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Pretto and Dornom reign supreme at the 2013 Marysville to Melbourne.
(Posted 28/04/2013)
James Pretto and Elizabeth Dorman paddled to victory on the 155km course from the mountain township of Marysville into Melbourne’s Yarra’s Edge at the Docklands in one of the most challenging point-to-point endurance races in Australia. Click here for full story ...
AUGUSTA ADVENTURE RACE: ENTRIES REACH CAPACITY IN RECORD TIME
(Posted 11/04/2013)
MEDIA RELEASE: The Augusta Adventure Race reached capacity in a record time of nine and a half hours with over 1,700 competitors joining the adventure institution after entries opened at 12:00pm AEST on Wednesday 10 April. Click here for full story ...ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN - AUGUSTA & LORNE ADVENTURE FEST 2013
(Posted 10/04/2013)
Rapid Ascent is proud to announce the re-branding and opening of entries for the 2013 Augusta Adventure Fest and Lorne Adventure Fest (formally known as the Anaconda Adventure National Series) ENTRIES NOW OPEN!
UPDATE @ 9:30pmAEST. Entries to the premier Augusta Adventure race have just sold out with 850 entries and 1789 competitors entering in 9.5 hrs to fill the main race. Entries to the August Mini and Junior Survivor are still open, as with all races at Lorne. Click here for full story ...
Womens' only paddle clinic in WA
(Posted 22/01/2013)
Canoeing WA in conjunction with the Northam Avon Descent Association are running a program for WOMEN ONLY who would love the challenge to train and compete in the iconic 2013 Act-Belong-Commit Avon Descent. Click here for full story ...
X-Adventure Dunsborough is gaining momentum - a family affair
(Posted 17/01/2013)
The response to the new X-Adventure has been very impressive with 800+ competitors already entered and heading down south for a weekend of action on March 23rd and 24th, 2013. Click here for full story ...
Anaconda Adventure Race – BIBS FOR SALE
(Posted 12/12/2012)
Rapid Ascent and Anaconda are very happy to offer our Anaconda Adventure Race National Series numbered race bibs for sale to those that want to keep the dream alive! These are the exact same race bibs used in the national series and would make a great piece of memorabilia or keep-sake when framed and hanging on your wall with a few photos. Click here for full story ...
Internationals score Anaconda Adventure wins, Aussie takes female series crown
(Posted 9/12/2012)
It was a good day for the international adventure racers today at Lorne for the finale of the 2012 Anaconda Adventure Race National Series, with New Zealand and French flags flying high under blue skies and sunshine.
Click here for full story ...Lorne Mini makes a splash in Lorne
(Posted 8/12/2012)
Who you callin' old? There could be no barbs about age vs. performance in the inaugural Lorne Anaconda Mini Adventure Race today with the first two athletes over the line racing the Veteran (40-49) category but winning overall. Click here for full story ...Lorne Anaconda: top end racing for Series crown
(Posted 5/12/2012)
While the majority of the field slogs it out for category placings, personal achievement goals and pure adventure fun (see pre-race stories here), at the pointy end there remains a field of seriously fast athletes vying for podium honours. Click here for full story ...Wilderness warriors mass for Lorne Anaconda Adventure Race
(Posted 5/12/2012)
People passionate about adventure are known for going to great lengths, and travelling a long way, to get a healthy dose of wild racing. And so it will pass this weekend that the Victorian seaside resort of Lorne will swell with mountain bikes, kayaks, wetsuits and a sea of orange as more than one thousand adventure racers experienced and otherwise, ready themselves to take on the finale event for the 2012 season of the Anaconda Adventure Race National Series Click here for full story ...NEW X-Adventure off-road triathlon launched in Dunsborough, WA on 23-24 March, 2013.
(Posted 26/11/2012)
Rapid Ascent is very excited to launch a NEW EVENT with the X-Adventure off-road triathlon in Dunsborough, Western Australia set to take place on March 23-24th next year. Click here for full story ...
Junior Survivor enthusiasm
(Posted 21/11/2012)
Don’t you just love the enthusiasm children bring to so many things in life… their happy smiles and burst-out-of-your-skin excitement is what life is all about. Click here for full story ...
