Couple gets engaged while racing in world’s biggest adventure race

Sixty kilometres is a long way to mull over a question that will change your life forever, especially when you’ve had to swim and kayak before hopping on a mountain bike nursing an engagement ring that’s at the heart of that burning question.

So how nervous must Michael Cain, 30, have been as he tackled the Anaconda Adventure Race knowing that he had to keep the ring safe and sound (and his mouth shut) until the final 2.5km beach run, where he planned to propose to his girlfriend, Shannon Trend, 26, also racing?

The couple was competing for the second time in the Augusta, Western Australia event, as mixed team ‘ Sporty and Aqua Ted’. Michael had planned the surprise knee-bend for six months: longer than he trained for the event itself.

“It will remain one of the most memorable days of my life,” said Michael after finishing the world’s largest adventure race with a smile (she, of course, said yes).

“The day turned out even better than planned: not only did she say yes when I proposed on the beach, we also improved our finishing time over last year by 18 minutes!” Continue Reading

It was action and upsets aplenty at today’s Anaconda Adventure Race National Series held at Augusta, in Western Australia, with the Kiwi contingent taking its first ever win in the Trans Tasman Trophy, an annual grudge adventure match-up between New Zealand and Australia.

The Kiwis conquered the reigning Australian team by 30 minutes and 17 seconds, the Trans Tasman winner decided by the cumulative times of each of the three individual racers representing their countries.

World Multisport Champion Richard Ussher won outright to give his team a healthy early showing, crossing the line in 3 hours 55 minutes and 5 seconds. The win also returns Ussher to being the overall leader of the Anaconda Adventure Race National Series with only one round remaining.

West Australian elite athlete, Sean O’Neill came home second to restore some adventure racing pride for the Aussies with a time of 4 hours and 37 seconds.

Third place was snatched by a New Zealander, however Braden Currie was not a member of the Kiwi team racing for Trans Tasman honours. His first place in the previous Anaconda Adventure Race outing at the Gold Coast in September came too late for selection.

Rounding out the dominance of the New Zealanders were Trevor Voyce in fourth and Fleur Lattimore, who won the overall female category in her first ever Anaconda Adventure Race in a time of 4 hours 43 minutes and 31 seconds.
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by Pat Kinsella

With the Adventure Racing World Championships (ARWC) now just three months away, the planet’s best off-road multisport athletes are running out of chances to book their place in the sport’s biggest annual event, due to take place in Burnie, Tasmania, in October/November 2011.

In the last few weeks two additional names were added to the illustrious list of teams who are currently locked in to be on the starting line when the ARWC kicks off, when international qualifying events were run and won in Switzerland and Costa Rica.

Spain’s Columbia Spot team recently took out the 2011 Costa Rica Adventure Race when they crossed the finish line at the Hotel Almendros y Corales in Playa Manzanillo after prevailing in an intense battle with fellow Iberians, Thermocool Buff.

After negotiating the final stage – which included a 12km trek and a 27km mountain bike ride between Playa Negra and Playa Gandoca – Columbia Spot finished the 800km race with a total time of 82 hours and 30 minutes.

Difficult sea conditions and darkness meant some teams were prevented from completing the kayaking stage, which led to their times being neutralized and opened up a real scrap for third place, with home team Gropo Orosi Costa Rica eventually completing the podium.

And previously, in the alpine adventure-playground surrounds of Interlaken in Switzerland, team Silva Gerber Adventure (whose ranks now include ex-pat Kiwi Aaron Prince) won the APEX event, and promptly booked themselves a ticket to Tasmania. The race – which featured total elevation gain of around 15,000 meters – took place under the eye of the Eiger in the Jungfrau region of the viciously vertiginous country, and in the second half of the race, which took place at altitude, the weather gods turned against racers, serving them up a bitter cocktail of constant wind, rain, and snow.
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By Richard Ussher
Photos by Jon Barter

DAY ONE

This year I decided to return to one of my favorite race series, the Anaconda races in Australia. These races combine Swimming, Surf ski paddling, Mountain biking and running to form a real test of Multi discipline racing.

The first race in the 2011 series was held in Forster, several hours north of Sydney and unlike any of the other races in the series is run over two days instead of one.

The line up for race one in the series included last years overall series champion Grant Suckling, former series winner Jarad Kohlar and former Olympic triathlete Simon Thompson to name just a few.

Day one’s course started with a 2.1 km swim before a 16km kayak, 15km MTB and finished with an 11.9km run.

