The Legend Expedition Race heads to one of the last true wilderness regions on Earth

The Legend expedition adventure race was launched by Wild&Co in 2023 as part of the Adventure Racing World Series. In the first race teams crossed the Alpine mountains, forests and lakes of the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales. In the second edition teams took on the on the the rugged coastline and wild hinterland of the Great Ocean Road.

These spectacular journey’s undertaken on bikes, on foot and in kayaks were just the start of a much, much bigger journey, taking racers to the most scenic areas of every state in Australia.

Race Director Chris Dixon plans to hold The Legend annually, with each race moving to a new location, in a new state, travelling around Australia with the 2025 race will be based in Southern Tasmania.

Adventure racing teams will have the chance to circumnavigate Australia, as Dixon explains; “At the closing ceremony of the 2023 event we asked competing teams where they’d like to race next. There was such a diverse range of responses from the south western tip of Western Australia to the deserts of central Australia, from the island tropics of far North Queensland to the forests of Tasmania.

The ‘Wonky Donkeys’ take on the trails around Forest in 2024

“In order to deliver on our vision to establish The Legend Expedition Race as the quintessential Australian expedition race – one that sees teams competing in the toughest sport on the planet, in the most iconic locations in Australia, we realised we needed to do it all.

“’Doing a big lap’ of Australia is dream that many in Australia and around the world have, and the Legend Expedition Race will be a unique and exciting way to fulfil that dream.”

The 2025 race will take place from th to March 2nd, and entries are now open on the race website at: www.legendexpd.com.au

The next destination for The Legend offers the chance to race in area which has never been used for an expedition adventure race before.

Huonville is just 1hr from Hobart Airport

The race HQ will be in the town of Huonville, Tasmania, which is only 1 hour drive from Hobart airport, and is a popular step off point for those wanting to explore the wild south and south west regional of Tasmania.

The town is set at the edge of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, the town is an ideal base for exploring Tasmania's far south.

Huonville is the heart of Tasmania’s original apple-growing region, this bustling town is unsurprisingly a treat for those who enjoy fine produce. The surrounding area produces smoked and fresh salmon, honey, mushrooms, apples, stone fruit, pears, olives, saffron, wines and plenty of cider.

As race HQ the town will be the step off point for teams to a truely Tasmanian Wilderness experience. The Legend course will take on rivers, coastlines, lakes and mountain trails for an epic Tasmanian adventure taking teams into what has been described as “one of the last true wilderness regions on Earth encompassing a greater range of natural and cultural values than any other region on Earth”

Teams take on the epic Great Ocean Trail to finish Legend 2024

Dixon said, “Teams will travel truely wild coastal trails and climb alpine peaks. They will kayak wild lakes and rivers. Cycle through ancient forests and take on an epic remote trek that will be talked about for years to come. Teams will need to be prepared for remote travel in areas where they will not see signs of civilisation for days and we have an unforgettable mystery discipline organised by passionate local experts.”

Adventure Racing World Series CEO Heidi Muller commented, “The ARWS has had an Australian expedition race in the calendar almost every year and Chris is carrying forward that great tradition.  His vision to take The Legend to every Australian state is impressive and going from The Snowy Mountains to The Great Ocean Road and now to Tasmania is a wonderful start!  He is providing Australian racers with a unique opportunity to explore their country.”

The Legend format is a classic, non-stop 6 day adventure race involving trekking, mountain biking, kayaking and other adventure disciplines. The race is for teams of four and they must stay together and navigate their way unsupported through an epic 500+km course.

The Mountain Designs Wild Women, winners of the 2024 edition of Legend

For those wanting to test out expedition racing there will also be a half course option next year.  This will offer the same epic adventure and visit the most iconic locations, but teams will have the full 6 days to race half of the full course distance, allowing more inexperienced teams a greater chance of reaching the finish line.

Race Details

Date: 1 – 8 March 2025
Location: Tasmania, Australia
Duration: 6 days / 500km & 250km (full and half course)
Entries: Open Now, Early Bird Ends 31 July 2024
Team size: 4 person 

Buckley's 24 Launch Special – Extra 15% for 5 days only

We're very excited to launch the Buckley's 24hr Adventure Race, a brand new 24hr adventure race in Victoria. Inspired by the recent success of the Terra Nova, Hells Bells and Top Dog, this event is a Victorian adventure for anyone near Melbourne looking to get away for a weekend of epic adventure racing in an awesome location.

The event will be hosted by the Wild&Co team and to celebrate, we're launching ticket sales with an Extra 15% off the Early Bird Ticket Price – Use the Code 'LAUNCH15' at the check out before midnight 22 April.*

Early Bird Entries will be open until 30 June, entries will be limited so get in fast for this inaugural adventure racing event. 

Date: 26-27 October 2024
Location: Anglesea, VIC, Australia
Tickets: Early Bird Entries Open Now
Duration: 24hrs, Full and Half Course options
Team size: 2 or 4 person, no support crew needed

Adventure Racing in the Otways

The Otway region and its surrounds have an extensive network of world class mountain bike trails, incredible bushwalking opportunities across the multiple national parks and nature reserves, stunning vistas with mountains and fun kayaking opportunities.

Basically it’s made for adventure racing!

Buckley's 24 (Full Course) is a classic non-stop 24hr adventure race involving trekking, mountain biking, kayaking and other adventure disciplines. Mixed, Male or Female teams of two or four must navigate their way unsupported through an arduous 120+km course that is only revealed to them hours before the race.

Buckley's Half (Half Course) covers just over half the distance but teams have the full 24hrs to complete it. The legs are challenging, but with the additional time available to complete the half course, teams have a greater chance to reach the finish line.

“Expect this to be tough – this event is only for those who can race and complete a hard core challenge. Race support will be given with water stations on the course but you will be expected to carry your own water and nutrition for long sections of the course!

— Chris Dixon, Wild & Co Race Designer

Each year a new and exciting course will be developed. Courses will normally be linear with teams occasionally transported to the start line and finishing back at race HQ.

The winning Buckley's 24 teams are estimated to take 16 to complete the course. The winning Half teams are expected to take 12hrs. All teams for both events have up to 24hrs to complete the course.

Athletes will need to be self sufficient and prepared for anything as the course and mixture of disciplines on the day will only be revealed hours before the start of the race.

Find out more at www.buckleys24.com.au

An epic Terra Nova 24 weekend with a wild start!

WOW! What a weekend – it ws certainly touch and go for the few days leading to the Terra Nova 24. We watched the forcasts hitting re-fresh every few minutes, had lengthy discussions with National Parks, the local council and emergency services and adjusted the course several times in the days leading up to the event.

We pushed the start time out to 12:30 and while we were quietly confident (hoped, prayed) the weather would clear, it certainly came down to the wire with the rain only just clearing as we started the race. All this combined to create a dramatic and nervous start for many – but in true adventure racing style – almost all the registed teams turned up at the start line to get the job done.

The Kioloa locals and officials were amazed to see these crazy people head out into the muddy trails and many acknowledged they were in the presence of some of Australia’s toughest people.

As the race unfolded it was awesome to see the comaradrie on course especially with many of the creeks very swollen as teams helped each other cross. Many teams commented afterwards that the sense of community out on the course was very unique and incredible to be part of.

Big highlights for many were the rogaine sections in South Durras with both a trek and paddle leg on the southern section of the course. Teams talked about turning off their lights on the paddle and being overwhelmed by the stars in the milky way and depending on the time the rise of the moon over the ocean.

An epic hike-a-bike climb on the final leg was rewarded by 10kms of downhill to the finish with plenty of smiles as teams crossed the finishline.

In the full course Line honours went to team Jungle Edge just narrowly beating the Bolting Ningas and It’s Been a While who crossed second and third.

On the half course it was Son on a Bung who won in a very tight three way contest with Transition Trolls and Tiger Adventure Racing Maniacs.

