On the the weekend of the 3rd and 4th February the community of Goondiwindi opens its arms to welcome all competitors who have travelled from far afield to tackle this iconic event that has become a must do for any triathlon enthusiast.
The Hell of the West will start in the early hours of Sunday morning on the banks of the Macintyre River. The atmosphere is one of eerie calmness, as athletes try to conserve as much energy as they can before the gun goes off to start the triathlon known as Queensland's toughest.
The race for overall line honors is HEATING UP with a stellar lineup of some of the worlds best triathlete's set to toe the line at this years E&E Hell of the West.
In the women's event it will be a case of 'can anyone stop Sarah Crowley win her 5th HOTW'? Sarah is coming off an amazing season that saw her crowned ITU Long Course World Champion and a 3rd place in the World Ironman Championship in Hawaii. However, I'm sure young guns like Holly Grice, Kerry Morris and Alise Selsmark will be doing their best to push her all the way.
In the men's race it could be one of the deepest field we have seen at HOTW. The fur will be set to fly with the fastest swim-biker in world triathlon, Josh Amberger (2017 Oceania Ironman Champion) racing HOTW for the first time. Hot on his heels will be a pack of Australia's best triathletes including, Jake Montgomery (Australian 2016 Long Course Champion), Daniel Stein (2nd at HOTW 2017), Lindsay Wall (HOTW winner 2015) and Ryan Waddington. To add a little Trans-Tasman rivalry, Kiwi Callum Millward will be leading his Cupcake Cartel out west to try and steal the $2500 1st Prize cheque from the Aussies.