As the hooter went and we piled into the water for the opening swim I managed to get some clear space quite quickly and was feeling good. There were several guys disappearing in to the distance quickly but I was with the second group and feeling quite comfortable. I managed to stay with the group right through to the end and exited the water far further forward in the pack than several years ago when I last swam there. Didn’t spot any sharks unlike in training (wasn’t a real man eating shark, just a carpet shark) so that may have been the reason I wasn’t further up – not enough incentive!

Onto the ski and there was very little shore break so the beach exit was very easy and we headed round to the local breakwater that lead us into a huge tidal lake system where we were heading for the far end – luckily with an incoming tide. Continue Reading

What follows is a short trailer for the Vanuatu Adventure Race to take place August 13-15, 2011 in the South Pacific. What a great location for a race and an even better venue for a little R&R post race in paradise.

The City of Burnie, Tasmania, will provide the ideal host and launching point to the West coast wilderness for national and international teams in the 2011 Adventure Racing (AR) World Championship.

The AR World Championship is scheduled from 31 October to 11th November 2011. Teams of four athletes will race day and night over a 700km course in the disciplines of trekking, kayaking, mountain biking and roping, vying for a share of $75,000 in prize money.

Race Director Craig Bycroft said “The City of Burnie will be the perfect host for this international event, they are pulling out all stops to welcome the race and athletes in the World Championship”.

Burnie is Tasmania’s westerly most city and is the historic service centre and gateway to the wilderness of the West coast. Built originally on it’s port and industrial foundations, it is transforming into a vibrant sustainable city. When not racing competitors can relax and enjoy Burnie’s beautiful coast and beaches, it’s famous cheese, art and dining. Information on Burnie can be found at www.discoverburnie.net

Brett Whiteley, Executive Officer of Burnie Sports and Events said “ this is a magnificent coup for the City of Burnie – this is a huge win for the people of Burnie and the North West coast”.

“We were committed to winning this bid and we are very keen to place on display to the world our hospitality and support of this event. Burnie’s reputation has grown significantly over the last 15 years as it has transitioned from a not so desirable industrial town to an exciting place to live and raise a family – a place now being showcased to 30,000 cruise ship visitors each year. It is exciting to have yet another opportunity to place our credentials on the world stage.” Mr Whiteley said.

The AR World Championship is estimated to bring over $1.4 million direct spend into the Tasmania economy, plus the long term adventure tourism promotional benefits.

90 teams of four from from 21 countries will race in Tasmania making it the largest Adventure Racing World Championships ever held.

The 2011 Adventure Racing World Championship is supported by the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania. It is also supported by Burnie Sports and Events.

For more details visit www.arwc2011.com or www.xpd.com.au

What a better place to explore, compete, and live (or at least make plans to) then at the Adventures in Travel Show. A consumer based travel show that hosts events in six cities nationwide. We (No Boundaries) attended an awesome show last March in DC. This time around landing in the ‘Windy City’ or better the wet, cold, and now blizzard ladened metropolis, Chicago. Weather did not detour hundreds of travel enthusiasts from packing the aisles at the Donald Stephens Convention Center. All gathered to talk of beach trips, safari treks, jungle adventures, and various cultural events. Travel agencies, tour operators, and tourism boards arriving days ahead to set up intoxicating displays of exotic places far and wide.

To spice it up further both days were packed full with seminars by well known travel advocates, live camel rides, world dance performances, and dives in the scuba pool. The travel seminars led by photographers, travel experts, magazine editors such as Rick Steve’s of PBS, Ralph Velasco Travel Photographer, and Beth Collin of Budget Travel Magazine all there to share stories and offer advice for planning the trip of your dreams.

I spent my time speaking with various tourism boards and tour operators. To learn of authentic travel experience opportunities and the importance for each country to share the culturally rich and beautiful aspects of their region. This supporting our mission at Adventure Traveler & No Boundaries to be a communication platform for the many positive aspects and connectedness we can all experience through travel. Whether it be for adventure sports, cultural exploration, or simply needing some time away from our everyday. I was also impressed and inspired to learn about the many great humanitarian projects and initiatives out there aligned with travels and to discover literally thousands of vacation opportunities all under one roof.

To finish my day I enjoyed the world dances experiencing each culture through unique costumes, style of movement, and diverse music on the global beats stage.

The Travel & Adventure Show is the longest running series of consumer travel events in the United States – a one stop shopping marketplace, where consumers and the travel trade will find thousands of travel providers offering unique vacation options and travel information. Plus, you’ll be able to access informative travel seminars, hands-on activities cultural performances and more.

Upcoming Adventures in Travel Expo dates for 2011:
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Geocentric Outdoors has released a short video preview of this year’s AR World Championship race to take place in Tasmania. Looks epic!