An extra special thanks goes out to the team of volunteers that helped make this event a reality – they set up and managed the transition areas and finish line in some pretty tough circumstances. And also to the local park ranges and emergency services who allowed the event to go ahead.

We’ve got a great lineup of events in 2024 with a few cool announcements on their way with location announcements and possible new event on the horizon.

Full results are available at www.terranova24.com/live

Check out the event images at www.facebook.com/wldnco

Ulladulla 6hr Adventure Race Information Kit

Not long now...make sure you're properly equipped and ready to go!

NOTE – This information is only available to those team members who have their name registered with Wild & Co and who appear on the team list. Team captains – you may need to forward this to your other team members.

With just under one week to go the event is shaping up to be an exciting one. The course is set, we're setting up HQ, placing CPs and packing the race packs. This email contains a few important reminders so please read carefully.

Important Documents

It's essential that you carefully read the information pack (click the image above or the link below) which includes all the important information you need, including the mandatory gear list. If you have questions please ask.

• Information Pack

• Mandatory Equipment

Mandatory Gear Lists for 24hr+ Events

There have been a few updates to the way that the ARWS - Adventure Racing World Series provides their mandatory gear lists.

All 24hr to 48hr race mandatory gear lists are now available for direct download on each event website and on the Wild&Co main website. This gear list should be familiar to teams and has not been updated and are available here:

www.terranova24.com.au

www.geoquest.com.au

www.hellsbells.com.au

www.topdog24.com.au

The expedition race mandatory gear list is available for download on the ARWS website. and includes a few minor updates. This is available here:

www.arworldseries.com

ADDITIONAL ITEMS

In addition to the ARWS mandatory gear lists, all Australian 24hr plus events now require teams to carry a 10cm x 10m snake bite bandage as a precaution. These are available here to purchase:

https://shop.stjohn.org.au

It is also recommended that teams familiarise themselves with what to do in the case of s snake bite. There is an excellent guide published by the St Johns Ambulance and available here for download: St Johns Snake Bite Fact Sheet

Historic Win for the Mountain Designs Wild Women Team at Legend Race in Australia

THEIR WIN WAS THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THE SPORT THAT AN ALL WOMEN’S TEAM HAS WON A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL EXPEDITION ADVENTURE RACE.

When the Mountain Designs Wild Women team arrived at the finish line of the Legend Expedition Race at Apollo Bay on the Great Ocean Road in Australia it was a historic moment in the history of Adventure Racing. Their win was the first time in the history of the sport that an all women’s team has won a major international expedition adventure race.

The Legend race was the first Adventure Racing World Series Qualifier of the year and in the 23 years the global series has been running no women’s team has won an ARWS race, or any other major international race, such as Eco-Challenge or the Raid World Cup. Since the Raid Gauloises in 1989 in New Zealand, recognised as the first adventure race, the sport has prioritised mixed gender teams, there have been only a few competitive women’s teams and none has secured a win in the toughest of endurance sports, until now.

The Legend Race was a 450km non-stop race, with the course open for 6 days, including 13 endurance stages of mountain and coastal trekking, mountain biking, ocean, river and lake kayaking. Teams had to stay together at all times and collect all of the checkpoints on the route, navigating by map and compass, and only taking a few hours sleep during the whole race.

The Mountain Designs Wild Women team crossed the finish line after 73 hours and 9 minutes of racing led by team captain Kim Beckinsale. She was racing with Alina McMaster, Cass Kimlin and Del Lloyd and the team has a combined age of 197 years and between them, 78 years of adventure racing experience!

The Wild Women had a difficult start to the race when McMaster and Beckinsale were ill and the team had to rest for an hour, but after this they had an intense competition with ‘Team MMI-The Band’, swapping the lead almost stage by stage. The penultimate stage was to prove decisive when there was an unexpected change to the course.

This was a kayak stage in an estuarine river and lake system, with teams collecting 4 checkpoints in the order of their choosing. However, what was planned as a paddling stage turned into an epic mud-wade when an excavator dredged the mouth of the Aire River just before the teams arrived! Water levels fell and in the adjoining Lake Costin and Lake Craven there was almost no water, only a lake of mud teams would have to cross to reach two checkpoints!

Over 4 hours the Mountain Designs Wild Women team succeeded in reaching all checkpoints, but Team MMI-The Band failed to reach two, becoming stranded in the mud and losing shoes in the process. They turned back and the race was effectively decided as, although they crossed the line first, they were penalised 4 hours for missing the checkpoints.

Beckinsale said, “We were expecting a beautiful estuarine paddle before it got dark, then ran out of water and ran into stinking mud flats. We were above our knees in mud and reeds were over our heads, but we were determined to keep moving. Kim smashed through the reeds and Cas urged us to keep paddling.

“They were bold and tenacious and we had the experience to know you just have to keep on going, no matter how slowly. We paddled and pushed and levered ourselves out of the mud, and were so glad we took the kayak straps! We thought no one else would do it and I took photos to show we were at the checkpoints and had been there with the kayaks.”

Lloyd added, “We were fast, smart and used all our skills and experience, supported each other, carried each other’s gear and our navigation was accurate. We have masses of experience and heaps of bloody-mindedness, which meant we were damn well going to get through that mud, but we were strong for the whole race and worked hard for each other and for the win.”

McMaster raced at international events from the early days of adventure racing in the 1990’s and returned to the sport after a break for childcare. “I love expedition races,” she said, “they are hands-down the best kind of racing. They are always an amazing experience. You are on a journey, out in the bush with your mates and with no tech do distract you. It’s the sport and the community which makes you want to do it.

“For these races you need a team with no ego, and bucket loads of humility, who have a shared goal, that is put ahead of everyone else’s needs to look good. You have to give your whole self to the team, put everyone’s energy into one bucket and share it out. That team work is really special and keeps me coming back.”

Kimlin only joined the team for this race 6 weeks ago and said, “There’s a strong bond in the team and you see everyone at their best and worst. With adventure racing it’s important you don’t let the “I can’t” mentality in or be afraid to give it a try just because it’s hard.”
Beckinsale, who organises a women’s only race with her company Tri-Adventure, added, “We want other women to have the opportunity to do this sport and change lives, to know they are more amazing than they thought they could be! It’s a sport where you can sign-up and have a go.”

There was a strong women’s representation in the race, in which all of the starting teams reached the finish line. The final team over the line was another all-female team, the Vortex Divas, who reached the finish after 120 hours of racing, and the highest ranked mixed gender team were Team Blunder Bus, comprised of 2 men and 2 women.

This team were delighted to win the prize of a place at the Adventure Racing World Championship, which will be staged by the Huairasinchi race in Ecuador in November and the prizes were presented by ARWS CEO, Heidi Muller, who was a surprise visitor to Apollo Bay for the finish of the race.

The Blunder Bus team of Rowan Brookes, Lisa Dominguez, Steve Owens and Simon Vandestaedt finished the course in just over 98 hours and for Domingues and Brookes it was their first expedition race. Dominguez said, “The Great Ocean Road region really showcased what expedition racing can offer and there was a strong sense of community during and after the race, when we heard the stories of other racers. We went into the race with the goals of completing it as a team and experiencing the beauty of the course, so the opportunity to race in Ecuador is an unexpected bonus!"

Beckinsale voiced the same feelings about the second Legend course; “Thanks to Chris Dixon and his team from Wild&Co for once again piecing together a spectacular but extremely challenging course for us crazy Wild Women to test ourselves on. The course had everything; ocean paddling, awesome mountain bike trails, stunning views and so much more!”

Dixon said, “The Great Ocean Road has been a fantastic location and so were the Snowy Mountains last year. The vision for Legend XPD is to take the race to the most iconic locations in every state and we can’t wait to take the race to Tasmania next year for the next chapter of the Legend!”

Heidi Muller added, “It’s such an exciting prospect for The Legend to take the Adventure Racing World Series back to Tasmania in 2025. The Adventure Racing World Championship was held there in 2011 and was an incredibly successful race with 90 teams taking part. Tasmania is a perfect location for the next Legend.”

