Location: Fairfield City Farm, Abbotsbury, some 32km from Sydney Olympic Park.

The design: Course architect Glen Jacobs describes the design as "explosive". Spectators will be concentrated around an elevated area at the start and finish line. But they can also wander (or go for a bushwalk, to use the local lingo) to various viewing areas which are sited at the most exciting and challenging sections of the course.

The terrain: The demanding 7km crosscountry course includes a mass start and difficult technical sections, including highspeed turns, steep drops and singletrack paths as narrow as 50 centimetres. Plenty of problems then for Robin Seymour and Tarja Owens.

What's with the name? The location of the 350-hectare course is a working farm near Fairfield on the outskirts of Sydney, which used to educate city school students in farming work and life. The area was once a rural district, but is now mainly residential and industrial, with a bustling commercial centre supported by its vibrant Indo-Chinese community.

Green design: Special care was taken in the design of the course to minimise its impact on the environment. The course has been examined by environmental groups to ensure its design and construction are in harmony with the existing flora and fauna.