All Eyes now on Tasmania for the Adventure Racing World Championships 2011

Entries by application open on 1st November 2010 and general entries open 1st December 2010. Spots are expected to sell out within hours.

Australia won the hosting rights for the Adventure Racing World Championships in 2011 amongst solid representations from European events. The bid by Australia’s XPD Expedition Race was successful through strong support from the Tasmanian Government.

Produced for the Adventure Racing World Championships will be a 1hr Destination/Adventure Sports Documentary to be aired locally and internationally. It will have a key focus on the athletes and the adventure landscape of Tasmania.

The Adventure Racing World Series is an international circuit of premiere adventure races in 10 countries culminating every 12 months in the Adventure Racing World Championships.

For more details visit www.arwc2011.com or All Eyes now on Tasmania for the Adventure Racing World Championships 2011

The 2010 Adventure Racing World Championships (ARWC) is complete and the baton has passed to Australia, and Tasmania in particular, where the world championships will be hosted in 2011.

The race is scheduled from 31 October to 11th November 2011. 70 teams of four athletes from around the world will race day and night over a 700km course in the disciplines of trekking, kayaking, mountain biking and roping, vying for a share of $75,000 in prize money . Race Director Craig Bycroft said “the course will be very traditional, epic legs in true wilderness, as much an expedition as a race”.

Entries by application open on 1st November 2010 and general entries open 1st December 2010. Spots are expected to sell out within hours.

Australia won the hosting rights for the Adventure Racing World Championships in 2011 amongst solid representations from European events. The bid by Australia’s XPD Expedition Race was successful through strong support from the Tasmanian Government.

Produced for the Adventure Racing World Championships will be a 1hr Destination/Adventure Sports Documentary to be aired locally and internationally. It will have a key focus on the athletes and the adventure landscape of Tasmania.

The Adventure Racing World Series is an international circuit of premiere adventure races in 10 countries culminating every 12 months in the Adventure Racing World Championships.

Via Press Release

TWO WINNING CHAMPIONS UNITE TO SMASH THE THIRD EDITION OF THE NORTH FACE 100 IN AN ASTONISHING RECORD BREAKING TIME OF 9 HOURS, 54 MINUTES AND 19 SECONDS!

An impressive crowd of 699 participants including 46 pairs and 553 solo ultra-runners met in Leura on Saturday morning (May 15) at seven am under a bright sun, with fresh and stimulating conditions. Geared up with their thermals, trail running shoes, hydration packs, headlamps, compasses, gels and nutrition bars, but most importantly with strong determination, competitors were set to undertake one of the most difficult 100km ultra-trail marathon events in the Southern Hemisphere: The North Face 100.

It is with an amazing display of camaraderie that returning champion Andrew Lee, and newcomer Stu Gibson decided to cross the line together to win the 2010 The North Face 100 – shaving 26 minutes off Andrew’s 2009 record!

Eager to break the 10-hour barrier, both incredible athletes ran together in a fight for the best record time ever and achieved their mission hand in hand, pleasing all spectators with a completely unexpected performance.

Given his success at the previous race, it was no surprise that Andrew Lee took the lead early, but to see 33 year-old Stu Gibson passing Andrew around the 50th kilometre was unexpected. Out-running each other for a number of kilometres, it became even more surprising to see both men joining forces to run beside one another, overcoming the remaining distance as a team.

Whilst Andrew Lee, 40, from Warrimoo in the Blue Mountains, had never run further than 45km prior to his 2009 revelation, he came prepared with exhaustive hours of specific endurance training along with the wisdom he gained through running last year’s event.

Andrew commented:
“I felt very good from the start, we couldn’t hope for better conditions. The run was fantastic, it was unbelievable. Stu and I found such a good rhythm, we helped each other on the way, and I don’t think I could have made it under10 hours without him.” Continue Reading

Team Grass is Greener from the Central Coast took out line out line honours in this year’s WildEndurance Challenge which took place on May 1-2, 2010. The gruelling event – 100kms through the spectacular Blue Mountains World Heritage listed area – is an extreme challenge event that tests stamina and fitness. The event has a 48 hours time limit, however team Grass is Greener completed the course – which traverses up and down the Mountain ranges and through the Megalong to Jamison Valleys, and passing iconic areas such as the Three Sisters, Mount Solitary and Wentworth Falls – in a record time of 13hours 14mins. Two members of the team competed last year in the winning team, and this year, they smashed their previous winning time by 3 hours and 16 minutes.

