Mareeba to Chillagoe Wheelbarrow Race 2012 | |
Sorted by Fastest to Slowest Teams | |
TEAM NAME | Total Time |
The Fit Bucks (Record) | 7:25:32 |
Pimp My Barrow | 7:47:05 |
Team Chillagoe | 8:01:53 |
Army Razorbacks (Record) | 8:12:53 |
Flying Scotsman (TRC) | 8:18:38 |
St Stephen’s Blitz | 8:31:16 |
The Orunnertans | 8:37:21 |
Freshwater Christian College | 9:01:40 |
Indie-Structables | 9:10:42 |
Dentists on the Run (JCU) | 9:15:28 |
Hot Fuzz | 9:20:41 |
Rotary Team 1 (Record) | 9:27:38 |
High Voltage | 9:28:02 |
Blue Lightning Speed Kills | 9:30:00 |
Harvey Norman Hot Shots | 9:31:59 |
Bad Boys | 9:35:57 |
The Fighting Irish (TRC) | 9:42:10 |
Mountain Goats | 10:08:57 |
The Dream Team | 10:10:54 |
Amalgamated Pest Control | 10:11:12 |
JCU Silver Gems | 10:13:52 |
Wheelie Mad Women | 10:23:12 |
St Stephen’s Angels | 10:29:27 |
Supporters of 65 Roses | 10:35:46 |
Chillagoe Pininjilah’s | 10:46:28 |
Bowhunters NQ | 10:46:33 |
Mareeba PCYC | 10:51:44 |
Abacus Angels | 10:54:18 |
Dimbulah Divas | 11:04:53 |
Ninja Turtles | 11:08:17 |
Miles 4 Smiles | 11:10:44 |
3 Dudes & 14 Boobs | 11:35:42 |
Wheelie Mad Women (2) | 11:39:31 |
Rotary Team 2 | 11:41:31 |
Curves | 11:43:43 |
E = ma3 (trio team) | 12:02:17 |
Chillie Fillies | 12:15:43 |
Natural Athletes | 12:44:23 |
Team Chillagoe – Not So Serious | 12:59:43 |
Happy Campers | 13:07:07 |
Pirate Ducks | 13:20:30 |
Dumb & Dumber | 14:10:32 |
Bitumen Bee-Arches (Record) | 14:40:04 |
Curves Too | 14:59:43 |
Molly’s Angels | 15:00:55 |
Dimbulah Divas Running Wild | 15:07:32 |
Weaver | 16:16:44 |
Andres Real | 18:39:04 |
The Last Joker | 20:17:19 |
Chillago Fossil | 23:49:07 |
Byrnes Street Medical | 23:59:59 |
El Bustardo | DNF |
Charity record smashed
Four Race Category records smashed
From the fast-finishing The Fit Bucks team to the courageous effort of 75-year-old Jon Booth, the 2012 Great Wheelbarrow Race had it all, with 52 teams crossing the finishing line at Chillagoe on Sunday afternoon.
Despite sore legs and tired muscles, the 600-strong crowd of competitors and support crews were in high spirits as they gathered in Chillagoe after the race to hear that the Cairns-based Fit Bucks were the overall winners of the 140km race.
The team put in a huge effort over the three-day event, finishing in the fastest time on every day, giving them the prestige of pushing the yellow wheelbarrow in each leg of the race.
On the leg from Dimbulah to Almaden (64km), Fit Bucks put in an outstanding effort, leaving last at Dimbulah and passing 51 teams to be the first team to cross the finish line in Almaden.
They smashed the record in the Men’s category, finishing the race in 7 hours 25 mins and 32 seconds.
Two other records were also broken – in the Over 40s category by the Mareeba Rotary Team 1, and in the Services category by the Army Razorbacks.
The Duo Ladies team, Bitumen Bee-Arches (Sonya Alba-Miller and Stephanie Inderbitzin), also broke the record in their category, recording a time of 14:40:04.
Huge Charity Effort!
Race Committee Chairman Alan Pedersen said the event was a huge success with 24 teams, who also competed for charity, smashing the record for fundraising.
“Between them, the 24 teams raised $144,861, which is just a fantastic effort for local charities,” he said.
The amount raised last year was just over $124,000.
