On your bike: New BMX event for Ballarat's biggest cycling fundraiser

The introduction comes in what is an Olympic year, with BMX a hotly contested cycling medal event, and amid the rising popularity in off-road cycling.

Ballarat Cycle Classic's 2024 program will step up to three distances for the highly popular Gravel Grind events - a 30-kilometre, 40km and 66km - now in their third running at Black Hill Mountain Bike Park. The program also features the return of the Gravity Enduro Jam, in partnership with Club MUD, for five hours of downhill racing on six trails.

While details are still to be finalised for how the BMX event will work, The Courier understands this will be held on the Sebastopol BMX track and be a week earlier than the main February 17-18 program to avoid a clash with national titles.

Every cent from entries raised from BMX entries will support Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute.

Ballarat Cycle Classic has been the headline fundraising drive for the homegrown FECRI. The institute is aiming to surpass the 2023 total of $240,000, which could support three scientists in the Ballarat laboratory, which receives no government funding.

FECRI scientist Louis Perriman said BMX was an exciting feature in the line-up to make the Classic even more accessible to the community.

Mr Perriman is an experienced endurance road rider with Ballarat Sebastopol Cycling Club and in the Dementia Project alongside long-time dementia champion Nick Locandro.

He said there was definitely a trend, particularly in younger riders in BMX racing and this had been boosted by its prominence in the Olympics.

"It really is the grassroots, where cycling starts, and for a lot of people and kids, it's easily accessible," Mr Perriman said. "[BMX is] relatively cheap compared to other forms of cycling, so it's really a staple of the younger generation coming through."

Mr Perriman has been with FECRI for about four years as a Federation University PhD candidate.

FECRI is Australia's sole regional cancer research centre. Research is largely focused on the role of the immune system and how this can be used to treat cancer without reliance on chemotherapy and radiation.

Ballarat's world class research includes, but is not limited to, the study of bowel cancer, ovarian, breast, renal, lung, and brain cancers, as well as blood cancers.

Mr Perriman said the Cycle Classic was special because it showed the community's support and belief in the team's work.

"It also connects you to those you might end up helping one day, hopefully, so it really puts into perspective what you do and how important it is, what you do," Mr Perriman said.

Ballarat Cycle Classic returns on February 17-18 with the gravity enduro jam, gravel grind, family adventure (28km) and lake (6km) rides, the 6km pet walk and the traditional road rides (50km, 60km, 85km, 100km) and the Spud100 (100 miles, or 160km).

Registrations are open at ballaratcycleclassic.com.au.