For more information about the Legend XPD race visit https://www.legendexpd.com.au/
You can see the full programme of Wldnco races at https://www.wldnco.com/

Historic Win for the Mountain Designs Wild Women Team at Legend Race in Australia

Their win was the first time in the history of the sport that an all women’s team has won a major international expedition adventure race.

When the Mountain Designs Wild Women team arrived at the finish line of the Legend Expedition Race at Apollo Bay on the Great Ocean Road in Australia it was a historic moment in the history of Adventure Racing. Their win was the first time in the history of the sport that an all women’s team has won a major international expedition adventure race.

The Legend race was the first Adventure Racing World Series Qualifier of the year and in the 23 years the global series has been running no women’s team has won an ARWS race, or any other major international race, such as Eco-Challenge or the Raid World Cup. Since the Raid Gauloises in 1989 in New Zealand, recognised as the first adventure race, the sport has prioritised mixed gender teams, there have been only a few competitive women’s teams and none has secured a win in the toughest of endurance sports, until now.

The Legend Race was a 450km non-stop race, with the course open for 6 days, including 13 endurance stages of mountain and coastal trekking, mountain biking, ocean, river and lake kayaking. Teams had to stay together at all times and collect all of the checkpoints on the route, navigating by map and compass, and only taking a few hours sleep during the whole race.

The Mountain Designs Wild Women team crossed the finish line after 73 hours and 9 minutes of racing led by team captain Kim Beckinsale. She was racing with Alina McMaster, Cass Kimlin and Del Lloyd and the team has a combined age of 197 years and between them, 78 years of adventure racing experience!

The Wild Women had a difficult start to the race when McMaster and Beckinsale were ill and the team had to rest for an hour, but after this they had an intense competition with ‘Team MMI-The Band’, swapping the lead almost stage by stage. The penultimate stage was to prove decisive when there was an unexpected change to the course.

This was a kayak stage in an estuarine river and lake system, with teams collecting 4 checkpoints in the order of their choosing. However, what was planned as a paddling stage turned into an epic mud-wade when an excavator dredged the mouth of the Aire River just before the teams arrived! Water levels fell and in the adjoining Lake Costin and Lake Craven there was almost no water, only a lake of mud teams would have to cross to reach two checkpoints!

Over 4 hours the Mountain Designs Wild Women team succeeded in reaching all checkpoints, but Team MMI-The Band failed to reach two, becoming stranded in the mud and losing shoes in the process. They turned back and the race was effectively decided as, although they crossed the line first, they were penalised 4 hours for missing the checkpoints.

Beckinsale said, “We were expecting a beautiful estuarine paddle before it got dark, then ran out of water and ran into stinking mud flats. We were above our knees in mud and reeds were over our heads, but we were determined to keep moving. Kim smashed through the reeds and Cas urged us to keep paddling.

“They were bold and tenacious and we had the experience to know you just have to keep on going, no matter how slowly. We paddled and pushed and levered ourselves out of the mud, and were so glad we took the kayak straps! We thought no one else would do it and I took photos to show we were at the checkpoints and had been there with the kayaks.”

Lloyd added, “We were fast, smart and used all our skills and experience, supported each other, carried each other’s gear and our navigation was accurate. We have masses of experience and heaps of bloody-mindedness, which meant we were damn well going to get through that mud, but we were strong for the whole race and worked hard for each other and for the win.”

McMaster raced at international events from the early days of adventure racing in the 1990’s and returned to the sport after a break for childcare. “I love expedition races,” she said, “they are hands-down the best kind of racing. They are always an amazing experience. You are on a journey, out in the bush with your mates and with no tech do distract you. It’s the sport and the community which makes you want to do it.

“For these races you need a team with no ego, and bucket loads of humility, who have a shared goal, that is put ahead of everyone else’s needs to look good. You have to give your whole self to the team, put everyone’s energy into one bucket and share it out. That team work is really special and keeps me coming back.”

Kimlin only joined the team for this race 6 weeks ago and said, “There’s a strong bond in the team and you see everyone at their best and worst. With adventure racing it’s important you don’t let the “I can’t” mentality in or be afraid to give it a try just because it’s hard.”
Beckinsale, who organises a women’s only race with her company Tri-Adventure, added, “We want other women to have the opportunity to do this sport and change lives, to know they are more amazing than they thought they could be! It’s a sport where you can sign-up and have a go.”

There was a strong women’s representation in the race, in which all of the starting teams reached the finish line. The final team over the line was another all-female team, the Vortex Divas, who reached the finish after 120 hours of racing, and the highest ranked mixed gender team were Team Blunder Bus, comprised of 2 men and 2 women.

This team were delighted to win the prize of a place at the Adventure Racing World Championship, which will be staged by the Huairasinchi race in Ecuador in November and the prizes were presented by ARWS CEO, Heidi Muller, who was a surprise visitor to Apollo Bay for the finish of the race.

The Blunder Bus team of Rowan Brookes, Lisa Dominguez, Steve Owens and Simon Vandestaedt finished the course in just over 98 hours and for Domingues and Brookes it was their first expedition race. Dominguez said, “The Great Ocean Road region really showcased what expedition racing can offer and there was a strong sense of community during and after the race, when we heard the stories of other racers. We went into the race with the goals of completing it as a team and experiencing the beauty of the course, so the opportunity to race in Ecuador is an unexpected bonus!"

Beckinsale voiced the same feelings about the second Legend course; “Thanks to Chris Dixon and his team from Wild&Co for once again piecing together a spectacular but extremely challenging course for us crazy Wild Women to test ourselves on. The course had everything; ocean paddling, awesome mountain bike trails, stunning views and so much more!”

Dixon said, “The Great Ocean Road has been a fantastic location and so were the Snowy Mountains last year. The vision for Legend XPD is to take the race to the most iconic locations in every state and we can’t wait to take the race to Tasmania next year for the next chapter of the Legend!”

Heidi Muller added, “It’s such an exciting prospect for The Legend to take the Adventure Racing World Series back to Tasmania in 2025. The Adventure Racing World Championship was held there in 2011 and was an incredibly successful race with 90 teams taking part. Tasmania is a perfect location for the next Legend.”

For more information about the Legend XPD race visit https://www.legendexpd.com.au/
You can see the full programme of Wldnco races at https://www.wldnco.com/

The Legend XPD Race on Australia’s Great Ocean Road is the first AR World Series Qualifier of 2024

The Legend XPD race in Australia starts the 2024 Adventure Racing World Series as the first Qualifier of the year, with the winners claiming a place on the start line of the Adventure Racing World Championships in Ecuador in November.

As teams prepare for the race, which starts Sunday February 25th, Ecuador will be far from their thoughts, and all of their focus will be on the 450km course set for them by Chris Dixon of Wild and Co, following the route of The Great Ocean Road.

The race is the second Legend XPD, and following the inaugural race in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, the race moves to Victoria and one of Australia’s most iconic and varied coastlines.  After the first race Dixon said, “We asked the teams where they would like to go with Legend and I realised they wanted to go to all of the best locations in Australia!  So, we decided to take on a circumnavigation of all of the states and Victoria is leg 2!”

Teams will meet in the beautiful coastal town of Apollo Bay, where the race HQ will be at the Mechanics Institute Hall, known as the “The Mech”.  There they will prepare to race a course open for 6 days of non-stop trekking, off-road riding, paddling and navigating.  Teams won’t know the course details until just before the start but are prepared for a bold and dramatic opening stage – a sea kayak on the waters of the infamous Bass Strait!

The race features 13 stages in all, and Dixon said, “As always it’s been a real privilege to explore the region and to put the course together – the region really is one of the great wonders of the Australian landscape.

“We’ve worked hard to make sure that each leg plays an important part in the journey, highlighting something unique about the area and we’ve included the biggest highlights and experiences of the region.