Commenting on their performance, team captain, Darrel Robins said: “We love this challenge. It’s a fantastic course with all types of running terrain, some easier stretches and then some challenging hills, stairs and technical climbs. The weekend gave us perfect running weather and fantastic scenery,” said Darrel.

The WildEndurance event is a growing destination event for adventure and fitness enthusiasts and wilderness lovers who want a challenge and to contribute to a better planet. Into its third year, the WildEndurance event has doubled from last year, with 112 teams (of either 4 or 6 competitors per team). More than 500 competitors competed in the event in 2010.

Teams participate for the glory and also great prizes, including a World Expeditions travel voucher for a whole team. Teams also have a fundraising target, raising funds for The Wilderness Society’s many important campaigns to protect and restore our wonderful wild places, such as Cape York Peninsula and the River Red Gums of South West NSW.

“Some teams are total fitness nuts, competing for line honours, almost running without break the whole way, and many teams – our everyday adventure and environment heroes – simply compete for the experience and challenge. This event is a fun, family and environment friendly experience. Everyone is raising funds to help protect our environment and support The Wilderness Society’s effort to save our planet and they get to enjoy and experience the beauty and wildness of our natural environment at the
same time,” said Sarah Rimmer, WildEndurance Event Coordinator. Continue Reading

SA’s Team McCain Adventure Addicts recorded their best international result ever in Australia, where they took part in the XPD Cairns 2010 expedition race. This no-holds-barred, multi-disciplinary event – a key race in the Adventure Racing World Champs – saw the SA foursome race non-stop for six and a half days over 700km to claim second place.

This time, they seemed to have bitten off more than they could chew … The four McCain campaigners may be old hands when it comes to adventure racing, but trekking, running, kayaking, snorkeling, biking and rafting through croc territory for six days or more might be pushing the limits, even for them.

Let’s say that the ‘Adventure Addicts’ were able to avoid the ‘salties’ (local parlance for the salt-water crocs, which max out at up to a 1000kg), they would still run the full gamut of other Australian nasties. The fact is, they were facing up to the XPD Cairns 2010, a 700km expedition race, constituting a gruelling course through one of the wildest regions on the world’s most dangerous island…

‘Stinging trees’, which the teams ran foul of on Day Two within the Misty Mountains rain-forest near Ravenshoe, were a case in point. Contact with the toxic trees caused extreme pain and distress, and treatment by the race medics reduced several hard core adventure racing heroes to tears. Skin areas exposed to insidious thorns are treated with a solution of hydrochloric acid in order to break down silicon tubes broken off in the skin. Following this, the area is waxed repeatedly in an effort to remove remaining capsules, thus adding even more pain to the ‘cure’. Continue Reading

The afternoon was cooling down after a scorching 39°C and the large shelter overlooking the lagoon and cliffs beyond was truly an oasis sanctuary surrounded in all directions by very harsh country indeed. Teams had been a long time coming to this transition (CP17), set up on Saturday (Day 4), giving the volunteers manning it plenty of time to enjoy themselves in this stunning location and create a great atmosphere to give the teams a hero’s welcome. The music sessions led by the SAR medic, Stru, were a particular hit and toad races and a dart competition also drew much popularity, as were the property’s dogs and litter of 5 young pups.

Not long before the winners crossed the XPD finish line at Rydges in Cairns on Tuesday night (Day 7), Mt Mulligan was experiencing a rush hour with 6.5 teams inundating the resources on hand at this transition. First aid medics were stretched to the limit advising teams on disinfecting and dressing blisters – this XPD has really hammered almost everyone’s feet. It’s almost hard to believe that the brutal and gnarly Walsh River paddle and Chillagoe Station trek legs haven’t hammered team spirits to the same degree – the energy and resilience of the racers really needs to be seen to be believed.

There was the Dirty Avocados Adventure Racing (37) drying out and tending to blisters and sore feet as well as a repeat acid/wax treatment, and the Yogi Bears (15) defying any lasting effect of the difficult trek, smiling, happy and going strong, still certain that the Walsh River paddle had been their favourite XPD leg so far. Latitude 19 (46) got stuck into some hearty meals while they took some time to rest some particularly nasty feet/ankle symptoms that had received a real beating being rolled almost constantly on the rocky terrain which was all but completely hidden by the high spear grass. Team for Cancer (6), a rare almost blister-free team, hobbled in still nursing some injuries sustained much earlier in the event and related how lucky they felt to have had the experience of the remote and isolated Walsh River paddle and Chillagoe Station trek legs and the BMX Bandits (17), doing their spirited best to sell their first aid technique to the SAR team – spear grass seeds for lancing blisters! And also in amazing spirits were DASH (29) and the remaining half of Securify.co.nz (4) who had hooked up for mutual benefit to complete the ‘tiger country’ trek – the Kiwi duo in order to have the chance to experience the harsh and remote trek leg, and the men’s team to experience the wisdom and strategy of some of the event’s best navigators. Continue Reading

Blackheart.com.au (1) retain their top spot – CONGRATULATIONS!!!

