the 100-kilometre race.

"I haven't done any training for it," he told CycleHub.

Arriving that morning, CycleHub had parked its ute next to another, which turned out to be owned by Geeb, from the Avoca area of the Central Coast.

He had an air compressor, which several of us hastened to use to get our tyres to just the right pressure before the race.

Geeb did much of his training indoors, on Zwift and Training Road, because he finds it fits better around work and family.

In total, Geeb has 10 bikes, and he said his biggest fear is that his wife might sell his bikes for what he told her he paid for them.

Geeb came solo, but many others came in groups. Brett from Curry came with his two daughters. He and Ebonie from Dubbo completed the medium course together, while Katie (from Canberra) was there for support.

Ebonie said, "I've never ridden this far before, but it's my 30th birthday on Wednesday, and I want to do a bit more gravel riding."

Brett himself is in the middle of preparations for the Hunt 1000, a self-supported bike-packing journey, which explains why he rode Marys Mayhem with about 7 kilos of extra racks and packs.

Another rider who brought a support person is Trudy from Cobar in Outback New South Wales. Her husband Ben came along for emotional and mechanical support.

She was riding a five-year-old Trek Top Fuel, which is really designed for more technical terrain than long gravel distances. But, Trudy said, "I've never done a gravel event before, so I didn't want to go all out and get a new bike."

Note that the best photos on this page are from the official event photographers, Outer Image Collective. Others come from riders’ own shots.

Winning, then collapsing at the finish

While most participants were at Marys Mayhem to enjoy the day, some were in it to win it.

Ben from Avalon won the 100-miler, with an impressive time of 4:44:05.16, or about 33.2km per hour.

"It was a massive day," he told CycleHub enthusiastically, afterwards. Ben's a competitive triathlete, but now he reckons he loves gravel riding much more.

"I love the community," he said. "There's intense competition, but the vibe is just so nice."

Ben lost a water bottle when it bounced out of his cage during the race, but help was at hand.

"A guy was like, 'Grab one of my bottles.'

"That wouldn't happen in a triathlon."

Ben explained how he ended up winning.

"The bunch had cut down to four of us, and then it ended up me and the guy who came second. We rode for the last 50, 60 kilometres together."

The second-place finisher was Jarrad, whose time was 3:14.52 slower than Ben's.

The headwinds took every ounce of effort out of Ben. The last five kilometres were pure torture, he said, and he collapsed in the grass as soon as he crossed the finish.

"It was game over," he said.

A Former Pro Rediscovers Glory

The fastest female rider on the hundred-mile course was Margaret Hemsley, of Miranda in the ACT. She finished in just 5:20:12.88.

Margaret is a former pro racer who won the Australian National Road Race Championships in 2002.

Right at the start, on the initial 2 km climb, she joined one bunch of riders that was pulling ahead of the main group.

"Then, I jumped from the second bunch to the front bunch, and that was it. There were about 12 of us that swapped off the lead, and it was quite great."

Despite her incredible performance. Margaret said she never trains on 100-mile efforts.

"I actually wouldn't want to train this long," she said. "Three hours is nice."

Another finisher gave it his all

Ben, the day's winner, collapsed at the finish, but he wasn't the only one. Aidan from Newcastle also ended up in the grass, unable to move for at least 15 minutes after completing the medium course.

He had only just purchased his bike, a Salsa Cutthroat, from a friend a few weeks earlier.

The bicycle was outfitted with big, purple platform pedals, and Aidan had aquamarine Converse hightops on his feet.

"I always rode BMX," he said, "so this is what I have."

Aidan put in an effort to be proud of, although he also suffered from the headwind.

So did Gabriel, of Collaroy Plateau. "The headwind was diabolical," he said. "I think it was 40 kilometres of headwind."

On the other hand, Gabriel praised the organisers. "It was super well managed, and everyone is so friendly."

Gabriel and his friend Steve, from Manly, came to the event with a larger group from the well known Northern Beaches bike shop, Sticky Bottle.

Steve wasn't in the best shape at the start line. "I had three hours' sleep," he said, "but when that gun goes off, and you're in the spirit of it, it's hard to hold back."

"My Achilles heel is the hills," said Steve, "but I think that's the same for everybody."

Australia's only gravel series

Marys Mayhem is part of Graveleur's annual gravel series, which is the only such series in the country.

That's one reason the Bushranger belt buckles are so prized. They are awarded only to those riders who complete all three long courses in a single year. In 2025, just four people earned a buckle. In 2026, 32 did, including three who obtained their second buckle.

