MORE than four dozen ultra-endurance triathletes will tackle a grueling 355km course around Hervey Bay this weekend.
Organisers say 58 athletes have registered for the first ever Ultra355 to be staged in Australia.
The race takes place over three days and includes a 5km swim, a combined 300km on the bike and 50km of running.
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The Ultra355 is billed as the perfect stepping stone for athletes who want to transition from the Iron to Ultraman distance.
Saturday’s racing includes a 5km swim from Scarness Beach to the Urangan Pier and a 100km bike ride.
Sunday will see athletes ride 200km on a route that includes turns in River Heads and Torbanlea.
Other areas the bike leg passes through include Booral, Sunshine Acres, Beelbi Creek, Toogoom, Dundowran, Point Vernon and the Charlton Esplanade.
You can view the full race route, here.
The race precinct or transition area will be stationed at Pier Park in Urangan.
One of the athletes who’ll be testing his endurance this weekend is Richard Thompson.
Mr Thompson said he was hopeful weather conditions would allow for fast times, even if it might get “a little warm.”
“It’s good to be racing again and to be here in Hervey Bay,” he said.
The 35-year-old said ultra-endurance events were great ways for athletes to test their own abilities but also foster a sense of camaraderie among competitors.
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He said they would all go through the same thing and to see everyone turn up at the start of each day was great.
“It’s an enormous achievement for anyone to do it, the legs feel terrible afterwards though,” Mr Thompson joked.
He said the heat over the three days would determine a lot about the athletes’ individual performances.
Event coordinator Mel Kemp encouraged people to get out on the route and support the athletes.
“Especially the run on the last day. Everyone taking part will need the support in those final hours,” she said.
The nature of the event means there is no real impact on the local community. As such, roads along the route will remain open.
Commuters can expect some activity around the race precinct area in the vicinity of the Urangan Pier.
Partly cloudy conditions with maximum temperatures in the early 30s are expected across all three days of racing.