This has now finished. The details below applied up to Sunday 1 November 2026 and are kept as a record.
At a glance
- When
- Sunday 1 November 2026. 80km ride starts 6am; 53km ride starts 8am; both finish by 3:30pm
- Where
- 80km: Tempe Recreation Reserve, Tempe. 53km: Preston Park, Engadine. Finish: Thomas Dalton Park, Fairy Meadow
- Entry
- Full price from 1 October is $199 for an adult and $65 for a junior; entries close Sunday 1 November
- Age
- 12 or older on event day; riders aged 12 to 17 stay with their guardian
- Rest sites
- Loftus Oval, Waterfall Public School, Red Cedar, Bald Hill, Scarborough, Nicholson Park, Fairy Meadow
- Weather
- The ride goes ahead rain, hail or shine unless conditions are judged unsafe
- Who it’s for
- People riding the 80km or 53km course, and friends and family helping them on Sunday 1 November
- What to do now
- Register or confirm your bib, plan your trip to the start with the train guide, and arrive at least 30 minutes before your start time
- Last checked
- Saturday 31 October 2026, against the MS Gong Ride website and Transport for NSW
- Not yet confirmed
- The event page lists a third entry at 9:00am at Thomas Dalton Park without a name, so we have not described it; some site pages still show a 2025 date in the header
The 80km MS Gong Ride starts at Tempe Recreation Reserve at 6am and the 53km ride starts at Preston Park, Engadine at 8am on Sunday 1 November 2026, and both finish at Thomas Dalton Park, Fairy Meadow by 3:30pm. Full price entry is $199 for an adult and $65 for a junior, riders must be 12 or older, and the ride is not a race.
The ride supports people living with multiple sclerosis through the charity MS Plus, and the organiser says it is celebrating 45 years of the event, which began in 1981. This is the third of three guides: our train guide covers getting to the start and home, and our road closures guide covers the course. We read the organiser’s pages on Tuesday 27 October.
What are the two courses?
| Course | Start | Start time | Finish | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80km | Tempe Recreation Reserve, Tempe | 6am | Thomas Dalton Park, Wollongong, by 3:30pm | 12 or older on event day |
| 53km | Preston Park, Engadine | 8am | Thomas Dalton Park, Wollongong, by 3:30pm | 12 or older on event day |
The organiser’s event page says riders pedal through the Royal National Park, enjoy ocean views from Stanwell Tops and ride over Sea Cliff Bridge before the finish in Thomas Dalton Park. Its FAQs say some sections have high elevation and tight turns, especially through the Royal National Park, and recommend training if you have not ridden the distance before.
How much does it cost to enter?
The event page lists the entry price by release date. The last release, full price, started on Thursday 1 October and runs until entries close on Sunday 1 November.
| Release | Starts | Adult | Junior |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch special | Friday 26 June 2026 | $129 | $45 |
| First release | Wednesday 1 July 2026 | $149 | $50 |
| Second release | Saturday 1 August 2026 | $169 | $55 |
| Third release | Tuesday 1 September 2026 | $189 | $60 |
| Full price | Thursday 1 October 2026 | $199 | $65 |
People living with MS receive free entry, and the organiser asks them to email events@msplus.org.au or call 1300 733 690 before registering. The entry includes a finisher medal, first aid, rest sites, bike mechanics, bag drop, nutrition and hydration, a rider bib, a sweep bus, traffic management, a training plan and volunteer support. The event page lists a bag drop among the inclusions, while the FAQs say bag drop costs $5 or can be paid for online, so check which applies when you register. Entries are not refundable or transferable if you change your mind, with exceptions only in extenuating circumstances.
Can I enter on the day?
On-the-day entries are subject to availability, and the organiser recommends signing up early. If there is space, QR codes to register are at each start site, at Tempe Recreation Reserve and Preston Park, Engadine, and you need to arrive with enough time to sign up online and collect your event bib. All riders must wear their event bib.