“There’s an epic ocean paddle leg to start the event with a sheltered launch and a fun beach landing along one of Australia’s most iconic shorelines. This will be followed by a series of breathtaking trek and cycling legs taking in waterfalls and the wild coastline that the region is so famous for. And while teams will be tempted to stop in the tourist towns for coffee or a pub meal, an epic journey along some of the best gravel roads and mountain bike tracks in the country await teams as they head into the Otways.”

The first Legend XPD delivered an epic course and stunning scenery, and expectations are high for the route along The Great Ocean Road! 

The teams on the start include a mixture of experienced racers and those new to expedition racing.  Both Wild Yaks and Kang Racing are well known teams and will use their experience to aim for a full course finish, with Kang Racing keen to make up for a DNF after injuries last year.

Happy Wanderers are a defence forces team taking on their first expedition race.  There's a renewed interest in adventure racing in the defence forces in Australia and this team is taking on the biggest race in Australia. 

Team MMI "The Band" are long time AR supporters and with team captain Morgan Coull leading they are in good hands.  He's raced XPDs, Eco-Challenge Fiji and almost every AR in Australia. He's also just launched the Total Recon race in South Australia, which will feature in the ARWS Oceania Series this year.

Two of the strongest teams will be the two all-female line-ups, Mountain Design’s Wild Women led by Kim Beckinsale and Vortex Diva’s lead by Liz Woodgate.  Both teams include Legendary Australian racers and took part in the first Legend as well, with Wild Women taking second place.

The race is sponsored by Mountain Designs, Trail Brew and Wild Magazine and will have live satellite tracking on live.trackmelive.com.au/legend24 provided by Track Me Live. 

There will be regular reporting and photography on the Wild&Co Facebook page – @wldnco – and news on the social media pages for the Adventure Racing World Series (@arworldseries) and ARWSOceania (@arwsoceania).

For full information on the Legend Expedition Race see – https://www.legendexpd.com.au/

Canberra 6hr Information Kit

Not long now...make sure you're properly equipped and ready to go!

NOTE – This information is only available to those team members who have their name registered with Wild & Co and who appear on the team list. Team captains – you may need to forward this to your other team members.

With just under 24hrs to go the event is shaping up to be an exciting one. The course is set, we're setting up HQ, placing CPs and packing the race packs. This email contains a few important reminders so please read carefully.

Important Documents

It's essential that you carefully read the information pack (click the image above or the link below) which includes all the important information you need, including the mandatory gear list. If you have questions please ask.

• Information Pack

• Mandatory Equipment

3 awesome 6hr events to start the year!

Wild&Co 6hr Adventure Race 2024 series kicks off on 3 Feb with an awesome event on the south side of Brisbane before heading to Canberra and then Ulladulla!

We've spent the holidays out and about on the trails and are certain these are going to be some of the funnest events ever. Read on for a few updates and race HQ location announcements.

Brisbane South – 3rd February 

The awesomeness starts with our Brisbane South event which will be based out of the park along the esplanade at Lota just south of Manly. The walking and cycling trails and kayak opportunities through the conservation areas, wetlands, onto Morton Bay and Tingalpa are going to make a great course. Teams can expect some good navigation options, fun paddling and beautiful tracks and trails to explore.

Race HQ: 710 Esplanade, Lota QLD 4179

To Enter: wldnco.com/3-6hr-events

Canberra – 17 February 

We're very excited about the Canberra course – after working on Top Dog 24 2023 we knew we had some great opportunities for a 6hr event! The course will feature lots of fun and easy single track on the mountain bikes and great navigation and trekking challenges. And of course the paddling options are going to be great on the lake. Race HQ will be in the park at the National Rock Garden just off Lady Denman drive which will give us easy access to some of the funnest trails around.

Race HQ: National Rock Garden, Lady Denman Dr, Canberra ACT 2601

To Enter: wldnco.com/3-6hr-events

Ulladulla – 16 March

It's no secret that we love the coast in the Shoalhaven region – the white sand and turquoise water and the super fun tracks and trails in the national parks and state forests make for an adventure playground. Race HQ will be in the Lion's park just south of Ulladulla on Burrill Lake. This gives us access to some great paddling opportunities and some great tracks and trails for both trekking and on the mountain bikes. 

Race HQ: National Rock Garden, Lady Denman Dr, Canberra ACT 2601

To Enter: wldnco.com/3-6hr-events 

Not sure how all this works?

We've updated the website to include links to past courses so you can see what to expect on the day. Don't forget, every course is unique but past maps and course notes will give you a good idea of what you're up for:

Past Courses: wldnco.com/past-event-maps-and-course-notes

Introduction to Adventure Racing: wldnco.com/what-is-adventure-racing

Mountain Designs GeoQuest headed to North Haven in the Port Macquarie Region June 2024!

North Haven, located just south of Port Macquarie, has been announced as the official start and finish location for the 2024 edition of the Mountain Designs GeoQuest 48hr Adventure Race. 

Date: 7-10 June 2024
Location: North Haven, NSW, Australia
Duration: 48 hour event
Entries: Enter Here
Team size: 4 person
Part of the ARWS Oceania Series

Over 300 people including competitors, support crews, family and friends from around the country will attend the Mountain Designs GeoQuest 48hr Adventure Race from 7 to 10th June 2023. 

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

This year’s location of choice, North Haven, is a 4hr drive from Sydney and located just 30 minutes south of Port Macquarie. 

The charming town of North Haven sits at the mouth of the Camden Haven Inlet, surrounded by beautiful waterways, gorgeous beaches and rugged wilderness. It’s a nature-based escape where you can spot koalas and dolphins, explore surrounding national parks and enjoy watersports on sparkling Queens Lake making it the perfect backdrop for a spectacular 48hr adventure.

Chris Dixon, Wild & Co event director says, “We’re very excited to be heading to North Haven for 2024, there are exceptional paddling opportunities, amazing mountain bike trails and plenty of new and familiar trails to explore.

Teams in the full course, and maybe the half course, can expect an ocean kayaking component which should make for some real excitement on race day/”

Mountain Designs GeoQuest involves 48+hrs of non-stop endurance racing in the major sporting disciplines of trekking, mountain biking and kayaking. Mixed gender, Male and Female teams of four must navigate their way through an arduous 220+km course that is only revealed to them the evening before the race. 

The Geo-Half adventure race runs simultaneously with the Mountain Designs GeoQuest. The Geo-Half covers only half the distance but teams have the full 48hrs to complete it. The legs will be challenging but with the additional time available to complete the half course, teams have a greater chance to reach the finish line before time is up. 

The window for registration closes 5 June 2024. Accommodation can be booked through the Visit NSW website at www.visitnsw.com/destinations/north-coast/port-macquarie-area/accommodation

For the latest information on the race please visit www.geoquest.com.au

The event is made possible thanks to major sponsor, Mountain Designs and additional support this year by Port Macquarie Hastings Council 

Terra Nova 24 headed to Kioloa in 2024!

Kioloa, located on the southern end of the Shoalhaven region has been announced as the official start and finish location for the 2024 edition of the Terra Nova 24 Adventure Race. 

Date: 6-7 April 2023
Location: Kiola NSW, Australia
Duration: 24 hour event
Entries: Enter Here
Team size: 2/4 person
Part of the ARWS Oceania Series

Over 400 people including competitors, family and friends from around Australia and the Asia Pacific Region will attend the Terra Nova 24 24hr Adventure Race from 6-7 April 2023.

The race is held annually on the first weekend in April in the Shoalhaven region. The location of the course is moved each year to a different area to pose exciting new challenges for competitors. 

This year’s location of choice, Kioloa, is just off the Princess Highway and around 2 hours south of Sydney. 

Located half way between Ulladulla and Batemans bay, Kioloa is known, for its beautiful beaches, ocean front camping, family-friendly atmosphere and lookouts to spot migrating whales and other wildlife.

It's close to Murramarang National Park, and has stunning views of nearby Belowa Island which protects the beach from big swell, making it a great beach for fishing, families and kayaking. It has a small boat ramp at it's southern end and Butlers Creek and Butlers Headland at the northern end.