Jamie Miller and Margaret Hemsley are the 2026 series champions.

Graveleur's three events (Thunderbolts Adventure, Clarkes Gambit, and Marys Mayhem) are all in NSW, but Graveleur's director Mike Israel is eager to attract more riders from other states.

That's why he was excited to welcome two keen cyclists to Marys Mayhem who had made the 10-hour drive up from Frankston, Victoria.

One of them, Judy, explained to CycleHub that she was doing the long course and her husband the miler.

"We like the longer stuff, and there are fewer events around home these days, so we thought it's worth coming up for."

Judy's husband, Tom, is a triathlete and cycling coach who wants to bring a whole team of Victorian riders to Graveleur in 2027. If you're interested, contact him via leveluptricoaching.com.au.

Who was Mary, anyway?

Every Graveleur event in the Bushranger Series is named after a famous outlaw from Australia's past.

Marys Mayhem takes its name from Mary Ann Bugg, a proud Worimi woman who had some fifteen children and was one of the country’s first female bushrangers. She was also partner to Captain Thunderbolt, after whom Graveleur's Thunderbolts Adventure is named.

Among her many exploits, Mary is believed to have swum across Sydney Harbour with a file in her teeth to help Thunderbolt escape confinement on Cockatoo Island.

While bushranging was a family affair for Mary Ann Bugg and Captain Thunderbolt, hosting great gravel events is a family business for Graveleur's Israel family.

Mike's better half, Sarah, was running the check-in and merch tent at Marys Mayhem.

"The most popular item is the Graveleur hoodies," she said.

What you can't buy at the merch tent is a Bushranger belt buckle.

"You have to earn it," Sarah said. "You have to go through a lot of pain, but the people who've got them love them."

Mike and Sarah's daughter, Dani, and her partner Jacob were also volunteering.

But Mike might have to get some new helpers because Dani said she's getting the itch.

"They look like they're having a lot of fun out there, so I might like to get into it," she explained. "I've done a few runs, but you get to go faster on a bike."

Riding saved his life

Rusty from Oatlands was a competitive rider as a junior who many years later has found his way back onto the saddle.

"I had a 20-year hiatus and got particularly overweight and unhealthy.

"Riding saved my life. I had high blood pressure and high cholesterol. My GP said, 'Keep going this way, and you're going to drop dead."

Rusty got back on the bike, put his racing experience to work, and is now not just extremely fit but also a professional cycling coach. Find him at Peak Velo.

Disaster struck twice

Disaster struck Oliver from the Northern Beaches at the worst possible moment. He was leading the front group of the miler when he washed out on a corner, fell hard, and broke three ribs.

Organiser Mike Israel picks up the story from there. "My daughter in law Abi is a registered nurse. She and my son Tom were nearby and able to respond right away. They got Oliver to the hospital."

Oliver was well enough to drive himself home on Sunday.

A mechanical crisis hit Mike from Gordon, who was writing in the same lead bunch as Oliver.

About 50 kilometres into the ride, he said, "My crank fell off the bike but was still attached to my foot."

Luckily, there was someone nearby who had the right tool to put it back in. Over the next hour, Mike was able to catch back up to the group he had been riding with.

In the end, he finished the 100-miler in sixth place, with a time of 5:16:53.20.

Sunday, and the morning after

After Saturday's big events, in which more than 330 riders took part, fewer than half had the fortitude to get up on Sunday and get back on their bikes.

At least 125 did the medium course on Sunday. Winner Matt Dyne completed the 56 kilometres and 528 metres of elevation in just 1:32:31.74, at an average pace of 36.0km per hour.

Sunday's fastest female rider was Grace Joel. At a pace of 31km per hour, she finished in 1:47:20.44.

Having already made it all the way out to Mudgee, some riders stayed on until Monday, with just one thing in mind...

Good coffee.

Specifically they were seeking coffee from Mr X, which is considered "the best coffee you will have anywhere," according to those in the know. Unfortunately for out-of-town visitors, Mr. X doesn't work on weekends.

So, when you plan your 2027 trip to Mudgee for the next Marys Mayhem, consider scheduling yourself for an extra day in town.

Useful links

• Marys Mayhem 2026 race results
• Saturday short course
• Saturday medium course
• Saturday long course
• Saturday miler
• Sunday short course
• Sunday medium course
• Graveleur's home page
• Find your next Cycling event in CycleHub's event database