Finke Desert Race Celebrates 50th Anniversary

In 1976 about 60 motorbike riders lined up to test their skills and endurance in a race through the central Australian outback.

Little did they know, 50 years later, the 460 kilometre race from Alice Springs to Finke and back would be one of the most famous off-road races in the world: the Finke Desert Race.

Alice Springs resident Geoff Curtis was the winner of the very first 'Finke', as the race is colloquially known.

"Back then it was out into the unknown for Alice Springs and for racing … this was a long event, point to point," he said.

"It was exciting."

This weekend the Finke Desert Race will celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Since its inception, the race has evolved to include racing buggies and trophy trucks.

Still just as exciting, red dirt will fly as vehicles hurtle over rough outback terrain at speeds up of to 180 kilometres per hour.

Mr Curtis, who also won the race in 1978 and 1980, said during the first event there was only one fuel stop for racers, but now there were three.

"We didn't really know what to expect.

"It was an unknown event and today it's worldwide."

In 1976 Mr Curtis's winning time was around six hours, but nowadays the fastest riders will finish the race in less than four hours.

The event has grown rapidly, this year attracting more than 800 competitors across all categories.

Racing in Finke for the 25th time this weekend, Rick Hall first entered the race in 1989.

"It was one of the first events I saw when I first came to Alice Springs back in the '80s," he said.

"It captivated me as a young fella."

Mr Hall won the race in 1999 and 2002.

"When I first raced, it was whoops, which are basically a continuation of big humps along the track, fast open road sections and really sandy, boggy sections," he said.

"Now it's more standing up and a lot more physically demanding."

Mr Hall said the race was a lot of fun, but it was also a way for him to connect with friends and family, who flocked into Alice Springs every June long weekend for the annual event.

"We all get together, there will probably be close to 60 people using my house as a base over the Finke weekend."

Mr Hall is looking forward to seeing more female and junior riders becoming involved in the race he loves.

"My daughter and I raced this event in '14 and now the women's class has become so, so strong," he said.

"Probably the juniors is a way to go, encouraging that next generation of riders."

Taylah Maurice, who was the winner in the women's class when it was first introduced in 2023, couldn't agree more.

"In the next 50 years I would really love to see the women's class grow," she said.

"So I really, really hope that we can see that development and recognition improve over the years."

"I also hope to see a lot of juniors get into it as well."

In last year's race a mechanical issue resulted in a DNF (did not finish) for Ms Maurice — this weekend she's looking for redemption.

Ms Maurice said having the race track in her back yard was a "massive advantage".

The future of the Finke Desert Race is still to be determined, but according to Mr Curtis one thing is certain.

"You get time and time people coming back,"

"Because one thing or another, a crash, or a blown up bike, or something, and they don't finish, so they keep coming back."