Chris Dixon, Wild & Co event director says, “We’re very excited to be heading to Kioloa at the southern end of Shoalhaven, it's the perfect location to start and finish an Adventure Race. It gives us access to the ocean and some of the best trails the region has to offer.

We've got an exciting new course for Terra Nova in 2024 and can't wait to show off trails Terra Nova has never been to before. For something special, full course teams should be ready for an ocean kayak leg to start!”

Terra Nova 24 involves 24hrs of non-stop endurance racing in the major adventure racing disciplines of trekking, mountain biking and kayaking. Mixed gender, Male and Female teams of two or four must navigate their way through an arduous 120+km course that is only revealed to them the day of the race. 

The "Terra Nova Half" runs simultaneously with Terra Nova and covers just over half the distance but teams have the full 24hrs to complete it. The legs will be challenging but with the additional time available to complete the half course, teams have a greater chance to reach the finish line before time is up. 

Early Bird entries close 31 December 2023 and the final window for registration closes 4 April 2024. Accommodation can be booked through the Visit NSW website at: www.shoalhaven.com

For the latest information on the race please visit: www.terranova24.com.au

The event is made possible thanks to major sponsor, Mountain Designs.

Adventurethon Australia are Top Dogs and ARWS Oceania Champions

Top Dog 24 was the fitting name for the new adventure race from Wild&Co, staged in Canberra and the Capital Territory and hosting the 2023 Adventure Racing World Series Oceania Championship.

Fifty-two teams arrived at the Pavilion at the Stromlo Forest Park, home to some of Australia’s best mountain bike trails, which the racers would enjoy as part of the weekend’s racing.  There were full and half-course (Little Dog) options to suit different levels of experience, and additional ‘championship checkpoints’ for those wanting to race for the ARWS Oceania title.

After a tough race it was Team Adventurethon Australia who were the first ever AR Top Dogs and claimed the Oceania title, along with a free entry to 2024 Adventure Racing World Championships in Ecuador! 

On a weekend of cool and overcast conditions teams raced a course including gravel road and mountain bike trails, river and lake paddling, trekking and navigation. There was a cave checkpoint and an archery challenge and teams had to stay together from start to finish.

The Tog Dog 24 teams covered 120km (150km with the Championship Checkpoints) and their course took them west towards the NSW border.  From the opening trek there were big views of the Murrumbidgee River valley and a 12km kayak along the river was stage two of the race.

Race Director Chris Dixon said, “I was worried there would be a lot of carrying due to low water, but recent rains made it an enjoyable paddle.  There were some exciting rapids and in places racers had to finda way through the rocky riverbed, at one point doing a ‘kayak limbo’ under a fallen tree trunk.”

The biggest stage of the race followed with a 40km ride over the Blue Range and the first championship checkpoint was just over the state border.  This required an uphill hike-a-bike to collect and 10 teams opted to go for the longer championship course, the rest taking a shorter and easier route to the next checkpoint.

The ride took teams back to the Murrumbidgee via a foot rogaine at Cotter’s River, then past the start area at Stromlo into Canberra, where the Top Dog teams join the shorter ‘Little Dog’ route.

This included another rogaine in the National Arboretum and for the Top Dog teams a spectacular night paddle past the illuminated capital buildings on Lake Burley Griffin.  (The Little Dog teams mostly completed this in daylight.)

Those on the championship course had further to go, paddling under Commonwealth Avenue Bridge to find a checkpoint on the shore of King’s Park.  Both courses then finished with a final ride on the Stromlo trails in the quiet hours of Sunday morning to reach the finish line.

The first finishers were the ‘Little Dog’ teams, and there was a close race with the lead changing on the final stages. 

First to finish (overall and male winners) were Last Minute Buzzer Beaters (Derrick Cant/Adrian Harper) in 06 hours 49 minutes 29 seconds. The pair were racing together for the first time and only met up at the race start!  On the finish line Adrian said, “We lost about 15 minutes looking for CP X and had to race hard to make up the difference on the way back for the win.”

Finishing just over 2 minutes later for second overall and as first premier mixed team were Lambeth Racing (Kieran Macdonell & Clare Lonergan). They aimed to finish before dark, and were very happy to do that!

Third, only 6 minutes later, were Tiger Adventure Racing Maniacs (Monika Lee & Andrew Slattery). Monika has been one of the most prolific racers this year, competing in Terra Nova, Rogue Raid, Explore Gippsland, Hells Bells, Wildside Adventure and now Top Dog 24!

The fastest team on the Top Dog course were ‘Faff Attack’ (Minh-Tam Nguyen and Mark Van Der Ploeg), finishing in 15 hours 55 minutes 05 seconds.  Team Resultz Racing (Robert Joford and Michael Reed) were quicker, but portaged their kayak on the Lake Burley Griffin stage, which was against the rules.  A one hour penalty pushed them into second place.

A total of 22 teams finished the Top Dog course in male, female and mixed categories, and in the whole race only 3 teams retired, with all the others crossing the finish line.

The Oceania Championship race wasn’t such a close contest as Adventurethon Australia dominated and lead from start to finish.  They crossed the line in 16 hours 39 minutes 18 seconds to take the title and win the big prize of a place the Ecuador World Championships.

The team of Mitch Nissen, Brock Hawke, Narelle Crozier and David Jennings are a very experienced quartet, with many different endurance and multisport events behind them, including GODZone and One Water Race. On the finish line they said, “Great course, it was awesome.  We liked the rogaines as they were runnable but the hike a bike was long and hard.  But then it wouldn’t be an adventure race without a hike-a-bike!”

In the male category the pair of Stephen Machale and Tommy Doman racing as ‘That’s a Paddlin’ were quickest, despite also getting a one hour penalty for portaging, and in the women’s Championship category the Mountain Designs Wild Women finished in 20.03.01 to record another full course finish.

Speaking after the race Kim Beckinsale thanked the Wild&Co team for getting the new event off the ground.  “This enabled us all the opportunity to out on a fantastic adventure around Canberra,” she said.  “Wild Women had a wild and wonderful time on the course, especially the white water paddle down the Murrumbidgee River and riding the Stromlo trails.”

Wild&Co will bring the race back to Canberra next year. “I’m excited about the possibilities for racing in the ACT,” said Dixon.  “There are so many possibilities for future Top Dog races and we’ll be back bigger and better in 2024!”   

Hells Bells! Australia’s Favourite 24 Hour Adventure Race Celebrates 2 Decades

The Hells Bells 24 hour adventure race celebrates 20 years of competition on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland this coming weekend (August 5-6th).

Few adventure races anywhere in the world achieve this longevity and consistency, and the race is one of the keystones of Australian adventure racing.  Over the years most of the greatest Australian adventure racers have taken part and the race has been an introduction to the sport for many.

The race was started in 2004, has had 3 different owners, and has taken place annually, even managing to avoid Covid cancellations. It has had the same headline sponsor for much of its history too and this year Mountain Designs will once again support the race.

Hells Bells always takes place on the Sunshine Coast, and has been as far North as Rainbow Beach, and as far South as Bribie Island.  This year Wild&Co will take the race back to Cotton Tree in the heart of the Sunshine Coast.  It’s a town known for its relaxed atmosphere, easy access to the Maroochy River, pristine rivers and stunning sunsets – all of which racers will likely experience.

Chris Dixon, Wild & Co event director said: “We’re very excited to be heading back to Cotton Tree. It’s the perfect location to start and finish an Adventure Race and gives us access to some of the best trails and waterways the Sunshine Coast has to offer.

“We've got an exciting new course for Hells Bells 2023 and can't wait to show off trails Hells Bells has never been to before and to re-visit some of our favourites.”

Races have been promised big views and big hills, waterfalls and even a viewpoint where teams can get a sunset view of the whole course.

