Just under 100 adventure racers will descend on Forster this weekend for the Mountain Designs GeoQuest 48hr Adventure Race, as one of Australia’s longest-running adventure races finally gets underway after two years of disruption from floods and severe weather.
The race starts from Forster Surf Club and will send teams on a non-stop journey through the Barrington Coast and surrounding hinterland, navigating by map and compass as they trek, mountain bike and kayak their way through up to 48 hours of racing.
It will also mark the end of an era for GeoQuest.
First held in 2002, GeoQuest has become one of the iconic events of Australian adventure racing. This weekend will be the final edition in its traditional location and format, with Wild&Co already looking towards what comes next for the event.
Race Director Chris Dixon said finally getting teams onto the course after the challenges of the past two years will make this year particularly special.
“Flooding and severe weather have had an enormous impact on GeoQuest over the last two years, so to finally be here and ready to race feels pretty amazing.
“There’s definitely some emotion around this being the final GeoQuest in the format we’ve known for more than two decades. It’s the end of an era, but we’re also really excited about what comes next.
“Before then, we’ve got one more proper GeoQuest to race, and I think this course is a fitting way to finish this chapter.”
A Classic GeoQuest Course
Teams will not see the complete course until maps are released immediately before the race, but competitors can expect a classic mix of GeoQuest terrain.
White water kayaking will provide one of the early highlights, while the mountain bike stages combine fast rolling gravel and some fantastic MTB trails with several significant climbs.
A long trekking stages will test navigation and endurance before every team faces one final GeoQuest tradition… a mandatory beach trek on the journey back towards the finish.
As always, there are two course options. Full Course teams will tackle the complete challenge, while Geo-Half teams race a shorter course but retain the full 48-hour time limit.
Teams race continuously through day and night, navigating between checkpoints and transitioning between trekking, mountain biking and kayaking.
Part of the Adventure Racing World Series
Mountain Designs GeoQuest is part of the Adventure Racing World Series Oceania Series, with teams earning points towards the regional and global ARWS rankings.
The event continues a long association between GeoQuest and Mountain Designs, which stretches back to the very first edition of the race in 2002.
Wild&Co is also pleased to have the support of On Track Meals and Spuirt for this year’s event.
Race Weekend
Mountain Designs GeoQuest takes place from 25–28 September 2026, with Race HQ at Forster Surf Club.
Friends, family and adventure racing fans around Australia will be able to follow teams throughout the weekend via live satellite tracking, with updates, photos and video published through Wild&Co during the race.
For more information and live tracking visit www.wldnco.com/live
Event: Mountain Designs GeoQuest 48hr Adventure Race
Dates: 25–28 September 2026
Location: Forster, NSW
Race HQ: Forster Surf Club
Format: 48-hour Full Course and Geo-Half
Disciplines: Trekking, mountain biking, kayaking and navigation
Part of the Adventure Racing World Series Oceania