How to survive your first ocean paddle
(Posted 7/11/2012)
I’d describe my first ocean-paddling experience as more ofa near-death experience. It all happened about three years ago at the now defunct Great Ocean Adventure Race at Apollo Bay. Trying desperately to impress my date, JaradKohlar, I nonchalantly volunteered to do the 14km ocean paddle leg as part of a team. Click here for full story ...Aussie steal Tri Nations Adventure Trophy but Kiwi Currie takes solo glory
(Posted 4/11/2012)
Wet, slippery and windy conditions greeted 1,800 adventure racers early this morning as they lined up on the rock face underneath the iconic Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, ready to tackle Race Two of the Augusta Anaconda Adventure Race National Series, the biggest adventure race in the world. Click here for full story ...Anaconda Mini makes debut at Augusta
(Posted 3/11/2012)
The biggest adventure race weekend in the world got off to a flying start today - sometimes literally as hats and tents blew in blustery conditions not to mention kayaks blowing every which way but the right one for some first time competitors taking on Augusta's inaugural Mini Anaconda. Click here for full story ...Have you got the X Factor…? Find out at the new X-Adventure race at Dunsborough
(Posted 2/11/2012)
Rapid Ascent is happy to give a sneak preview that we will be launching an all-new event, The X-Adventure in Dunsborough WA that’s set to take place on 23-24 March 2013. Click here for full story ...
Augusta Anaconda set to smash adventure attendance records
(Posted 31/10/2012)
This weekend will see what will be the largest gathering of adventure racers ever assembled with 3300 competitors descending on Augusta to participate in the Anaconda Adventure Race National Series, Race 2. Click here for full story ...Community to benefit from adventure event partnership
(Posted 27/10/2012)
The Anaconda Adventure Race National Series finale event, to be held in Lorne on 8-9 December, will this year bring with it more than just the 1200 competitors it attracts annually to the seaside resort town. Click here for full story ...Opportunity opens to stamp your brand on the biggest event in Australian adventure sports
(Posted 26/10/2012)
One of the brightest opportunities in the adventure and outdoors pursuits market has become available with the announcement that Australia’s biggest adventure racing series – the Anaconda Adventure Race National Series is seeking a new naming rights partner. Click here for full story ...Bike Buller MTB Festival presented by Giant: 2013 event Entries Open!
(Posted 18/10/2012)
Entries have opened for the 2013 Bike Buller Mountain Bike Festival presented by Giant with a stellar roster of cross country and downhill biking events scheduled for the March Long weekend (9-11 March). Click here for full story ...Lorne Anaconda: season finale...will you be part of the action?
(Posted 12/10/2012)
For one weekend every year, Lorne, the ‘Noosa of the South’, explodes in a sea of orange adrenalin as adventure punters descend on the seaside haven to surge along an off-road adventure courses that make the most of the region’s stunning ocean and hinterland wilderness areas.
Click here for full story ...Kona Odyssey MTB Marathon entries are now open - with a NEW 100KM COURSE
(Posted 8/10/2012)
Now headed into its seventh edition, Australia’s biggest mountain bike marathon the Kona Odyssey has opened for entries with news that the 100km event will feature a new loop course starting and finishing in the iconic MTB village of Forrest, in Victoria. Click here for full story ...World’s biggest adventure race introduces Tri Nations Trophy as South Africans join the fray
(Posted 27/09/2012)
Race organisers of the World’s Biggest Adventure Race have announced that a team of athletes from South Africa will travel to Augusta, Western Australia, in November to compete in the first Tri-Nations competition, to be held as part of the Anaconda Adventure Race National Series. Click here for full story ...West proves best in Mainpeak Multisport, but a Gray day in the women's
(Posted 9/09/2012)
It was a day marked by new names bursting onto the endurance scene at today’s Mainpeak Multisport, with an unexpected win by West Australian, Sean Ralph, shutting down an invasion of east coast elites who were out to snatch the 133km multi discipline endurance title. Click here for full story ...Perth elites challenged by east coasters at this weekend's Mainpeak Multisport
(Posted 3/09/2012)
Perth's premier endurance multisport event, the Mainpeak Multisport, kicks off this weekend, with more than four hundred athletes out to conquer the 133km course from Toodyay to Houghton's Winery Click here for full story ...Slip sliding away: Silvan turns it on for Salomon Trail Run Series
(Posted 26/08/2012)
God was confused this weekend - does this trail running mob want The Elements or not? Should I give them wet? Freezing? Is that what they enjoy? Feeling nature? Or do they just want a little slip, sliding, damp fern tickle without the downpour? Click here for full story ...
Sun shines for quick Kiwi and blistering Blegg at Noosa Anaconda Adventure Race
(Posted 12/08/2012)
New Zealander Braden Currie emphatically marked his Anaconda Adventure Race National Series title intentions with an unchallenged win in the inaugural Noosa Anaconda Adventure Race on the Sunshine Coast today.
