Everything You Need To Know About The Hattah Desert Race

The Ultimate Guide to the 2026 Hattah Desert Race

Australia's toughest desert race is back. Here's everything you need to know.

The Hattah Desert Race is one of those events that gets under your skin. Eight laps of red dirt, high speeds through some of the most punishing terrain in the country, and a field that draws the best desert riders in Australia. If you've thought about doing it, watching it, or just want to know what the hype is about, this is your guide.

What is the Hattah Desert Race?

The Hattah Desert Race is Australia's largest annual desert race and one of the most iconic events on the off-road calendar. It's run by the North West Victorian Motorcycle Club and takes place near the small town of Hattah in Victoria's Mallee, about 53km south of Mildura.

The race has been running since 1998 and has grown from 70 riders in its first year to one of the most sought-after entries in Australian off-road racing. Senior competitors tackle eight laps of a 37km circuit through flat-out desert terrain. Scrub, red dirt, tight trees and long straights where the fast guys are pinning it for as long as they can hold on. That's roughly 300km of racing in around four hours.

It's not a race for the unprepared.

When is the 2026 Hattah Desert Race?

The 2026 event is the Millewa Quarries Hattah Desert Race, held across the first weekend of July.

Friday 3rd July. Scrutineering and sign-on at Quandong Park Sports Reserve, Red Cliffs Victoria. 3pm to 7pm. Bikes must stay on display until 8pm. The top 10 riders from 2025 get interviewed in front of the crowd, with live entertainment, food and trade displays running through the evening.

Saturday 4th July. Junior racing and the Senior Prologue. Starting order for Sunday's main race is determined by prologue times, so Saturday matters. The Top 10 Shootout locks in the front row grid positions.

Sunday 5th July. Gates open at 6am. Racing starts at 9am sharp.

Where is Hattah?

The track is located at Boonoonar Road, Hattah, Victoria. About 26km south of Red Cliffs.

Mildura is your nearest major town and the hub for the weekend. It's 550km from Melbourne, 400km from Adelaide, and Mildura Airport has direct flights from Melbourne and Sydney with car hire available on arrival. The drive from Melbourne is around five hours.

Accommodation books out early. Motels, hotels and caravan parks in Mildura, Red Cliffs and Irymple are your best options. Get in early, this weekend draws a crowd.

Who Races at Hattah?

Hattah attracts the full spectrum. At the sharp end of the field you'll see the best enduro and desert racers in the country. At the 2025 race, Korey McMahon led an all-KTM top three on his KTM 500 EXC-F, with Callum Norton in second and Angus Riordan third. Past winners include Toby Price (five times), Warren Smart (five times), Daniel Milner (three times) and Daniel Sanders.

But the bulk of the field is club racers, weekend warriors and first-timers who've worked all year toward the start line. Hattah has a way of welcoming all of them the same.

Classes run for everyone from 7-year-olds on 65cc machines through to Masters riders 45 and over. Junior races run on Saturday with a shorter, age-appropriate circuit. The Ladies class (Tenacious Women of Hattah) runs four laps of the senior 37km circuit. Under 19s, Vets and multiple senior displacement classes all get their own results.

What are the Race Classes?

Juniors 7 to Under 9, 65cc 9 to Under 13, 65cc 9 to Under 12, 85cc 2T / 150cc 4T Small Wheel 12 to Under 16, 85cc / 150cc Small and Big Wheel, 100cc to 150cc 2T, 200cc to 250cc 4T, Girls 7 to Under 12 and Girls 12 to Under 16

Seniors Up to 250cc 2 Stroke, 251cc and over 2 Stroke, 251cc to 450cc 4 Stroke, Over 450cc 4 Stroke

Other Classes Veterans 35 to 44 years, Masters 45 years and over, Under 19 unlimited bike, Ladies (Tenacious Women of Hattah) 8 laps or 4 laps

What are the Race Distances?

Senior 8 laps x 37km. Approximately four hours.

Ladies 4 laps x 37km. Approximately two hours.

Juniors 12 to Under 16 6 laps x 22km. Approximately two hours.

Juniors 9 to Under 12 6 laps x 12km. Approximately 1.5 hours.

How Do Entries Work?

A full national competition licence is required. You must present your bike and licence in person at scrutineering on Friday night. No exceptions.

Pit allocations are available through TryBooking. Because there are not enough pits for every competitor, it is expected that riders pair up for shared pit space.

Spectator tickets must be purchased in advance via TryBooking. In 2026 this is being strictly enforced as an insurance requirement. No ticket, no entry.

How Do I Get There as a Spectator?

Gates open at 6am on Sunday. Racing starts at 9am sharp.

