Mountain Designs GeoQuest 48hr Adventure Race is the ultimate test of your physical and mental limits. There is no question, the race is tough and it is real adventure.

Your body will be totally exhausted, your brain will be begging you to stop and you’ll have had little or no sleep for 48 hours. Then if you are one of the lucky teams, you will crawl across the finish line. This is certainly not your average weekend!

EVENT DETAILS

**Date:** 5-8th of June 2026
**Location:** Forster, Mid Coast, NSW
**Duration:** 48 hour event
**Team size:** 2 or 4 person, Supported + Un-Supported Options

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About GeoQuest

Why do people do it? Because for the competitors who attain the ultimate prize of crossing the finish line, will come to them an elation and sense of achievement like nothing else. They will have taken their body and mind past anywhere it has been before. They will have shared incomparable experiences with their team mates and learnt about themselves. Ultimately they will have found that their limits are just an illusion…

Teams of 4 enter in one of three categories, Premier (i.e. Mixed), All-Female, or All-Male. You must finish the race with the number of team members you start with. Teams have the option of racing ‘supported’ and bringing one additional person as support crew (this person is not racing) or racing or ‘un-supported’ and have the GeoQuest team handle logistics.

GeoQuest is a non-stop 48 hour adventure race, including disciplines of trekking, mountain biking, and kayaking. You and your teammates stay together for the whole race – it isn’t a relay! There are two courses, the Full Course and the Geo-Half. The Full Course is the ultimate test for a team while the Geo-Half is approx half the distance but still allows teams the full 48 hours to reach the finish line. The Geo-Half is ideal for those who want to give adventure racing a try, but not commit to the full course. It is an event with an emphasis on teamwork, fitness and adventure.

ESTABLISHED 2002 – GeoQuest is Australia’s oldest Adventure Race and for many the pinnacle of adventure racing in Australia. ‘Geo’ is also the only supported race in the Australian calendar where teams have the option to bring a support crew as part of the team.

The GeoQuest Course

There are two course options at GeoQuest a full course and a half course.

FULL COURSE

The Full Course is the ultimate test of physical and mental limits. It is the major focus of each event and the crown jewel for most teams. This course is tough and may have teams on the move for 48 hours or more, and not all teams are expected to complete it. It wouldn’t have a reputation as a tough event if everyone could finish.

With good teamwork and determination, finishing teams can expect to spend anywhere from 32 to 52 hours on the course. No specific provisions are made for sleeping, so teams must plan their own sleep strategy.

HALF COURSE

The Half Course is designed to provide a shorter but still demanding 48 hour adventure race experience.

Teams begin the race alongside Full Course teams before branching off onto their specific course. These courses are often interwoven with the Full Course, meaning teams may travel many of the same sections.

Half Course teams have the full 48 hour time limit to complete their course.

WHICH COURSE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

The choice is entirely up to you; however, teams new to 48 hour adventure racing are encouraged to consider the Half Course as their first step. The shorter distance and additional time provide a greater chance of finishing.

Teams will have more opportunity to recover from navigational errors and can spend longer in transition areas warming up and eating.

Novice teams are welcome to enter the Full Course but should be aware that it will be hard, technical, and that there is a real chance they may not finish. That said, many teams have successfully completed the Full Course in past events after stepping up to the challenge.

GeoQuest Distances

Full Course
In very general terms, Full Course teams can expect approximate total distances of:

Trekking: 50–60km
Mountain biking: 110–130km
Kayaking: 40–50km

Half Course
In very general terms, Geo-Half Course teams can expect approximate total distances of:

Trekking: 25–35km
Mountain biking: 60–70km
Kayaking: 15–25km

GeoQuest Format

GeoQuest is a linear Adventure Race. All teams begin at the same location and navigate their way through each leg consecutively. At the end of each leg is a Transition Area, where teams change from one discipline to another.

At most Transition Areas you will be met by your support crew if racing with one, or by the transition crew if racing unsupported.

Support crews or the logistics team may transport you to the start line, but the race will always finish at Race HQ. As an example, click for the overview of the course for last year’s event, go to Live Tracking.

While on the course, team members must remain within 100 metres of each other at all times. If a team member withdraws, the team will not receive an official finishing place. The team may be permitted to continue Unranked, provided a minimum of two competitors remain.

The winning team in each category will be the first team to cross the finish line after successfully navigating all legs of the course and finishing with all the team members they started with.

Support Crew vs Unsupported

GeoQuest is a supported adventure race, giving teams the flexibility to choose how they want to race.

Teams may race supported, bringing one additional person as support crew (not racing) to manage equipment, food, transport, and logistics between transition areas — or choose to race unsupported, where the GeoQuest logistics team handles all equipment movements and transitions for you, for a small additional fee.

Both options offer a complete GeoQuest experience — the choice simply comes down to how hands-on you want to be with your race logistics.

CUT-OFFS & TIME LIMITS

Our aim is to give teams the opportunity to challenge themselves non-stop for the full 48 hour duration of the event. Even if a team is moving slowly, they should still be able to remain on the course for the full event time limit, regardless of how far they progress.

Teams must, however, return to Race HQ for the official race finish.

GeoQuest Location

The race is held annually on the weekend of the King’s Birthday in June. The location of the course is moved each year to a different area to pose exciting new challenges for competitors.

2026 LOCATION: Forster

Forster, on the Barrington Coast, has been announced as the official start and finish location for the 2025 edition of the Mountain Designs GeoQuest 48hr Adventure Race.

This year’s location of choice, Forster, is a 3hr drive from sydney and located just 60 minutes south of Port Macquarie.

For many, a trip across the bridge which connects Forster and Tuncurry evokes memories of family holidays spent on the beach or lake. These memories often forge a connection with these twin towns by generations choosing Forster or Tuncurry as their yearly holiday escape.

Cost & Entry

Course	Super Early Bird Ends 30 Nov 2025	Early Bird Ends 28 Feb 2026	Standard
Half – 2 Person	$920	$1,035	$1,150
Half – 4 Person	$1,680	$1,890	$2,100
Full – 2 Person	$1,160	$1,305	$1,450
Full – 4 Person	$2,160	$2,430	$2,700

All prices include GST.

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All prices include GST.

WHAT DOES ENTRY INCLUDE?

Your race entry fees include:

A high quality adventure racing course in a great location;
On-site first response teams for emergency first aid;
All race maps for your team;
Kayaks included;
Special disciplines as appropriate to the location;
Souvenir Event Cap or T-Shirt or similar
Race pack with goodies and event prizes (dependant on sponsorship);
Great live web coverage throughout;
up to 48 hours of the most arduous and memorable adventure racing of your life!
Entry fee includes 10% GST;

It is our aim to provide you and your team the best quality event we can. Admittedly, it isn’t cheap to enter, but neither is it cheap to run an adventure race of this scale, in a new location each year, especially when the event goes for well over 48 hours straight!