The XPD that seemed like it might never end … for supporters, organisers and no doubt the racers as well!

Blackheart.com.au (1) hit the finish line in the evening of Day 7 at 20:55. The Aussie team were the only team to finish Cairns XPD 2010 in a week. They had an unexpected last few kilometres without their rivals on their tails when Orion Adventure (40) withdrew due to an ankle injury in the morning on Day 7 during the final trekking leg back into Cairns. Up to that point these two teams had fought a sustained battle up the front of the field, particularly since the Chillagoe Station trek (Leg 8), This unfortunate withdrawal was a great disappointment, of course for Orion Adventure (40), but also for Blackheart.com.au (1), the other teams and all the supporters. This incident left Blackheart.com.au (1) far out front with plenty of space for the rest of the day.

McCain Adventure Addicts (51) from South Africa gained a lot of time and ground during the last trek (Leg 11) as they closed in on the finish line and came in second, scraping in 4.5 hours later on Day 8 at 01:23.

Merrell/Alkali (42) (13:15) from Canada/NZ/France managed to stay out front and take out third place ahead of Aussie team City Bike Depot (27) (14:41).

The other team ticking off the full XPD course on Day 8 was the first all men team from Queensland, Starfactor (52) (16:28).

Very few teams finished XPD in time to follow the State of Origin on Wednesday 26th … this had been the goal of at least one XPD team before beginning. Surely XPD is way more exciting though, no?

It looks like It’s All Good (33) followed by the Dancing Pandas (50) will be the next teams over the line …. whether night or day, HQ will be ready by the pool with champagne and pizzas!

The Australian team Blackheart have won XPD Australia for the 2nd year in a row!  While many teams are still out on the course, hustling to reach the finish before the closing time at 6 PM on Friday, Blackheart can take some well earned rest.

This XPD featured several days of tense back-and-forth racing at the front, with Orion Adventure and Blackheart pushing eachother to the limit.  Eventually, even the most elite athletes will feel the strain of racing too fast for too long, and the Kiwis of Orion Adventure sufferred an ankle injury that put an end to the drama.  With about 30 kilometers to go, Orion had to withdraw from the race leaving Blackheart to race the final few hours without an adversary.  Of course, we don’t know when Blackheart learned that Orion withdrew, so they continued to race as fast as they could.

Don’t think this was just a two team race, however!  At one point, days after the starting gun went off, there were a cluster of five teams all racing very near to eachother.   Blackheart and Orion eventually broke away from the lead pack, with McCain Adventure Addicts (South Africa) edging the other 2 teams to settle into the third position.

For the select teams who have already finished the race, their focus is now rest and recovery at the beach town of Cairns.  For all the other teams, there is more work to be done.  Teams are withdrawing from the race, or getting placed onto alternate courses for various reasons, but there is a hearty core of teams still racing the full course and on target (more or less) to reach the finish by Friday evening.

As impressive as Blackheart’s run to the finish line was, complete with smart tactics, careful navigation, and blinding speed . . . I find the perseverance of the rest of the race teams to be wonderful to follow.  They may not be racing for the podium, but they are competing against themselves, their limits, and this rugged XPD course.  Good luck and finish strong, everyone!

It could happen any minute now: the winning team at 2010 XPD Australia should cross the finish line in Cairns, Queensland.  The dramatic see-saw battle between Orion Adventure (NZ) and Blackheart (AUS) can’t be understated.  Multiple lead changes . . . teams getting lost and then recovering . . . teams struggling through poisonous stinging plants and crocodile encounters . . .  this competition has delivered the most entertainment value of any race in recent memory.

I’m plugged in to the technology team in support of XPD Australia, and so it was quite a shock when we saw the “Help” message come through from the Orion team a few hours ago.  The tracking beacons every team is carrying include two safety buttons, one for “Help” and one for “Emergency Rescue.”  Fortunately, Orion had only activated the “Help” button which indicates nothing life threatening, but that their race was effectively over and the race organization would coordinate medical attention and transport for Orion to the finish line.  Apparently, a serious ankle injury proved the undoing for the Kiwis leaving only Blackheart to race alone for the final few kilometers to the end.