The Great Wheelbarrow Race committee also donated $700 which was raised by raffling off a signed Cowboys jersey, generously donated by Coca-Cola Amatil. The money was presented to Tablelands Relay for Life who launched their event on Saturday night at Almaden.
The raffle brought the total funding raising efforts of the event to $145,561.
Wheelie Mad Women were the winners of the charity effort, raising $28,218 for FNQ Cerebral Palsy.
Other major fundraisers were Supporters of 65 Roses (for cystic fibrosis) who raised $18,020, Mareeba Rotary Teams 1 & 2 ($16,000), High Voltage ($10,840), Dimbulah Divas ($7600), Natural Athletes ($7000), Indie-Structables ($6000), and Chillie Fillies ($5780).
Talent Quest and Theme Award winners
Cr Pedersen said the teams enjoyed a fantastic night at Almaden on Saturday, entertained by Crackin’ Toe Jack, and some very talented competitors.
“There were about 900 people at Almaden and that’s a real boost to this very small community,” he said.
The Talent Quest in Almaden was hotly contested again this year, with Amalgamated Pest Control winning the event with their Rocky Horror Picture Show performance, followed by Harvey Norman Hot Shots, and Rotary Teams 1 & 2.
Amalgamated Pest Control also won the Best Theme award with their costumes that reflected the characters of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The Chillagoe Fossil does it again!
The Chillagoe Fossil, Jon Booth, who turns 76 in a few days, was greeted like a hero in each town along the way and has vowed to do it all again – for the 10th time – next year.
“I have been in the wheelbarrow race every year so I don’t think I could miss that one,” he said.
Tablelands Regional Council Deputy Mayor Evan McGrath was given a round of applause on Sunday for the marshalling role he took on for Jon for the majority of the race, meaning the councillor also walked about 90km during the event.
Cr McGrath told the crowd that Jon had been feeling very sick on Saturday afternoon but refused to give up and courageously pushed on, managing to make it into Almaden about 5.30pm.
The winners of the Race Categories were:
Mens: 1st – The Fit Bucks (record time); 2nd – Team Chillagoe; 3rd – Bowhunters NQ (from Tully)
Ladies: 1st – Wheelie Mad Women; 2nd – St Stephens Angels; 3rd – Dimbulah Divas
Mixed: 1st – Pimp My Barrow; 2nd – The Flying Scotsmen (TRC team); 3rd – The Orunnertans
Over 40s: 1st – Rotary Team 1, who broke the record for this category for the second consecutive year; 2nd – Amalgamated Pest Control; 3rd – Abacus Angels
Schools: 1st – St Stephens Blitz; 2nd – Freshwater Christian College; 3rd – Bad Boys
Services: 1st: Army Razorbacks (51st FNQ Regiment); 2nd – Hot Fuzz (Cairns police team); 3rd – Blue Lightning Speed Kills (Mareeba police team).
Duos: 1st – Dumb and Dumber (David Ferguson and Michael Hoskin from Mareeba); 2nd – Bitumen Bee-Arches; 3rd – Dimbulah Divas Running Wild
Solos: 1st – Brad Weaver (high school teacher from Mareeba); 2nd – Andres Real; 3rd – The Last Joker (Samuel Lewis)
10th Anniversary coming in 2013!
Cr Pedersen said he wished to thank everyone involved in organising and running the event and paid particular thanks to sponsors who said were critical in funding the race.
“It was tremendous effort by everyone involved – we couldn’t have asked for better weather and there were no problems along the way, so the whole event went off without a hitch and we thank everyone who had a hand in making it happen,” he said.
Next year is the 10th anniversary of the race and organisers are expecting another record number of teams to contest the event.
Ends…….
Great Wheelbarrow Race 2025
Fundraising Amounts
Year Amount
2007 $13,480
2008 $14,200
2009 $44,398
2010 $87,315
2011 $123,000
2012 $153,000
2013 $461,000
2014 $437,000
2015 $243,300
2016 $200,000
2017 $195,289
2018 $110,000
2019 $140,000
2020 COVID-19
2021 COVID-19
2022 $132,230
2023 $189,389
2024 $93,342
Total $2,636,943 which is outstanding for any sporting event.