Currie, who first registered on the adventure racing radar this time last year with a come-from-nowhere win on the Gold Coast, crossed the line more than five minutes ahead of his nearest rival, Victorian Jarad Kohlar. Click here for full story ...Anaconda Mini Adventure Race maximum fun on Sunshine Coast
(Posted 11/08/2012)
The inaugural Anaconda Mini Adventure Race - an abridged version of the popular longer form adventure event designed to entice beginners into the sport - proved a huge success today with nearly 300 competitors taking to the wilds of Noosa to trail run, mountain bike, kayak, swim and beach run their way to the Anaconda finish arch in front of the surf life saving club.
Click here for full story ...Noosa kicks off Anaconda adventure season to remember
(Posted 9/08/2012)
This weekend (11-12 August) will see Noosa become the centre of burgeoning Australia’s adventure racing scene as hundreds of competitors arrive in town to unearth the Sunshine Coast’s wild side as they prepare to race the first edition of the Anaconda Adventure Race National Series for 2012. Click here for full story ...Get 15% off all Magellan Switch GPS fitness
(Posted 6/08/2012)
All Anaconda Adventure Race participants receive 15% off any Switch Fitness Watch, eXplorist hand-held GPS, maps or accessories. Click here for full story ...Trans Tasman adventure rivalry heats up with announcement of Kiwi representative team
(Posted 3/08/2012)
While the Anaconda Adventure Race national Series kicks off in Noosa, Queensland, next weekend (11-12 August) Kiwi interest will likely fast forward to the Augusta outing in Western Australia in November, with the announcement of the trio who will make up the New Zealand team vying for the hotly contested Trans Tasman Trophy. Click here for full story ...Mainpeak Multisport – early bird entries ends TODAY!
(Posted 27/07/2012)
The great incentive offer for entering early in the Mainpeak Multisport ends COB today! Entries submitted before 5:00pm receive... Click here for full story ...Awesome female foursome chase adventure glory at Noosa Anaconda Adventure Race
(Posted 25/07/2012)
An all-female team of athletes from the Sunshine Coast - made up of a 15 year-old schoolgirl, a mother of two, a professional mountain biker-cum-vet and an Ironwoman-cum-model - has laid down the gauntlet with a claim that they will take a clean sweep win at the inaugural Noosa Anaconda Adventure Race, taking place on 11-12 August. Click here for full story ...Get the adventure SMARTS
(Posted 20/07/2012)
Meet SMART ARNOLD. Not a person, but a crew of adventure junkies if ever there was one, based in Western Australia and addicted to pushing themselves as far and hard as possible in the outdoors but always with a smile and laugh.
Click here for full story ...Go deep, go strong - new endurance sport training sessions
(Posted 19/07/2012)
Mainpeak Multisporters (and indeed Anaconda Adventure racers) looking to strengthen their bodies (not to mention resolve) prior to Western Australia's two big endurance multisport events should consider getting along to a new deep water strengthening training program being offered by Perth Intergrated Health Click here for full story ...Mainpeak Multisporters test the Ice (breaker)
(Posted 16/07/2012)
After getting permission from the land owner a group of multisporters set out on the 19km Mainpeak Multisport Icebreaker run course to see what’s changed from last year writes Meg O’Leary.
Click here for full story ...VIDEO: Surf Coast Century - the first fifty
(Posted 16/07/2012)
Check out this video jaunt of the first fifty kays of the Surf Coast Century - 100km trail ultra, through the eyes of top end ultra runners Matt Coops, Julian Spence and Chris Wight.
Stay tuned for Ep02 with Coops plying the back end of the course for the first full recce by potential pointy enders come 22 September... www.surfcoastcentury.com.au Who's in? 'Cause surf's up.... Click here for full story ...
Welcome to a new adventure for all Anaconda Junior Survivors!!
(Posted 9/07/2012)
We have a NEW ADVENTURE in store for all Junior Survivors and we welcome you to be part of the fun by joining us for the Anaconda Junior Survivor AT NOOSA on Saturday August 11th, 2012. Click here for full story ...Anaconda Augusta training sessions kick off soon
(Posted 3/07/2012)
It may be four months away but now's the time to really get into training gear of the Augusta, WA< edition of the Anaconda Adventure Race National Series. A great way to slide into the groove of training is to do it in a group. Which is where mobs like b.F!t come into their own, offering specialised training sessions that will focus on teh fitness and skills needed to have a great race come November 3-4. Click here for full story ...Scott's Quest (Not Kilian's): a life journey on trail
(Posted 8/06/2012)
Salomon Trail Run Series entrant Scott Knabel admits he's obese.
"Morbidly obese depending on which doctor you listen to," he says.
Yet he could be turn out to be an inspiration to overshadow the likes of Kilian Jornet, the greatest trail runner of all time. Why? Click here for full story ...
