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In this edition:
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Planning Dates for the 39th M2M - 2026.
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Event Review.
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Presentation at Railway Place - Port Fairy.
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Congratulations to the Graham Woodrup Award Awardee.
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M2M Participants Prize's for 2025.
Planning Dates for 2026:
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M2M - Saturday 28 March & Sunday 29 March 2026
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Easter - Good Friday: 3 April, 2026.
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Easter - Easter Sunday: 5 April, 2026.
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Easter - Easter Monday: 6 April, 2026.
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Victorian School Holidays Start - Tuesday 7 April and end - Sunday 19 April, 2026.
We always avoid the Easter Break and next year Daylight Savings ends on the same date as Easter Sunday - Sun 5 April. This is why the M2M will be on the last weekend of March.
The Murray to Moyne Committee have also commenced planning for the 39th and 40th edition of this iconic event. We will be asking for Teams input as to how best to celebrate the next two years!
2025 M2M Event Review:
The M2M wishes to thank everyone who participated in the 2025 Murray to Moyne for a safe and enjoyable weekend. The weather, was very favourable for the bike riders and the Northern wind down from Hamilton via Hawkesdale was very welcome and enabled all teams to arrive in Port Fairy before the presentation.
The on-route catering proved popular with riders and supporters and we look forward to continue to develop catering options along the route. The accommodation at HILAC in Hamilton was popular, and the $2:00 coin donation has been passed on to a charity in Hamilton. Thanks to the Southern Grampians Shire and HILAC for their assistance in organising this option for our teams. The accommodation in the Sheep Pavilion was not used this year and we recommend that this will cease to be an option next year.
First Aid Report: We did have a couple of riders who did come off their bikes with minor grazes. One riders required a knee bandage and another rider required an ambulance as a precaution - we can report the rider was all ok, except for some abrasions. We would like to thank the rider from another team who was able to give very prompt assistance due to his medical training. Its a reminder that we must maintain our concentration and focus right to the end of the ride.
This year the roads were all clear of roadworks but we did have some route changes on entry into Port Fairy. The Moyne Bridge was a concern - especially if the road was wet - We were lucky that the rain waited until after the presentation. The intersection with the Princes Highway was very well managed with our volunteers and the presence of the Vicpol Highway Patrol. By cutting out the Macarthur Route to Port Fairy there was more traffic on the Penshurst route, but the start order ensured we had good gaps between the teams of riders, ensuring a safer ride to Port Fairy. The exit out of Mildura was assisted by the presence of the Mildura Highway Patrol and the riders had a good run down to Warracknabeal - where the ride stopped for 15 minutes. The Macarthur Route was used by non- designated vehicles this year and it all seemed to work well!
A very big thank you to all our volunteers who help us provide this iconic event each year. These include: Event Officials, Motorcycle Marshalls, Ground Crews at Hamilton & Port Fairy, the Corner Marshalls along the 2 routes and the volunteers helping to provide catering on route and in Port Fairy. Without our volunteers, there would be no M2M !
This years event has raised about $350,000 for all our teams health related charities ! Well done to all teams for their efforts and especially to all out Team Captains, who invariably keep the teams on the road each year. Congratulations.
The next Newsletter will be published in September - so enjoy the winter cycling and the very welcome rain last weekend for the South West and Northern County - It has been most appreciated.
M2M Participants Prize's for 2025
Thank you to our very special Sponsors for donating the following event participation prizes.
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Port Fairy Big 4 Caravan Park Prize No 1– Voucher. Brett Mueller, Love Almonds, Team 36
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Port Fairy Big 4 Caravan Park Prize No 2 – Voucher. Phillip Dwyer, South West TAFE Team 117.
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Hearn’s Port Fairy Weekend Accommodation: One-night voucher for a luxury one-bedroom Villa. Stephen Philpot, Let’s Talk, Team 20.
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Langley’s Port Fairy Weekend Accommodation: Gift Voucher to stay at one of our many holiday properties in Warrnambool or Port Fairy. Charlie Reid, CRANKS, East Grampians Health, Team 130.