Dixon added, “What I love about this year’s location is that you within a few minutes and a few kilometres you can feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere. We’ve got an incredibly beautiful swim/float/paddle to start and some CPs hidden away on Islands and rocky outcrops. Then come a combination of beaches and hinterland trails, some world class mountain biking,  which will potentially feature in the 2032 Olympics, a CP on a small but brutal hill climb and for Hells Bells, an as yet unpaddled waterway that will be incredibly beautiful under a full moon with its narrow twists and turns.”

A Record Entry

This year the race has once again broken its record entry and with close to 300 racers is set to be the biggest 24 hour adventure race ever in Australia. The race starts will be split, with 4 waves of competitors leaving race HQ on Saturday morning between 11.00am and 12.30pm. 

Dixon said, “It’s been exciting to see it grow from 64 people in 2016, when we first took it on, to 240 last year and well over 300 this year, I actually didn’t believe it was possible but it goes to show that with a great race concept and better execution each year we’ve really created something great.

“Every year the stats are the same; 70% of the racers are locals from the region, 20% are from interstate and about 10% are from overseas. It’s really exciting to have people like Vincent Chang from Hong Kong racing again as he first entered in 2020, but when the world shut down he couldn’t make it.

The race is open to pairs and teams of 4, and there are two categories, the full Hells Bells course which is around 120km and Fairy Bells, which is a 70km+ course which teams have the full 24 hours to complete. The Fairy Bells course uses some of the same ground as the Hells Bells course and is designed as a stepping stone to Hells Bells and longer races and is perfect for teams doing their first adventure race. 

All members of the team complete the swim, paddle, trek and mountain bike stages, staying together from start to finish.  Fairy Bells this year has 7 stages, and Hells Bells 9 stages and teams know both races will start with the swim/bodyboard stage.

Dixon says the races are wide open this year, and it’s a chance for some new names to appear in the Hells Bells Hall of Fame.  After 20 years a new generation of racers are starting out in adventure racing at Hells Bells.

Follow the Race

The race will have live tracking so supporters and fans can follow their teams’ progress around the course. 

To follow the race go to https://live.trackmelive.com.au/HB2023/ (live after the race start).

There will also be race updates, photos and videos posted to the Wild&Co Facebook and Instagram pages (@wldnco)

Hells Bells History

Hells Bells was started by Geocentric Outdoors (Craig Bycroft and Louise Foulkes) in 2004 and is Australia’s longest running 24 hour adventure race.

Each year the organisers choose a beautiful location somewhere on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. In the first year over 150 athletes started at the Dayboro Show Grounds catching the train into the CBD to begin the race with an urban rogaine before heading north.

For the first few years there was only a full course option with Fairy Bells being introduced in 2009. The race format hasn’t changed much with race distances and disciplines relatively consistent since the start.

In 2016 Chris Dixon from Wild & Co took over Hells Bells from Sunshine Coast Adventure Racing Legend, David Schloss.

The race is now part of the Adventure Racing World Series Oceania region and race winners get a free place at the Oceania Championship in November.

For more information see;

https://www.hellsbells.com.au/

https://www.wldnco.com/

www.arworldseries.com

Adventurethon Australia are Top Dogs and ARWS Oceania Champions

Top Dog 24 was the fitting name for the new adventure race from Wild&Co, staged in Canberra and the Capital Territory and hosting the 2023 Adventure Racing World Series Oceania Championship.

Fifty-two teams arrived at the Pavilion at the Stromlo Forest Park, home to some of Australia’s best mountain bike trails, which the racers would enjoy as part of the weekend’s racing.  There were full and half-course (Little Dog) options to suit different levels of experience, and additional ‘championship checkpoints’ for those wanting to race for the ARWS Oceania title.

After a tough race it was Team Adventurethon Australia who were the first ever AR Top Dogs and claimed the Oceania title, along with a free entry to 2024 Adventure Racing World Championships in Ecuador! 

On a weekend of cool and overcast conditions teams raced a course including gravel road and mountain bike trails, river and lake paddling, trekking and navigation. There was a cave checkpoint and an archery challenge and teams had to stay together from start to finish.

The Tog Dog 24 teams covered 120km (150km with the Championship Checkpoints) and their course took them west towards the NSW border.  From the opening trek there were big views of the Murrumbidgee River valley and a 12km kayak along the river was stage two of the race.

Race Director Chris Dixon said, “I was worried there would be a lot of carrying due to low water, but recent rains made it an enjoyable paddle.  There were some exciting rapids and in places racers had to finda way through the rocky riverbed, at one point doing a ‘kayak limbo’ under a fallen tree trunk.”

The biggest stage of the race followed with a 40km ride over the Blue Range and the first championship checkpoint was just over the state border.  This required an uphill hike-a-bike to collect and 10 teams opted to go for the longer championship course, the rest taking a shorter and easier route to the next checkpoint.

The ride took teams back to the Murrumbidgee via a foot rogaine at Cotter’s River, then past the start area at Stromlo into Canberra, where the Top Dog teams join the shorter ‘Little Dog’ route.

This included another rogaine in the National Arboretum and for the Top Dog teams a spectacular night paddle past the illuminated capital buildings on Lake Burley Griffin.  (The Little Dog teams mostly completed this in daylight.)

Those on the championship course had further to go, paddling under Commonwealth Avenue Bridge to find a checkpoint on the shore of King’s Park.  Both courses then finished with a final ride on the Stromlo trails in the quiet hours of Sunday morning to reach the finish line.

The first finishers were the ‘Little Dog’ teams, and there was a close race with the lead changing on the final stages. 

First to finish (overall and male winners) were Last Minute Buzzer Beaters (Derrick Cant/Adrian Harper) in 06 hours 49 minutes 29 seconds. The pair were racing together for the first time and only met up at the race start!  On the finish line Adrian said, “We lost about 15 minutes looking for CP X and had to race hard to make up the difference on the way back for the win.”

Finishing just over 2 minutes later for second overall and as first premier mixed team were Lambeth Racing (Kieran Macdonell & Clare Lonergan). They aimed to finish before dark, and were very happy to do that!

Third, only 6 minutes later, were Tiger Adventure Racing Maniacs (Monika Lee & Andrew Slattery). Monika has been one of the most prolific racers this year, competing in Terra Nova, Rogue Raid, Explore Gippsland, Hells Bells, Wildside Adventure and now Top Dog 24!

The fastest team on the Top Dog course were ‘Faff Attack’ (Minh-Tam Nguyen and Mark Van Der Ploeg), finishing in 15 hours 55 minutes 05 seconds.  Team Resultz Racing (Robert Joford and Michael Reed) were quicker, but portaged their kayak on the Lake Burley Griffin stage, which was against the rules.  A one hour penalty pushed them into second place.

A total of 22 teams finished the Top Dog course in male, female and mixed categories, and in the whole race only 3 teams retired, with all the others crossing the finish line. 

The Oceania Championship race wasn’t such a close contest as Adventurethon Australia dominated and lead from start to finish.  They crossed the line in 16 hours 39 minutes 18 seconds to take the title and win the big prize of a place the Ecuador World Championships.

The team of Mitch Nissen, Brock Hawke, Narelle Crozier and David Jennings are a very experienced quartet, with many different endurance and multisport events behind them, including GODZone and One Water Race. On the finish line they said, “Great course, it was awesome.  We liked the rogaines as they were runnable but the hike a bike was long and hard.  But then it wouldn’t be an adventure race without a hike-a-bike!”

In the male category the pair of Stephen Machale and Tommy Doman racing as ‘That’s a Paddlin’ were quickest, despite also getting a one hour penalty for portaging, and in the women’s Championship category the Mountain Designs Wild Women finished in 20.03.01 to record another full course finish.

Speaking after the race Kim Beckinsale thanked the Wild&Co team for getting the new event off the ground.  “This enabled us all the opportunity to out on a fantastic adventure around Canberra,” she said.  “Wild Women had a wild and wonderful time on the course, especially the white water paddle down the Murrumbidgee River and riding the Stromlo trails.”