I’m not going to get ahead of myself and declare Blackheart the victors, however, as Blackheart hasn’t crossed that finish line yet.  This final trekking leg includes plenty of navigation, elevation, and distance (not to mention more of the stinging plants in the jungle!).  At the last checkpoint (here is the race leaderboard), when Blackheart and Orion were still fighting it out for the lead, they both had a 7 hour lead over the 3rd place South African team McCain Adventure Addicts.  McCain now elevates into 2nd place with the withdrawal of Orion, and we’ll have to see how teams fare on this final trek to the beaches in Cairns.

Too often in adventure racing, the few lead teams steal the spotlight and the rest of the teams race in relative anonymity.  The performances at the front of the pack are certainly amazing, but there are also fantastic feats of endurance, creativity, and teamwork on every team in a race like this.

First off, we should take note of the phenomenal performance by rookie team www.alpineepic.co.nz (yes, that is their team name — they’re sponsored by the Kiwi mountain bike stage race at www.alpineepic.co.nz).  The fact they’re currently in 6th place, only a few hours behind the lead pack, is amazing; it makes me wonder a) exactly how do Kiwis define “rookie” and b) what could these 4 inexperienced racers accomplish with a few adventure races under their belts?  Watch out!

It’s All Good is another team worth mentioning; these racers have completed many previous XPD Australia races and their positive attitude makes me see XPD Australia finishes in their future, too.  How can you not like a team that is racing in 14th position and still keeps an eye out for ice cream stops and pubs along the way?

Truly, every team competing in a race like this deserves recognition and the drive and passion to undertake XPD Australia is something we can all draw inspiration from.  Just to participate is a life experience like none other, and in my book every team that struggles beyond their comfort zone is praiseworthy.  Let me run down a few of the other teams that are great stories and have caught my attention:

• MacPac Girls On Top Kayak the Walsh River

  Currently racing in 22nd place, the MacPac Girls on Top team is an all-women team from New Zealand.  An all female team is bound to attract attention because of how rare they are in expedition races such as this, but how about their performance out there — they’re racing a strong race, kudos to them!  They also have their own blog, pink theme and all, with pics from the race course at http://girlsontopconz.blogspot.com/

• How about the Yogi Bears team?  In 25th place on the official leaderboard, but first place in the “teams writing a lot in their reports from on the course”  category.  It’s worth the read to get a glimpse of the inside of a race like this.  And, I’m curious if they have those stuffed teddy bears with them on the course, too?
• The team Fully Rad to the Power of Sick, besides having a funny team name, are proud to be “mere mortals” in their approach to XPD Australia and enjoy the challenge without podium aspirations.  These sorts of teams are, in many ways, the heart and soul of adventure racing and I can’t help pulling for them.
• Juggernaut appears to be another of these teams of  “mere mortals” but they are of a special kind — the “unranked” kind.  One of their racers had to withdraw from the race, but the others are continuing on; this situation makes them “unranked” since they’re unable to finish the race without their full team.  XPD has permitted these guys to continue racing in this unofficial capacity.  In the face of many obstacles, they’re still going at it.

Adventure racing is the only sport in the world where the elite of the sport can line up with the “regular” folks, and compete head-to-head on the same playing field.  Amateur tennis players will never compete at Wimbledon . . . the neighborhood soccer (or should I say football?) game will never include players from the World Cup . . . XPD Australia is, like other adventure races, wildly democratic in the sense that everyone lines up at the same starting line.  Where else can former World Champions toe the line with first-timers and weekend warriors?

Even better, you don’t have to cross the finish first to be a “winner” here; you win by participating and pushing your boundaries and for people with demanding jobs, families, and other priorities the “prizes” at XPD Australia are the rich memories and accomplishments that can be found no place else.

The lead teams at XPD Australia have entered a crucial portion of the race; this is a long (60 k) trek through wilderness terrain where there are no trails or roads.  Darkness has also settled into this Australian bush country, so the navigation will be even tougher.

When I wrote for Adventure World yesterday, Blackheart was holding a slim lead over hard-charging Orion and the race leaders were heading into a shallow river paddle for 70k.  Since then, Blackheart took a small overnight detour and spent a precious 5 hours or more getting back on track.  Orion, I’m told, lost their boats during the paddle/portage (must have been when looking for a checkpoint flag far from the river bank?) and invested significant time recovering their watercraft.  All of this took place near the same bend in the river, so I’m declaring that area the “Bermuda Triangle of Australia.”

The other lead teams, however, had a bit smoother trip through the river and the result is a 5 team lead pack heading out on this rugged cross-country trek.  Check the leaders progress via the live satellite tracking, and just imagine the teams scrambling through the scrub, over the rocks, all in the darkness of night and knowing that 4 other teams are out here trying to do it faster.  This is going to be exciting to watch!

