There is much to love about Melbourne.  Just ask the locals.  This sophisticated world city in the south-east corner of mainland Australia inspires a deep passion in those lucky enough to live here.  Melburnians love the city's vibrant energy, staggering choice of restaurants, funky boutiques, café-filled laneways, cool bars, unbeatable galleries, luscious parks and village-like inner suburbs, each with its own special character.

Melbourne is the capital of Victoria and is a relatively modern city which is less than 200 years old and never sits still. New futuristic designs add to the fascinating mix of architecture and ensure the skyline is constantly changing.  Melbourne is very much about lifestyle.  It is no huge surprise to residents that their city has been ranked as one of the world’s most live-able cities.
Melburnians embrace four things in particular:

• all sport (but Australian Rules football is religion);
• fashion (the look is chic with a dash of quirky);
• food (all the big names are in town); and
• festivals (the calendar is packed year round).

They even embrace their notoriously changeable weather.  The standing joke is that Melbourne can experience four seasons in a day.  But, really, it’s just another example of how we have it all!
Sometimes, the best part of visiting a new city is when you unexpectedly depart from the tourist trail and glimpse the city’s ‘real’ side.  While the big attractions can be great fun, often it’s the more subtle ‘insider’ experiences that leave you feeling really satisfied.  And this experience is guaranteed with the Rat Race!

For information on events, dining, shopping and much more in Melbourne, go to That's Melbourne
Warning: you might never want to go home.

www.thatsmelbourne.com.au

Latest News

Hello there Rat Racers!

Less than one week to go and the city is set for another classic urban adventure of epic proportions. We have got some craziness lined up big time for the Mean Streets - and courage is definitely required!!! We can give you a small hint that the Sunday course is fast, action packed and nothing like last year's. Smells a bit like horses too...  We also suspect finding the Rat might be challenging but we can guarantee that you will recognise him. You will visit a couple of pretty significant Melbourne venues this year but we doubt you will have seen them from this perspective before...fair chance not too many people have.

We were on radio the other day, and the guys on SEN identified this event as a real ‘sleeper’ - so enjoy Rat Race Melbourne 2009 and if your mates aren’t in yet, let them in on the secret that this event has something for everyone.

Meet some of your fellow Rats...

You guys & girls make us laugh well before you come and bust a move Rat style, so check what some of this year's teams like to say about themselves...

Team D.I.L.T.F
After winning last years Rat Race only to be embarrassingly stripped of the title minutes later, Team D.I.L.T.F return to right the wrongs of 2008. Expect to hear often from the lady spectators "Wow, those guys are really Dads I Would Like To ???? (ed - perhaps ferrule – what??)"!!!!!!

Ed – just to avoid any confusion, we thought we’d give these guys bib #001 this year, so you all know who they are…

Kanada
Two very sexy, brilliant and amazingly athletic Canadians decided to explore the world. They set sail and landed on the shores of Australia. There they met a crazy redhead who liked to run and run and run. They formed a team, harnessing the power of the Maple Leaf and the Southern Cross to create a dot-to dot game of such complexity, the likes of which have never been seen before. Kanada was born...

Perfectly Cromulent
Daryl, Pak and Sarah try not to suck too badly.
 
Eastside Boyz
Three brothers once divided now united, hailing from the outer east they were born ready to rip up the streets of Melbourne. Come and bring it if you think ya 'ard enough!

Cheap Speed 2
Cheap speed, the return. A bunch of pomms trying not to repeat the tunnel o death incident of last year (ed-it might be worse this year…)

Prizes
Some cracking prizes on offer this year, including the following:
- the winning mixed team overall gets flights, accom & free entry to the City of Perth Rat Race on 13/14 February 2010, as well as a dining voucher down at Docklands, and free entry to the 2010 Melbourne Rat Race
- spirit of the rat race award winners get some cool Giant mountain bikes courtesy of IDQ and Lygon Cycles, as well as accommodation at our accommodation partner, Urban Central, including vouchers to do 3 rap jumps off the roof.  not only that, the spirit guys get 3 tickets to go and see the Footy Show during 2010 (yes, the 2010 Footy Show - 3 year wait list for these tix)
- overall women's team get some Merrell Shoe vouchers at Paddy Pallin, and 3 Outer-Edge Mag subscriptions
- the overall boys winning team gets Merrell vouchers as well, plus beer money at James Squire, Docklands
- mean streets only winning mixed team gets some beer money at James Squire, as well as 3 Outer-Edge subs
- and the tail-end charlie team also will receive something as a token of our appreciation - but really you don't want to come last, because you will have to put up with my constant sledging

We also have heaps of give-aways for some of our rattiest competitors, including free entry to Rat Race Melbourne 2010, cool Nalgene waterbottles, Epe back packs, Suunto compasses, Merrell Shoes, dining vouchers, drinking vouchers, and more stuff we will scrounge this week.

Housekeeping
You need to fill in and bring to registration the Indemnity/Medical Form for every member of your team - the form is here: http://ratraceadventure.com/page215.asp (right hand side column) Please have it completed before you register so you can just hand it in and smoothly sail through the registration process.

A reminder, if your team loses that little blue Sport Ident stick (that thing you put in the checkpoint box things) - the replacement value is $50, which your team will have to fork out for.
Please make sure you have everything listed on the kit for this year's race - there will be a surprise kit check for some of you on course during the day - go here to get kit info

Timeline
Saturday 28th November
- event village located at Waterfront City Piazza, Docklands Drive, Docklands (in front of big white tent)
- 11am registration opens (closes at 3.30pm)
- 2.30pm bike compound opens (directions given at registration)
- 4pm race briefing at main stage
- 4.10pm checkpoint locations given out in event village
- 5pm Mean Streets starts
- 5.01 checkpoint values available in event village
- 8pm Mean Streets ends
- 8.30pm Maps and route books given out for the Sunday main race

Sunday 29th November
- 7.10am Race briefing at event village main stage
- 7.30am Rat Race Melbourne 2009 begins - be sure to hold on...

* Any questions regarding timings or location of the event village, please contact Andrew on 0409 053 605

YOU RATS READY TO ROLL, MELBOURNE STYLE????

Rat Race Australia HQ