Cold and wet conditions did not deter a gutsy bunch of 12 horse riders from leaving the Collie race track at 4am on Easter Friday for the 23rd year of the running of the marathon.
It was a wonderful testament of horsemanship when 11 of those riders completed the course and successfully passed the stringent veterinary check on Easter Sunday.
They had ridden 80 kilometres each day, over the three days.
Included in the 11 completions were three elated first timers and one rider who had 10 marathons to her name, proving her passion for the sport.
Two stallions completed the 240 kilometres and were praised by the head vet for their impeccable behaviour in the vet ring and out on the track.
A total of 107 riders contested shorter distances of 40 kilometres and 20 kilometres across the three days, with an 80 kilometre ride held on the Saturday.
The State Emergency Services manned the checkpoints, spaced at 10km intervals along the track, greeting riders and horses with refreshments and welcome encouragement.
Ride organisers had spent two weeks marking the course and co-ordinating volunteers for the various roles in the running of the event.
The head veterinarian, Dr Anne Barnes from Murdoch Vet Hospital, praised the riders at the presentations on how well the riders had looked after their horses, claiming it was ''the best marathon ever ''.
The ride was a precursor to the venue and course for the Tom Quilty Gold Cup, to be held in September 2020.
The Collie Racetrack is having a big face lift as committee members rally to the cause as the excitement starts to build for the national event next year.
Ride organisers were pleased with the running of the event over Easter and look forward with great anticipation to the next event from the Racetrack, to be held in June, which will be a 160 kilometre ride.
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