Here’s a run-down of the lead pack as best I can discern:

• Orion Adventure appear to be at the front, but not by much (see below)
• McCain Adventure Addicts, the hearty South Africans, are a mere 400 meters behind Orion
• 400 meters behind McCain is the Blackheart team, eager to reclaim the race lead
• Merrell/Akali are about 1500 meters in back of Blackheart, slightly to the South
• City Bike Depot, a “local” team from Syndey, are about 1500 meters in back of Blackheart,  but more to the North than Merrell

Keep in mind that since this is a road and trail free area, route selection will be a key determinant in how teams fare out there.  Teams are not traveling a linear path, but making their own way through the bush.

What a fantastic challenge for the teams to confront, balancing their fatigue, fitness, whits, and determination against some of the most remote terrain imagineable.  And against four other elite teams!

Day three and generally teams were onto Leg 5 cycling 130km of the Bicentennial Trail via Irvinebank and punctated by an orienteering trek at Stannery Hills. Reports from teams arriving at midcamp (CP11, Dimbulah) was that they loved the cycling leg a lot, despite the warm and fine weather. Some reports were that the orienteering quite challenging and the French team Wenger-Nam-EasyImplants (3) were particularly stoked about having seen so many kangaroos on this section.

Teams arriving at midcamp are generally in very high spirits, even the particularly bruised and battered. It seems that the cycling leg has given racers both the physical and mental distance and to put their stinging Misty Mountains experiences well behind them. It’s questionable whether the Muppets (39) will readily forget waking up on that trek with a leech in one of their mouths though! And Townsville Adventure Racing (18) blogged at Ravenshoe that their XPD was quickly turning from a race to an experience and soon to pure survival – so hopefully it will be full revival again for them with the treats and a break at midcamp.

Mid camp at Dimbulah started to fill up slowly from the afternoon – the kitchen kicked into gear cooking hot meals for teams and the tents beckoned teams to retreat and rest sited in the cool luxury of big shady trees. The IGA here is also seeing and increase in trade and many teams have taken a bee-line for the café – & volunteers are counting on these businesses extending their trading hours in response to XPD!

Blackheart.com.au (1) were the first team to leave midcamp with a lead of about 1.5 hours on Orion Adventure (40) – both teams leaving not a minute past the 6 hour mandatory break. The 20km wheelbarrow leg out to the Walsh River, quite a scene apparently – with a mountain of kayaks and paddle gear strategically packed and balanced. Only Blackheart.com.au (1) is expected to put in early enough to get started with some daylight paddling hours. The navigation and portaging on the remote Walsh River leg will be very challenging for teams, even in daylight, so it will be fascinating to follow the progress of the leading pack of teams overnight.

When I bumped into the Australian team Blackheart at the Portugal airport last November, it was just days after they had finished a dissapointing AR World Championship race.  Dissapointing, for Blackheart, as they had high expectations of challenging for the podium after racing so well to qualifiy for the World Championships.  The sense I gathered from them was that their 17th place finish in Portugal wasn’t representative of how they truly stand in the world scene.

Fast forward six months and we’re a couple days into the 2010 XPD Australia race; Blackheart is demonstrating emphatically that they are a force to be reckoned with.  They opened up a 2 hour lead on their nearest rival and 2008 World Champion, Orion Adventure, during the latest bike leg and have the rest of the race field feverishly chasing behind them.

The first day of racing, “Round 1″ at XPD Australia if you will, was led by Orion Adventure; now with the second day of adventure racing behind us, it’s clear that “Round 2″ goes to Blackheart.

The dark zones and mandatory rest areas are done for the lead teams in Australia; from here on out, it’s a non-stop multi-day expedition to the finish line.  Now we’re talking! There are shallow rivers with crocodiles, vast Australian plateaus with no trails for miles, and more jungle treks in their future.  The live tracking map shows that second place Orion Adventure has already started eating into Blackheart’s 2 hour lead (down to 1 hour 40 minutes now?), and the days to come at XPD Australia will prove more significant than the days already raced.

Yes, Round 2 at XPD Australia went to Blackheart, but can they win Round 3 or Round 4 or Round 5?  I think they will need to in order to cross the finish line first!

There is no question in my mind, however, that this Blackheart team is one of the strongest adventure racing teams in the world.  The last words I shared at the Portuguese airport with Rob Preston, Blackheart’s talented navigator, were about course design and where Blackheart’s strengths lie.  His response keeps coming back to me today as I review the rugged race course remaining in front of them at XPD Australia.

