1/09/2008

The adventure racing season is just about to start – and it’s the chance to put all those Olympic-inspired intentions into practice. Entries for the Paddy Pallin Adventure Race series open on September 1 – and you don’t need to be an Olympic-standard athlete to compete!

Made famous by the gruelling, multi-day, multi-discipline Discovery Channel Eco-Challenge events, the sport of adventure racing is coming to the suburbs – with far less pain and far more fun.

The four race Paddy Pallin series, running between October and April in Sydney, Canberra and the NSW Central Coast is open to all – from novices to weekend warriors to serious athletes. Each race runs over several hours on a single day and involves teams of three travelling by mountain bike, kayak and on foot - as well as some ‘surprise’ activities which could include anything from inner tubing to abseiling.

While there’s no ‘official’ handicapping, having some basic navigational skills can make the difference between winning…and spending a couple of hours lost in the bush. Racers are supplied with maps before the start and have to find their way to the finish via a series of checkpoints.

There are novice (one to two hours), classic (three to five and a half hours) and advanced (and extra one to two hours) categories, with pre-race gear information nights and navigation training and teams can be mixed, all male or all female.

“Adventure racing has grown exponentially in popularity over the past couple of years. Last year we sold out the series with 222 teams entering the final race,” explained Alina McMaster, organiser of the events. “The appeal is that the races are open to everyone – you don’t have to be incredibly fit – they’re a fun, active day out with your mates.”

It’s possible to enter any or all of the four-race series. Visit http://www.arocsport.com.au/adventure/pp_ars/pp_home.html
for information and entry forms.