Russell rides the Hunt 1000 for Type 1 Diabetes

RUSSELL RIDES

In late November I will be riding the Hunt 1000, a self-supported 1,000 km backcountry bikepacking event, from Canberra to Melbourne, through the Australian Alps, from 22 November to 5 December.

I'm using the ride to raise awareness of Type 1 Diabetes and raise funds for Breakthrough T1D, a cause close to my family as my daughter, Sarah lives with Type 1 Diabetes every day.

While the challenge will last only a few weeks, diabetes is a lifelong challenge for thousands of Australians.  Any support, large or small, will help Breakthrough T1D continue its work in advocacy, education and support for people living with diabetes.

Thank you for being part of the journey.

#hunt1000 @hunt_bikes #bikepacking #type1diabetes @breakthrought1dau @diabetes_australia

A WORD FROM SARAH...

My name is Sarah and I have Type 1 diabetes. I am also a pediatric nurse who often looks after patients newly diagnosed with T1D.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition that requires extreme mental effort and daily injections. On average type one diabetics make 180 extra decisions per day than the average person in order to manage their diabetes.

Break through T1D does great work to increase awareness, advocate for, and provide support to Type one diabetics. They fund research into a cure, run support groups, and events. Most importantly, they run a program to supply young people, without private insurance, with insulin pumps. This makes a real and tangible impact to type one diabetics right now.

Please support my dad as he rides from Canberra to Melbourne and raises money for Breakthrough T1D.

HUNT 1000 DESCRIPTION

One thousand kilometres. Twenty-three thousand+ metres of climbing. One line drawn from Canberra to Melbourne, straight through the heart of the Australian Alps.

The Hunt 1000 is a self-supported bikepacking journey across some of the most remote and beautiful country in Australia. From the start in Canberra, you'll link backcountry trails, high plains, snow gum woodlands and towering native forest — past historic alpine huts, through river crossings and hike-a-bikes, over fast gravel and rough all the way to Melbourne.

There's no support vehicle, no course marshals, no one to carry your gear. You carry what you need, make your own calls, and take on the mountains at your own pace. That's the whole point. Every rider who rolls out of Canberra is responsible for their own ride — and every rider who reaches Melbourne has earned it.

The route is refreshed each year, so no two editions are the same. Expect remote campsites, big days, cold starts, and the kind of high-country riding you'll be telling stories about for years.

Grand Finish — Saturday 5th December 2026, Melbourne. 

https://huntbikepacking.com/the-hunt