Murray to Moyne

Murray to Moyne is a cycling fundraising event for experienced cyclists that has been running for over 30 years.

Founded in 1987 by the late Graham Woodrup and his wife, Hester, the event has raised millions of dollars to promote health services in Victoria.

Murray to Moyne, 2025 Dates, Team Cycling Race Registration, Hamilton

The distances are immense, so the rides are completed as a relay with participating teams. Typically, a team will consist of 8-12 riders, team members, a support crew, and the riders. Generally, 2-4 riders of similar ability will relay with the other sub-groups in the team for a distance of 20 to 30km at a time.

Registrations must be completed for all team members, and forms are available on the event’s website. Riders in the Murray to Moyne Event must be at least 14.

There are three riding courses to choose from:
The “Night Ride”, a 520km distance relay that lasts all day Saturday, through the evening into Sunday
The “Day Timers”, a 250km to 300km distance relay that commences Saturday until dusk and finishes in either Horsham or Stawell (whichever is first by nightfall) with an additional 90kms on Sunday
The “Sunday Striders”, a 90km distance relay from Hamilton to Port Fairy on Sunday

The Murray to Moyne Cycle Relay had a humble beginning, when in 1987, Hester Woodrup and a team of Port Fairy women challenged her husband, Graham ‘Woody’ Woodrup, the Port Fairy Apex Club and another team of local identities to ride in relay from the Murray River in Mildura to the Moyne River in Port Fairy. The very first ride, which would raise money for the Port Fairy Hospital, started at 2pm on Saturday afternoon and with riding through the night, was completed within 24 hours. Right from the first ride Woody saw the potential for the event and his dynamic personality and enthusiasm in those early years established the M2M and enabled it to grow into the huge event it has become today.

That growth saw the event go from raising $10,000 in 1987 to an estimated $1.3m in 2011 when 1,204 riders representing 150 organisations rode on behalf of hospitals and health services throughout Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.

Woody himself was a cyclist of some repute. His legendary feats included riding from Perth to Sydney in 1988 – a distance of 4,380 km, which he covered in 10 days, 17 hours, and 56 minutes! Many other rides and cycling records were broken to raise money for the Port Fairy Hospital.

Tragically, Woody’s life ended while on a training ride on the 17th February 1992.

While Woody challenged everyone he met to get on a bike and have a go, he also set the example of being generous with your talents and helping others whenever you have the opportunity.

In memory of this marathon man of Australian cycling and to honour his commitment to raising funds for hospitals and health services, the Murray to Moyne continues today, some 38 years after its inception.

The Murray To Moyne Has Two Goals:

• To raise funds for Hospitals and Health Services throughout Victoria and Australia. In the spirit of the Murray to Moyne, to raise much-needed funds for health care, every team must nominate which Hospital or Health Service—health-related charity—they will raise funds for when they register.
•  To continue Woody’s dream of getting more people to realise the fabulous health and social benefits of bike riding.
The Murray to Moyne is a team relay event, so you can get a group of workmates, family or friends together and register a team, or let them know, and they’ll try and put you in touch with some other people who are keen to start up a new team in your area.