The 34 th annual Hell of the West (HOTW) Triathlon was held last weekend in Goondiwindi, with the race attracting top professional athletes, along with almost 700 individuals and over 60 teams competing over two days of events.
The event, which is one of few remaining ‘grass roots’ triathlons community-run triathlons in Australia, drew athletes from as far away as Cairns, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, and New Zealand but also attracted a record number of local competitors in the Total Ag Services HOTW and Kenway and Clark Super Saturday events.
Conditions on Super Saturday were hot and humid, but that didn’t stop both adults and kids alike, from taking part in the fun. Sunday’s conditions were perfect for racing, with the weekend being touted as great success.
Many local and visiting supporters came out to cheer on professional athletes, inspirational friends, family, and visitors. for what is known as Queensland’s toughest triathlon.
Event and Race Director, Tim Richards said, “we can’t be happier with how this year’s event has come together. The Goondiwindi Tri Club and the HOTW committee have brought yet another amazing event to life. We would
like to thank our wonderful volunteers, who once again did a fantastic job to deliver our competitors safely through the course, as well as the wider Goondiwindi community for their support of the event”.
Winner of the Professional Men’s Race, Kieran Storch took the tape in a blazing time of 3:26:33, which is the second fastest time recorded in the history of the race, while Richelle Hill, Winner of the Professional Women’s Race, notched up her second consecutive victory.
See it all happening … images below
Danielle De Launey from Brisbane and Patrick Hawkes from the Gold Coast took out the inaugural Allan Pitman Award for the fastest male and female age group athletes. This award pays homage to Allan Pitman – a 28-time HOTW finisher and 28-time HOTW age group champion who passed away late last year and was presented by Allan’s wife, Sandy Pitman, and Pete Jacobs, who was coached by Allan to his wins at HOTW 2008.
The hotly contested club awards went to Goondiwindi Triathlon Club taking out this year’s Neil Pagey Award, for the club with the highest number of HOTW finishers, and TriMob in second place. TriMob, who volunteered their time to help with the Hell Kids event, also took out the Goondiwindi Tri Club Spirit Award.
Every athlete who registered for the 2025 Total Ag Services Hell of the West received a handwritten letter from a local school student. This new initiative was very warmly received with some athletes promising to write back to their student, or to frame the inspirational document received.
The ‘Hell of the West’ is coordinated by local group, the Goondiwindi Triathlon Club who continue to operate the event and rely on the help of the Goondiwindi community, with over 300 volunteers assisting over the weekend. The event is officiated by AusTriathlon, and supported by Tourism Events Queensland, Goondiwindi Regional Council and many local and industry sponsors. With visitors and guests participating in events across the weekend, the festival attracts in excess 2,500 people to the region contributing an estimated $400,000 with direct economic and tourism impact.
Next year’s Hell of the West is already in the planning stage, with the event set to be held on 21-22 March 2026.
For further race details and results, head to https://www.hellofthewest.com/
For media enquiries or interviews, please contact; Sally Poole, HOTW Media & Marketing Coordinator on 0458295125.
