Echuca Moama and the wider region remain a sporting destination, with plenty of highlights on the way in the coming months.
Gunbower Cup - October 3
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
It may hold only one meet a year, but Gunbower Racing Club makes the most of it.
The club’s day of days, the Gunbower Gold Cup, is on the way this October, scheduled for Saturday, October 3.
Already known to locals and attendees as one of the best days in country racing, that tag became official as last year’s meet earned a nomination for Country Racing Victoria Community Club Event of the Year.
Seven confirmed races, headlined by the eponymous Gold Cup, will be held on the day at the Gunbower Racecourse, combined with a smorgasbord of food, drink and entertainment.
Fashions on the field will be present as always as racegoers look to show off their best trackside fits.
“Enjoy a relaxed community atmosphere with the excitement of a city race day, set against the stunning backdrop of the majestic Gunbower Creek,” the club said.
Locals and travellers alike are set to flock to the course as the club tries to beat the more than 3000 that packed the track in 2025.
“I just love that we have that reputation that anyone is welcome here, and doesn't matter where you come from or what you do, you are going to have an absolute ball at the Gunbower Racing Club,” club president Vicki McGillivray said of last year’s cup.
Melbourne Cup Day in Echuca - November 3
Echuca Racing Club is the perfect country destination on the day of the race that stops the nation.
Melbourne Cup Day is an annual tradition, not just at Flemington but in Echuca-Moama, with one of the club’s major meetings of the year on the first Tuesday in November.
About 3000 people pack the local track for a day of live racing, entertainment and all the pageantry of the cup without the trip to Melbourne.
All the action of a country race day is there, including a packed card of on-track action and a full slate of off-track activities, including fashions on the field and plenty of food and entertainment.
The day is also the best way in regional Victoria to experience one of the great races: on the big screen, surrounded by fellow punters.
A wide variety of ticket packages are available, including marquee and umbrella options located in prime viewing positions.
Getting out to the track and back is also a breeze, with free shuttles leaving from the Echuca Hotel and Caledonian Hotel in Echuca and the Border Inn and Moama Bowling Club in Moama throughout the day.
Racing typically gets under way about 1pm and wraps up before 5pm.
State Trap Carnival - November 12-15
Echuca Clay Target Club is one of the leading destinations for high-profile shooting events.
The Victorian State Trap Carnival, which will be held at the Echuca Clay Target Club from November 12 to 15, regularly attracts Olympic level competitors, and this year will be no different.
At least three Olympians, and six national representatives are expected to be among the 400 shooters taking to the ranges across four grades and various age and gender divisions.
“It pulls some of the best shooters from around the country because Victoria currently holds a lot of the best, and the others come to pit themselves against them to see who the best of the best is,” Echuca Clay Target Club president Nick Dean said.
Events include double barrel, single barrel, point score, double rise and a zone shoot where teams from each zone in Victoria — north-east, north-west, south-east and south-west — face each other.
Overall, it is estimated about 800 visitors flock to Echuca-Moama during the carnival.
Sweat vs Steam - November 15
One of the more unique running events around the country continues in 2026 with the return of Sweat vs Steam.
The fun run not only showcases the historic Port of Echuca and surrounds, but sees competitors in the 5km, 10km or kids fun run battling to beat one of the town’s iconic paddlesteamers to the line.
The river vessel completes its own course, looking to provide a winnable but competitive challenge for runners.
“It's probably the only fun run in the world where you get to race against a paddle steamer, which is very unique,” event director Brady Threlfall said.
This year’s event is scheduled for Sunday, November 15, with the PS Pevensey again on hand to push competitors to their limits.
The vessel also provides a unique vantage point for family, friends and spectators to take in all the action.
Also supporting the community, the proceeds from the event are set to be directed to Echuca Regional Health for a second year.
“Echuca Regional Health are great because they allow us to access a lot of volunteers,” Threlfall said.
“We get doctors, we get nurses, we get admin staff, and they're the people that stand on the corners, pointing what direction (to go) or handing out medals at the end or filling water cups on the course.
“It makes it very easy to get volunteers, and they’ve been supportive of us, and then we can put the funds back to them.”
Last year the event raised $14,335, with the ambitious target for this year set at $20,000, with hopes for 1000 entrants on course.
Massive Murray Paddle - November 16-20
Another Massive Murray Paddle will be flowing down the Murray River this November, with Echuca-Moama a key waypoint on the journey.
The massive long-distance paddling event sees hundreds of people, manning kayaks, canoes and other paddle crafts, take on a 415km voyage down the Murray River from Yarrawonga to Koondrook over five days.
This year’s event will be held from Monday, November 16, to Friday, November 20.
The day three pit stop for the race is at Moama Beach, with paddlers arriving from Picnic Point throughout the day.
Paddlers will then kick off day four back at the beach on Thursday morning, on their way to Torrumbarry.
The marathon undertaking can be completed solo or in teams, with paddlers encouraged to raise funds for the cause of their choice.
“The event can touch all these groups and help them achieve their goals, and then they help us achieve our goals with the race,” organiser Shannon O’Brien said at the 2025 event.
“The Murray (Paddle)’s always been like that.
“That’s been the fundamentals of it for the 56 years, it’s always about helping groups.
“It’s still about winning a race or being fast on the Murray, but the background of it is that you need to look after the communities.”
The Massive Murray Paddle has raised more than $1.2 million since 2016.
Echuca Moama Multisport Weekend - January 16-17
Echuca Moama Triathlon Club’s marquee multisport weekend will return on Saturday, January 16 and Sunday, January 17 2027.
The iconic endurance event tests athletes mastery in the water, on the bike, and by foot in the headline event, the sprint triathlon.
The short form triathlon is made up of a 700m swim, 20km bike and 5km run around Echuca Moama’s historic port precinct.
Aquabike, which removes the run leg, and relay options are also available.
The weekend also features a junior event on the Saturday morning, giving kids 7-14 their opportunity to test their skills.
Kids aged 7-10 complete a 50m swim, 3km bike and 600m run, while those 11-14 take on an 80m swim, 6km bike and 1.2km run.
The weekend’s festivities conclude with the Wharf to Winery swim on Sunday morning, entrants taking on a 1.5km or 3km swim down the Murray River, finishing at Morrisons Winery.