AUSTRALIA’S most unique mountain bike event has been cancelled at Falls Creek for 2021, due to the ongoing uncertainty with COVID restrictions.

Falls Creek Resort Management this week announced the difficult decision to cancel the McKayos event, scheduled for the weekend of October 2 and 3.

The event was forecast to welcome more than 400 racers from around Australia to challenge themselves on the iconic course with interest being sky high following the event's postponement in 2020.

The course is infamous in mountain biking circles as the only mass start event in Australia which sees racers battle head–to–head on snow, roads and trails.

Racers drop over 1000 vertical metres from the Summit of Falls Creek to the finish line at Bogong Village some 15km from the start line.

Event supervisor, Nick Buckley, said with the ongoing effects of the COVID–19 pandemic causing uncertainty for organising major events and other external factors, Falls Creek Resort Management was left with no choice but to cancel the event again for 2021.

“Falls Creek Alpine Resort is devastated to have had to cancel the iconic McKayos MTB event for the second year running," Ms Buckley said.

“We know how disappointed our riders, stakeholders and community will be not to see the McKayos of the race unfold in our alpine resort.

"We want to thank all the racers, spectators and crew who have made the past iterations of McKayos so amazing, it’s been quite the ride!”

As the McKayos event usually signifies the transition for the resort from winter skiing operations to summer alpine activities, Ms Buckley encouraged participants to look ahead to the

three–day Ignition MTB festival scheduled to be held at Falls Creek on November 19 to 21.