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Rachael Rickard and her support crew are buzzing.

Yes, buzzing, they say, as the countdown to the annual Ruralco Longbeach Coastal Challenge draws closer.

The 17th Longbeach challenge is on Sunday, November 24 and Rickard, as race director, has the biggest job to ensure it goes off smoothly.

But she’s definitely not a Lone Ranger when it comes to ensuring the 23km bike, walk, run and duathlon race across coastal farmland goes off without a hitch.

The organising committee, which swells to about 100 on race day, involves volunteers from the Hinds and District Lions Club and Longbeach School, who share race proceeds.

The heavy work, laying of the track, is the responsibility of the Lions club.

"They also do a lot of volunteer work on the day, so they take care of that side of things, as well as health and safety,’’ Rickard said.

"And then our school committee do the marketing, the promotions and run registrations and things like that. It really is a joint effort.’’

And it’s a joint effort with rewards. Apart from the feel good factor of running a community event in your own backyard, significant proceeds go back to the organisations who make it happen.

"We've raised over $475,000 for the community over those 17 events,’’ Rickard said.

It’s particularly important for Longbeach School, being its biggest fundraiser of the year.

"It’s at the school's charitable trust discretion as to how they use the money they get,’’ she said.

"We're not there to dictate. Schools don't often have this kind of kind of slush fund, so it is there to improve whatever need. ‘’

"It's a lot of money but there's also a real community feel to the day.’’

And this year everyone will be a winner in a way.

That’s because Rickard and her committee have listened to the feedback and have made some tweaks, including introducing medals for all.

"People love the commemorative part of an event, so we've got medals for participation and then podium medals this year, which is new for us.

"We haven't had medals every year, but we listened to feedback about that. The reality is that whichever event you go to, you get a medal, and that’s a memorable part of it.

"I've done a lot of events over the years, and I've got medals hung up on a wall in the corner room.’’