His words: “The more off-trail, bushwhack, the better.  Just love that stuff.”

So, strap in, there’s a horse race down under and let’s see who wins Round 3!

The ride from Mission Beach was fast, flat and dark for most teams, sealed roads taking them via Tully’s Golden Gumboot and past sugar cane fields and banana plantations up to CP5, Tully Gorge Camping Area. This transition area was to be inundated with teams all through the night.

First in was Orion Adventure (40) before 8pm with a lead of about quarter of an hour, followed by a bunch of teams only minutes apart including: Blackheart.com.au (1), McCain Adventure Addicts (51), City Bike Depot (27), Merrell/Alakali (42), www.alpineepic.co.nz (25). The teams were bunched into rafting departure groups reflecting the order of their arrival.

During the cycle wildlife such as snakes, bats, a pig (close shave) and a ‘porcupine’ (maybe by an overseas team?) were encountered and Waiting for Inspiration (19) discovered that snakes make and ‘interesting yelp sound’ when they get run over! Macpac Girls on Top (36) made good use of their singing voices and Goldfish (11) dedicated much effort into eating, aka ‘nutrition’ – homemade, three course gourmet that is, in a bus shelter somewhere along the way.

During the night Born to be Wild (12) suffered an unfortunate bicycle accident on a wooden bridge at speed, and following necessary medical attention they retired two team members. The team later reformed (unranked) taking two members from Team C.A.R. (44), who decided to retire their original team at the completion of this cycle leg.

Following their rides in, several teams decided to walk up to the Tully power station and rest until the rafting in the morning. However most teams took advantage of access to their trunks and gear at CP5 to be as comfortable as possible and try and get around 4 or fewer hours sleep – not as easy as it sounds as the surface choices were bitumen/concrete or soggy grass. In the calm and starry darkness the sound of the Tully River roared all night, heightening the anticipation for the rafting to come.

With much excitement, all the teams made it up the hill (9km) in time to raft the Grade 4 Tully River. Words cannot do justice in explaining this amazing and totally fun feature experience, compared with the photographic and footage taken, suffice to say that conditions were fantastic for a brilliant run down this iconic course and the Tully River certainly impressed on all it’s famous white water best and stunningly beautiful setting showcasing a variety of exotic butterflies – lots of big drops, non-stop big water and a couple of teams landing in the drink! Continue Reading

We’re seeing the emegergence of a front-runner at the XPD Australia expedition race.  After a relatively “light and friendly” first day of racing that included snorkeling and beach running, the teams reached a whitewater dark zone that grouped the teams back together again.  At sunrise this morning, the racing resumed with rafting on the famous Tully River rapids.

The protocol for the restart would be as follows:

• Teams will start rafting at sunrise
• 1 team per raft, with professional guides on each raft for safety
• Teams will restart in waves, 12 teams at a time, in the same order as they arrive to the dark zone
• Roughly 30 minutes will separate each “wave” of 12 teams

If any of you have rafted before, you know that the speed you progress down the river can be blocked by any number of things.  Boats ahead of you get stuck on rocks and cause you to wait, or if a boat flips and there are swimmers in the rapids it can delay your safe progress down river.  The point is, the more teams that get started ahead of you on the river, the more likely it is that you’ll be delayed.

For any team that considers themselves “competitive for the win” at XPD Australia, their goal would have been to be amongst the first 12 teams to the Tully River dark zone last night.  Many of the race favorites made it into this top 12 group, the most notable exception being Wenger-Nam-Easy Implant who were the 14th team to arrive (missing the top 12 cut by nearly 90 minutes).  There are other strong teams who didn’t make this “top 12″ group, possibly conserving energy for the long haul ahead.  It will be interesting to compare the times from Checkpoint 6 (the whitewater take out) with the eventual race finishing times.

Orion Adventure have been having a very strong start to this race.  Orion was the first team to the dark zone, the first team on the whitewater, and now reports have them 15 minutes ahead of the 2nd place team Blackheart after the 46 kilometer tropical jungle trek.

Orion has shown they’re a strong team even with the new personnel, and they’re trying to put their stamp on this race early!

With that said, I think it’s a mistake to read too much into all this.  A 15 minute lead with 5 days of racing still ahead is essentially no lead at all, and it’s interesting to see Blackheart hanging close to Orion’s heels.  There are several other teams hanging around the front, which at this early stage of the race might be the most strategic way to go.

I don’t know about you, but I’m staying glued to the race website.  The tracking beacons should come back now that teams are leaving the dense jungle trek section, and I have an inside tip from race HQ that they have some fantastic video footage from the rafting section and it will be posted online in a few hours.