Wild&Co will bring the race back to Canberra next year. “I’m excited about the possibilities for racing in the ACT,” said Dixon.  “There are so many possibilities for future Top Dog races and we’ll be back bigger and better in 2024!” 

3hr Adventure Paddle 2023 Information Kit

Just under a week to go...make sure you're properly equipped and ready to go!

NOTE – This information has been emailed to those team members who have their name registered with Wild & Co and who appear on the team list. Team captains – you may need to forward this to your other team members.

With just under a week to go the event is shaping up to be an exciting one. The course is set, we're setting up HQ, placing CPs and packing the race packs. This email contains a few important reminders so please read carefully!

It's essential that you carefully read the information pack (click the image above or the link below) which includes all the important information you need, including the mandatory gear list. If you have questions please ask.

It’s important to note the Race HQ Update:
Schuster Park, Tallebudgera QLD 4228

CLICK HERE: Information Pack

Mountain Designs Geoquest Starts a New Chapter in New Zealand

Cape Kidnappers stage at the Mountain Designs Geoquest New Zealand / © Murilo Mattos / Wild and Co

The Mountain Designs Geoquest in Australia has been going over 20 years and has its own stories, traditions and atmosphere, built on the history of racers and races past. This year the race expanded to New Zealand for the first time and the race in Hawke’s Bays was the beginning of new chapter with new stories, traditions and experiences waiting to be written.

Teams that raced the inaugural 2023 Mountain Designs GeoQuest NZ 48hr Adventure Race in Hawke’s Bay started that new chapter in spectacular fashion.

With the Hawke’s Bay region still heavily affected by cyclone damage from the early part of the year, course design was a challenge, but all teams understood the situation.  The resulting course was fast and furious and a spectacular tour of some of the region’s many highlights.

The race was based out of the Napier Conference and Events Centre and for most teams it was their first GeoQuest experience, so they were curious about how the event would unfold. Most travelled to attend the event with 80% of the field from outside of the Hawke’s Bay Region. Kim Beckinsale, the team captain of the Mountain Designs Wild Women and long time GeoQuest participant, travelled from Noosa in Australia to attend the event. The youngest racer was 14 years old and racing the half course.

The race has a 48 hour time limit, two distances (full and half course), which are on some of the same trails and rivers much of the time, and is open to teams of four, with the option to race supported or unsupported. Most teams chose to race the traditional supported format which really made the transitions a fun atmosphere as support crews checked out and competed with each other for best transition.

The full course was a comfortable 198kms, shorter and flatter than a traditional GeoQuest, with the half course 122kms.

Starting out with a 6km coastal run and 15km ocean kayak in near perfect conditions, teams headed south towards Cape Kidnappers. Teams were grateful for the conditions as a swim in the 13 degree ocean wasn’t something anyone wanted to do. 

Landing their kayaks comfortably at the Hygge Cafe in Clifton, teams set off for a 20km beach and headland trek along the spectacular Cape Kidnappers coastline passing under the towering sandstone cliffs and spotting the occasional seal, then visited the gannet colony around the lighthouse. The trek can only be undertaken 2hrs either side of low tide and all teams made it through this section in comfortable time and then headed into the rolling hills across the top of the cliffs through the Cape Kidnapper estate.

Leg three was the first of the first of six bike legs that made use of the extensive Hawke’s Bay cycling trails network connecting both the region and the race together. The long climb to Te Mata peak was rewarded with what some have called one of the most spectacular mountain bike trails to feature in an Adventure Race. Perfectly timed for the late afternoon sun, teams took on both mountain biking and rogaining legs around the peak using the mountain bike and walking trails in the area, collecting permanently placed check points in the area using maps provided by the Hawke’s Bay Orienteering Club.

There was a race to get off the mountain and down to the moving water of the Tuki Tuki River before it got too dark. The faster teams completed the 15km grade 1 river paddle in just over 2 hrs, and it became more challenging for later teams as the light faded and teams had to pick their direction carefully with through the braided river bed in the dark. Reflective checkpoint flags certainly aided in the navigation in this section.

Completing the river paddle teams then faced a 69km ‘gravel grinder’ along the Hawke’s Bay trails network through the vineyards and apple plantations back to race HQ, broken up by two short foot rogaine legs and a paddle rogaine near the marina.

David Tait, a local adventure race director who helped design the course said, “Many people travel to the area with a plan to ride all the cycling trails in the region, it was very cool to see GeoQuest teams almost ride them all in one event.”

Kim Beckinsale of Mountain Designs Wild Women enjoyed the challenge of swapping 1:50,000 scale maps for the detail of the 1:5000 maps on the rogaine legs to complete these fun and challenges on the way back into Napier.

The Mountain Designs Wild Woman led for most of the race being chased by the Kauri Coasters. It was just at the last paddle that the Kauri Coasters caught them with only a minute or two separating the teams at by the time they crossed the line.  The winning time was 20 hours and 3 minutes.

The Antiques Roadshow were the final team to cross the line, and they were all smiles and very proud of their first adventure race as a team.

Race Director Chris Dixon commented, “It’s always exciting putting on a new race, and this time it’s with the pedigree and history of Geoquest, in the country where adventure racing began, and in the fabulous scenery around Hawke’s Bay.

“The 48 hour race format offered teams a chance to step up from the more familiar one day and 24 hour events and to push themselves to a new level. It was ideal training for an expedition race like The Legend, but at the same time the flexible race format made the race accessible to new teams who wanted a full weekend of adventure activities.

“It was a great start for Geoquest NZ and we are looking forward to returning to Hawke’s Bay next year with more teams and a bigger course.”

As the race is part of the ARWS Oceania regional series, the teams who took part earned points for both the Oceania and ARWS global rankings.

You can find out all about the race at; https://www.geoquest.com.au/

The race is organised by Wild and Co. who run adventure sports competitions throughout the year (https://www.wldnco.com/) and is part of the ARWS Oceania series (https://arworldseries.com/arws-oceania/).

Mountain Designs Geoquest Starts a New Chapter in New Zealand

Cape Kidnappers trek stage at the Mountain Designs Geoquest New Zealand / © Murilo Mattos / Wild and Co

The Mountain Designs Geoquest in Australia has been going over 20 years and has its own stories, traditions and atmosphere, built on the history of racers and races past. This year the race expanded to New Zealand for the first time and the race in Hawke’s Bays was the beginning of new chapter with new stories, traditions and experiences waiting to be written.

Teams that raced the inaugural 2023 Mountain Designs GeoQuest NZ 48hr Adventure Race in Hawke’s Bay started that new chapter in spectacular fashion.

With the Hawke’s Bay region still heavily affected by cyclone damage from the early part of the year, course design was a challenge, but all teams understood the situation.  The resulting course was fast and furious and a spectacular tour of some of the region’s many highlights.

The race was based out of the Napier Conference and Events Centre and for most teams it was their first GeoQuest experience, so they were curious about how the event would unfold. Most travelled to attend the event with 80% of the field from outside of the Hawke’s Bay Region. Kim Beckinsale, the team captain of the Mountain Designs Wild Women and long time GeoQuest participant, travelled from Noosa in Australia to attend the event. The youngest racer was 14 years old and racing the half course.

The race has a 48 hour time limit, two distances (full and half course), which are on some of the same trails and rivers much of the time, and is open to teams of four, with the option to race supported or unsupported. Most teams chose to race the traditional supported format which really made the transitions a fun atmosphere as support crews checked out and competed with each other for best transition.

The full course was a comfortable 198kms, shorter and flatter than a traditional GeoQuest, with the half course 122kms.

Starting out with a 6km coastal run and 15km ocean kayak in near perfect conditions, teams headed south towards Cape Kidnappers. Teams were grateful for the conditions as a swim in the 13 degree ocean wasn’t something anyone wanted to do. 