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Winners Protein Bars and Gels - Team Prize – This prize is made up of Gels and Protein Bars from the Winners organisations. Cohuna M2M, Team 60.
Graham Woodrup Memorial Award:
Each year 'The Graham Woodrup Memorial Award' is made to recognised a special contributor to the ethos of Graham and the M2M Cycle Relay.
The award is presented to someone who has displayed 'exceptional effort and inspiration' to others in the course of his/her team's involvement with the Murray to Moyne, In memory of 'Woody'.
This year the Award is made to Graeme Burchell - Scrubbers and the Gas Man, Team 121
Graeme has been associated with the M2M for many of the last 38 years and has displayed exceptional effort and inspiration to others and is a worthy recipient of the GWMA.
Graeme has been inspirational in getting more people to realise the health and social benefits of riding a bike and using his talents to assist individuals to raise funds for Hospitals and health related charities. In addition, Graeme has used his considerable knowledge to improve the riding skills of young people of the district and of the many team members of the M2M teams he has been a member of.
Graeme has been an integral member of a number of teams and has been a leader assisting with team organisation, recruiting riders, coaching and improving safe riding skills and he has also acted as bus driver on occasions. He has been a team member of the following Teams: Nestles, Ambulance, Port Fairy Women’s Team, Moyne Shire Youth Team, and Warrnambool Base Hospital Operating Theater Staff Team.
Many of the riders recruited into these teams were not seasoned bike riders and Graeme was inspirational in improving their level of fitness, ability to ride in a bunch safely, and sourced a range of vehicles and trailers, many of whom required rewiring by Graeme - using his professional electrical abilities. Graeme has overcome some difficult medical circumstances over the last couple of years and has been able to maintain his involvement with the M2M team. Graeme is highly respected by all those who come into contact with him and this is why he has been selected for this years award.
The Murray to Moyne Cycle Relay is organised by a Committee of 12 volunteers, who for the last 38 years have put together this pioneering and unique event. Where else can you ride from one side of the State to the other in 24 hours in safety.
Where else can you ride from the Mighty Murray River, through a stunning landscape and arriving at Australia Felix and the Western Victorian Coastal Town of Port Fairy.
Over 100 Volunteers help us to conduct the M2M - These include our special Motor Cycle Marshall’s, Corner Marshall’s, First Aid Officers, Ride Officials, Ground Crews in Hamilton & Port Fairy. We could not run this event without these volunteers !
All funds raised by the M2M are donated to Health Related Charities in 3 States.
The event continues Graham Woodrup or Woody's dream of getting more people to realise the fabulous health and social benefits of riding a bike and using your talents to help people.
In the spirit of our founder - Cycling Marathon Man - Graham (Woody) Woodrup
We wish to thank all of our 2025 event sponsors for their support and generosity.
Sponsors: Lane Transport - Killarney, Westvic Staffing Solutions, KFC - Bird Group, Big 4 Port Fairy Caravan Park, Rebecca's Cafe & Ice Creamery, Port Fairy Electrics, Langley's Accommodation, Hearn's, Port Fairy Accommodation.
Inkind Sponsors: Winners Sports Nutrition Bars & Gels - Team Prize Pack, Warrnambool Toyota, Norton Motor Group, Callaghan Motors, Warrnambool Auto Group, McLaren - Hunt Financial Group. Taits Legal, G & M Auto Electrics, Donehue’s Leisure - Hamilton & Mt Gambier, Warrnambool Sheet Metal. Steve Gray - Sign Writing, Hamilton Indoor Leisure and Aquatic Centre (HILAC).
M2M Supporters:Rotary Clubs, Lions Clubs, Moyne Shire, Moyne Health Service, Stawell Primary Schools, TechInsight Web Services, Hamilton SES, Java Jive Coffee - Hamilton, Great Coffee Moments - Port Fairy, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Victoria Police.
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