Spectators must stick to designated viewing areas. The riders come through faster than you think and the double-bunted no-go zones are there for everyone's safety. Only cross the track at official crossing points. No dogs on site.

The atmosphere on race day is something else. Thousands of people, dust, noise and bikes charging through the scrub at full speed. If you haven't been, it's worth the trip.

How Do I Set Up My Bike for Hattah?

Eight laps of red dirt, scrub and open desert straights is a long way to ask your bike to perform without a mechanical. Watch the video above for a full walkthrough, then use this as your checklist.

Tyres

Hattah is a sand and red dirt race so you need a tyre built for it. A sand mud tyre with aggressive, well-spaced knobs is the right call. Something that can self-clean through soft stuff and still hold up when the terrain firms up. The Dunlop MX14 and Pirelli Scorpion MX Mud are both popular choices at desert events like Hattah, along with the Bridgestone X10. Whatever you run, make sure it's fitted and bedded in before race day.

Mousse Tubes

A puncture mid-race is a race-ending problem. A mousse tube is a dense foam insert that replaces your inner tube entirely. It can't puncture because it doesn't hold air, and it runs at the equivalent feel of around 14psi. Most riders run a mousse in the front. In the rear, opinions vary but for the average competitor with the right size mousse, it's a solid option for the full race distance. At minimum, run an ultra heavy duty tube in the rear if you're not going full mousse.

Steg Pegz

You'll struggle to find a competitive rider at Hattah without a set. Steg Pegz give you something to grip with your legs over long distances, taking the load off your upper body and keeping arm pump in check. Simple addition, big difference.

Steering Damper

At Hattah speeds, headshake is a real issue. A steering damper keeps the front end stable through rough sections and takes fatigue out of the equation over a four hour race. If you don't have one, make sure your suspension is set up correctly and your sag is dialled. Running your fork tubes slightly lower in the triple clamp and snugging up the steering head nut will help with straight line stability, but a damper is the proper fix.

Engine Protection

Give the bike a full service before race day. Fresh oil, new filter, check your brakes, bearings, spokes, chain and sprockets, and inspect every seal.

Air filtration is critical in desert conditions. A quality filter like a FunnelWeb or Uni Filter ProComp2 paired with a sticky filter oil is your first line of defence. Pack a spare filter in the pits and consider a filter skin for an extra layer of protection against dust.

Cooling matters just as much. Hours at full throttle in the heat will stress your system hard. Top up with a quality coolant formulated for high performance conditions and fit a radiator guard to protect against scrub and debris.

Gearing

Stock gearing is not desert gearing. Hattah has long open straights where you want to be pulling a higher gear at higher speed rather than bouncing off the limiter. Taller gearing means fewer teeth on the rear and more on the front. If your bike came standard with a 14/50 setup, something like 15/46 is a common starting point for the desert. The right combo depends on your bike but the principle is the same. More top end, less revving out.

Hydration

Four hours in the heat is a long time without water. Run a hydration pack with a minimum of two litres and throw in some energy gels and supplements to keep your output up through the race.

Blister Prevention

Make sure your gloves fit properly. Bunching in the palm is where blisters start. Kevlar glove liners worn underneath your regular gloves add a solid layer of protection and are popular at desert events for exactly this reason.

Protective Gear

At Hattah speeds your gear needs to be up to the job. A quality helmet and boots with solid ankle support are the starting point. Knee braces are worth serious consideration for the full senior distance. If you go down hard at speed, the right gear is what keeps you racing again next year.

Shop everything you need to get race-ready at mxstore.com.au.

What Gear Do You Need for Hattah?

Four hours in the saddle through heat, dust and rough terrain puts serious demands on your gear. This is not the event to turn up underprepared.

A quality helmet is non-negotiable. Boots with proper ankle support matter more at Hattah than almost anywhere else. The terrain is unpredictable and you'll be on your feet when things go wrong. Knee braces are worth considering for anyone doing the full senior distance. A hydration pack carrying at least two litres is the standard for desert racing. Add energy gels and supplements if you're planning to push hard all the way through.

Gloves that fit properly reduce blistering over a four-hour race. Kevlar glove liners worn underneath are popular at desert events for exactly this reason.

Shop enduro and off-road gear at mxstore.com.au.

Past Winners

Toby Price 5 wins

Warren Smart 5 wins

Daniel Milner 3 wins

Ben Grabham 2 wins

Daniel Sanders multiple wins

Callum Norton 2024 winner

Korey McMahon 2025 winner

Mason Semmens 2023 winner

The Ladies class has its own strong history with Danielle McDonald, Jessica Gardiner, Emma Milesevic and Madi Healey among the regular front runners.

Ready to race Hattah? Shop Australia's largest range of enduro and off-road gear at mxstore.com.au.