Where do I collect my bib?
The organiser says riders who registered before 5 October have their bibs posted to them free of charge. Riders who registered after 5 October collect their bibs from one of these places:
| Day | Time | Place |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 30 October | 4pm to 9pm | Southern Cross Hotel |
| Saturday 31 October | 10am to 5pm | Southern Cross Hotel |
| Saturday 31 October | 11am to 2pm | Thomas Dalton Reserve |
| Sunday 1 November | 30 to 45 minutes before your ride time | Your start site, Tempe or Engadine |
What happens if I miss my start, or can’t finish?
The start lines run a rolling start, so if you arrive after your official start time but before the last rider, join the next group being waved through with your bib on. The number of riders in each start wave is capped, and the organiser may be able to move you to a different wave if you email events@msplus.org.au. It recommends arriving at the start site at least 30 minutes before your start time.
If you start after the sweep bus and last rider have left, your ride is not an official MS Gong Ride and is not supported by staff, volunteers, mechanics or first aid. Rest sites will be closed, signs removed and marshals gone, and the organiser asks late starters to take their bib off the bike. If you cannot finish, call the event operations number on the back of your bib and wait in a safe place beside the road for the sweep bus, which takes you to the next rest site or the closest train station.
Where are the rest sites, food and bag drop?
The official rest sites are Loftus Oval, Waterfall Public School, Red Cedar, Bald Hill, Scarborough, Nicholson Park and Fairy Meadow, and the organiser recommends stopping only at them for a safe ride. They have toilets and water bottle refills. Volunteers provide a complimentary morning tea at Waterfall Public School, and coffee vans are at the Tempe and Engadine starts. Food and beverage vendors and a public bar are at the Finish Village in Wollongong.
A bag drop, also called a cloak room, is at both start sites for $5 or online by credit card. Attach the tear-off tag from your bib to your bag, and bags left at the starts are delivered to the Bag Drop Marquee at the Finish Village.
Is the ride timed, and what about rain?
The ride is not officially timed. The timing chips on the bib are for safety management only, no times are released to riders, and the organiser says it is not a race. It goes ahead rain, hail or shine unless agencies and emergency services judge conditions unsafe, in which case riders are told by email and SMS early on the morning of 1 November.
What about safety and medical help?
The organiser says a large contingent of Police, St John Ambulance and NSW Ambulance personnel will be at the event, with first aid at the starts, rest sites, Finish Village and along the course. Call the first aid number on the back of your bib if you need medical help. For a mechanical problem, call the bike mechanic number on the bib and wait in a safe place; mechanics patrol the course, and the organiser recommends servicing your bike beforehand and carrying a patch kit.
Is fundraising compulsory?
No. The organiser says fundraising is encouraged but not compulsory, and donations of $2 or more are tax deductible in Australia. It offers rewards for fundraising: a T-shirt for raising $350 and a cycling jersey for raising $750. Raising $1,000 gives access to the Gong Cycling Club lounge at the Finish Village.
How many riders, and what do the sources say?
Transport for NSW says up to 10,000 cyclists will take part, while the organiser’s FAQs describe 7,000 supporters riding from Sydney to Wollongong. We use neither as a prediction of crowds on the day. The header of several organiser pages still shows “Sunday 2 November 2025”, but the event page and FAQs give Sunday 1 November 2026 for this ride.
Sources
- MS Gong Ride — The event (courses, entry prices; checked 27 October 2026)
- MS Gong Ride — FAQs (bibs, rest sites, rules, bag drop, weather; checked 27 October 2026)
- MS Gong Ride — Home
- Transport for NSW — MS Gong Ride 2026 (start times, finish time)
Featured image: Sea Cliff Bridge (photo: ZQ0118 / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with MS Plus, the MS Gong Ride or Transport for NSW. Event rules, times and prices can change; check the organiser’s pages above and your rider information.