Landing their kayaks comfortably at the Hygge Cafe in Clifton, teams set off for a 20km beach and headland trek along the spectacular Cape Kidnappers coastline passing under the towering sandstone cliffs and spotting the occasional seal, then visited the gannet colony around the lighthouse. The trek can only be undertaken 2hrs either side of low tide and all teams made it through this section in comfortable time and then headed into the rolling hills across the top of the cliffs through the Cape Kidnapper estate.

Leg three was the first of the first of six bike legs that made use of the extensive Hawke’s Bay cycling trails network connecting both the region and the race together. The long climb to Te Mata peak was rewarded with what some have called one of the most spectacular mountain bike trails to feature in an Adventure Race. Perfectly timed for the late afternoon sun, teams took on both mountain biking and rogaining legs around the peak using the mountain bike and walking trails in the area, collecting permanently placed check points in the area using maps provided by the Hawke’s Bay Orienteering Club.

There was a race to get off the mountain and down to the moving water of the Tuki Tuki River before it got too dark. The faster teams completed the 15km grade 1 river paddle in just over 2 hrs, and it became more challenging for later teams as the light faded and teams had to pick their direction carefully with through the braided river bed in the dark. Reflective checkpoint flags certainly aided in the navigation in this section.

Completing the river paddle teams then faced a 69km ‘gravel grinder’ along the Hawke’s Bay trails network through the vineyards and apple plantations back to race HQ, broken up by two short foot rogaine legs and a paddle rogaine near the marina.

David Tait, a local adventure race director who helped design the course said, “Many people travel to the area with a plan to ride all the cycling trails in the region, it was very cool to see GeoQuest teams almost ride them all in one event.”

Kim Beckinsale of Mountain Designs Wild Women enjoyed the challenge of swapping 1:50,000 scale maps for the detail of the 1:5000 maps on the rogaine legs to complete these fun and challenges on the way back into Napier.

The Mountain Designs Wild Woman led for most of the race being chased by the Kauri Coasters. It was just at the last paddle that the Kauri Coasters caught them with only a minute or two separating the teams at by the time they crossed the line.  The winning time was 20 hours and 3 minutes.

The Antiques Roadshow were the final team to cross the line, and they were all smiles and very proud of their first adventure race as a team.

Race Director Chris Dixon commented, “It’s always exciting putting on a new race, and this time it’s with the pedigree and history of Geoquest, in the country where adventure racing began, and in the fabulous scenery around Hawke’s Bay.

“The 48 hour race format offered teams a chance to step up from the more familiar one day and 24 hour events and to push themselves to a new level. It was ideal training for an expedition race like The Legend, but at the same time the flexible race format made the race accessible to new teams who wanted a full weekend of adventure activities.

“It was a great start for Geoquest NZ and we are looking forward to returning to Hawke’s Bay next year with more teams and a bigger course.”

As the race is part of the ARWS Oceania regional series, the teams who took part earned points for both the Oceania and ARWS global rankings.

You can find out all about the race at; https://www.geoquest.com.au/

The race is organised by Wild and Co. who run adventure sports competitions throughout the year (https://www.wldnco.com/) and is part of the ARWS Oceania series (https://arworldseries.com/arws-oceania/).

2024 24hr+ Adventure Racing Events Announced!

With just two races to go for the 2023 season we're looking at 2024 and have a very cool line-up of events! 

We start out with the Legend Expedition Race in late February in Apollo Bay, Terra Nova 24 in April, GeoQuest in June, Hells Bells in August, GeoQuest NZ in September before finishing with Top Dog 24 in Canberra in November.

To celebrate the launch we're running a 15% discount across all 2024 Wild&Co events* until Midnight Wednesday 13 September – use code LAUNCH2024 – and lock in your place at Terra Nova 24, GeoQuest or Hells Bells in 2024. That's an extra 15% off on top of Super Early Bird and Early Bird rates and you don't need your final team so lock it in!

And if you can't wait for 2024 then entries are still open for GeoQuest NZ next weekend and Top Dog 24 in Canberra in November.

*does not apply to Legend Expedition Race

Another Legendary Location.

After the success of the inaugural Legend Expedition in 2023 we're back with a new location and a spectacular new course. This event will be a big highlight of our 2024 calendar and one not to be missed. There's already a great lineup of teams and we're loving spending time on the Great Ocean Road and it's surrounds.

KEY DETAILS

Date: 24 February – 2 March 2024
Location: Apollo Bay, VIC, Australia
Duration: 6 day event, full and half course
Entries: Open Now
Team size: 2 person, 4 person

For more information or to register visit: www.legendexpd.com.au

Terra Nova 24 back again and set to be bigger than ever in April 2024! 

After an epic (and wet) event in 2023 with a fantastic coastal location we're excited to head back to another coastal town for 2024. The location announcement is coming soon, but we've left a clue or two on the website. And with entries selling the way they are, it's set to be bigger than ever.

Super Early Bird entries are still open so lock it your place at a super special price.

KEY DETAILS

Date: 6-7 April 2024
Location: Shoalhaven, NSW, Australia
Duration: 24 hour event, full and half course
Entries: Open Now
Super Early Bird: Ends 30 Sept 2023
Team size: 2 person, 4 person

For more information or to register visit: www.terranova24.com.au

Mountain Designs GeoQuest heading to another spectacular mid-north coast location. 

Teams said 2023 was one of the best GeoQuest courses yet – we're confident for 2024 Mountain Designs GeoQuest will live up to its reputation as Australia's premier adventure race. We're looking forward to seeing the familiar faces and new recruits step up and take on this epic 48hr challenge. The location announcement is coming soon, but somewhere south of the 2023 course, and as a bit of a clue, GeoQuest has never been there before!

KEY DETAILS

Date: 7-10 June 2024
Location: Mid-north Coast NSW, Australia
Duration: 48 hour event, full and half course
Entries: Open Now!
Super Early Bird: Ends 31 Oct 2023
Early Bird: Ends 29 Feb 2024
Team size: 4 person, Supported + Un-Supported Options

For more information or to register visit: www.geoquest.com.au

Mountain Designs Hells Bells is back for 2024 and set to be badder that ever.

After an epic central Sunny Coast location we're turning our eyes to the fringes of the coast for the baddest 24hr adventure on the Australian calendar. We're currently exploring options in one of the four corners of the Sunshine Coast coastal locations – there's un-finished business with a few trails and secret spots and we can't wait to build them into a course. There will definitely be an island too.

KEY DETAILS

Date: 3-4 August 2024
Location: Sunshine Coast, Qld, Australia
Duration: 24 hour event, full and half course
Entries: Open Now!
Super Early Bird: Ends 30 Nov 2023
Early Bird: Ends 31 Mar 2024
Team size: 2 person, 4 person

For more information or to register visit: www.hellsbells.com.au

GeoQuest New Zealand set to continue in the Adventure Racing World Series Oceania

Geoquest was one of the first Australian adventure races back in 2002, and has been the country’s premier race in all that time, attracting the very best Australian and international competitors.  Race organisers Wild&Co. are loving time spend in the Hawks Bay region too much so plan to continue with GeoQuest NZ for 2024.

EVENT DETAILS

Date: 25-28 October 2024
Location: Hawks Bay, New Zealand
Duration: 48 hour event, full and half course
Entries: OPENING SOON
Early Bird: Ends 30 June 2024
Team size: 4 person, Supported + Un-Supported Options

For more information or to register visit: www.geoquest.com.au

After the success of Early Bird Entries for 2023 we're certain Top Dog 24 will be back for 2024.

We've been dreaming about this one for ages and it's exciting to see the 2023 event take shape. Given the feedback so far and the popularity of our 24hr event format we're very excited to see it on the calendar for 2024.

KEY DETAILS

Date: 2-3 Nov 2024
Location: Canberra, ACT, Australia
Duration: 24 hour event, full and half course
Entries: Open Now (2023)!
Early Bird: Ends 31 July 2024
Team size: 2 person, 4 person

For more information or to register visit: www.topdog24.com.au