Adventure Junkie

I just went to Avon Descent Downriver Kayaking Race in Perth.  It was a fantastic experience and when I close my eyes, I can’t stop seeing those rapids for the second day in a row. The distance is 124km over two days, 52km and 72km respectively.

I was going to give it a go 3 years ago, and then again 2 years ago. I almost went last year, but again, didn’t make it. This year I submitted my entry straight away. Next thing, I found a suitable-looking Spirit Fury in Perth, purchased it, and my good friend Tom Chadsbourne went and picked it up for me and stored at his place.

You know it’s been a good weekend when, late on Sunday afternoon you find yourself and one of your best mates staring at the payment collection station on Barcelona Highway, trying to push your credit card into the cash slot and wondering why the damn thing doesn’t fit.. 

Exactly two years ago, standing on the third step of the podium at the World Rogaining Championships in Latvia, we did not set any long-standing plans. We were just excited to make it there with very little training under our belts. This is when it all started really. A couple of months after our bronze finish, looking back at all results and analyzing our shape and preparation, it became obvious that there is some unfinished business there.

X-Marathon Expedition Adventure race is a pinnacle of Australian adventure racing. To assist you with your training for this epic eventwe are starting to disclose a little bit more about the race course. This year, both Full course - 60 hours and Half course - 40 hours,  will include a SwimRun section. Replacing an ocean swim section,  the SwimRun leg will include inlet swimmings along with some trekking and coasteering in-between.

Read more at XMarathon.com.au >>

Adventure racing looks exciting and, as its name suggests, it is more of an adventure rather, than a race. It is truly relevant to the sprint events as well as expedition race. 

"The very first race I registered for was about 50 km long. Based on the normal perception of 42.2 km being a standard marathon, to say I was slightly nervous would have been an understatement. 12-hour events came up quickly and less than a year later I was into the real expedition stuff." - Maria, event director.

Upper Murray Challenge is one of the toughest multisport events in the Australian racing calendar. It consists of three legs: 28 km mountain bike ride, 27 km downriver paddle and 23,5 km trail run, with each of them being challenging enough to race alone. Each year only the toughest racers attempt to finish the full course Solo, and not everyone succeeds. Training for the race like Upper Murray  Challenge is not an easy task, here are a brief outlines of what needs to be done in order to complete the event.

Read more at UpperMurrayChallenge.com.au >>

The field was extremely competitive with the winner in the Classic course determined during the final advanced mountain bike leg, with 7 teams racing head to head going into the last leg. 

Greg Ley and Adrian McGregor of team Marshans showed off their outstanding riding abilities and came in first to the finish line.  Family team, Rob and Felix Davis - Tandoori Chickens, dominated in the Novice category. Full results available here>> 

Race HQ greeted teams with ideal racing conditions, with a temperature of 15 degrees and blue skies over scenic Lysterfield Park.