Business trips – this is about as good as they get.
(Posted 6/06/2012)
As far as work trips go, this was one of the best ones we’ve had yet… We still had to work for our play but this recent trip stacks up as one of the most enjoyable we’ve been on. You see we’ve just returned from 5 days racing, riding and promoting our events in Rotorua, New Zealand and it was sweet as (bro). Click here for full story ...
Blue sky adventures in Noosa? You coming?
(Posted 4/06/2012)
Just what is the coldest month in Noosa?
"July: average daily maximum is 20.9 ºC. However the skies are generally cloud free and crystal clear during the winter season and perfect for warming yourself in the sun." - noosa.com.au/weather/
Looking outside of a Victorian window right now, grey, rain, bitter chill blast - and I'd have to say that 20.9ºC with clear blue skies and sunshine seems like the perfect excuse to book a flight north. And perfect conditions for an adventure race Click here for full story ...
Kiwi athletes get half price entry to the Anaconda Adventure Race National Series
(Posted 30/05/2012)
The Anaconda Adventure Race National Series is the premier adventure race series in Australia and should be high on the wish list for any Kiwi racer to tackle at some stage in their life due to the spectacular courses, professional organisation and, of course, rivalry with the Aussie locals. Click here for full story ...
Anaconda Augusta Paddle Leg: Think about it!
(Posted 29/05/2012)
Think Kayak Australia has been named as the official naming rights sponsor of the paddle leg for the 2012 Anaconda Adventure Race, Augusta, Western Australia. Click here for full story ...Mainpeak Multisport new trail run leg preview
(Posted 28/05/2012)
So, you heard that there is a new trail run leg for the Mainpeak Multisport - the 19km Icebreaker Run? What's that all about? Any good? And do race directors just draw squiggly lines on a map for you to run on, or do they actually get out and have a crack to ensure it's worth the trot? You decide...
Here's a sneak peek... Click here for full story ...Anaconda Augusta main race sold out - get your Mini on...
(Posted 14/05/2012)
It's a new record folks: the Augusta round of the Anaconda Adventure Race National Series has SOLD OUT in only three and a half days!! Entries for the main, full length race are now full and closed EXCEPT for a limited amount of interstate slots (legitimate interstate residents only - no PO Boxes if you get my drift). Of course, the all new Anaconda Mini is still open for Augusta entries, and there's always Noosa (Qld) and Lorne (Vic) rounds of the full length event (all open for entry). Click here for full story ...How to train for an ultra: the step up to 100km + 25km team training
(Posted 10/05/2012)
With interest ramping up for The North Face 100 ultra in the Blue Mountains in under two weeks time (May 19), and with thoughts to our own ultra later this year - the Surf Coast Century (www.surfcoastcentury.com.au / 22 September), we thought it would be prudent to have a look at training programs for such long form trail running events. Click here for full story ...Early confirmation for 2013 Kona Odyssey and Bike Buller MTB Festival dates
(Posted 7/05/2012)
The 2013 dates for two of Australia’s most iconic mountain biking events have been confirmed with Rapid Ascent announcing the popular Kona Odyssey will take place on Saturday February 16th 2013, while the Bike Buller Mountain Bike Festival has been locked in for March 9-11th 2013.
Click here for full story ...Ingkerreke Commercial Mountain Bike Enduro 2012 heats up in the Red Centre
(Posted 30/04/2012)
The Ingkerreke Commercial Mountain Bike Enduro is only weeks away from hitting the reinvigorated mountain bike trails around Alice Springs and the MacDonnell Ranges, with an eclectic bunch of riders set to compete in the multi-day, multi-stage race.
The seven stage event has attracted everyone from top tier riders to those simply out for an adventure experience in the unique landscapes of the Top End. Click here for full story ...
Pretto paddles up for a come from behind win in Marysville to Melbourne Multisport presented by The Difference
(Posted 29/04/2012)
An under-the-radar entry in the form of Melbourne local James Pretto has taken out this weekend’s Marysville to Melbourne Multisport presented by The Difference. Pretto’s come from behind win proved that having solid paddle fitness and river knowledge is integral to doing well in this point-to-point endurance race which challenges entrants to trail run, road ride and river paddle a 155km course from the mountain township of Marysville into Melbourne’s Yarra’s Edge at the Docklands, in the heart Click here for full story ...Marysville to Melbourne Multisport presented by The Difference attracts all sorts this weekend
(Posted 26/04/2012)
Melbourne’s biggest multisport spectacle kicks off this weekend, Sunday 29 April, with hundreds of determined multidiscipline athletes setting off from the mountain township of Marysville in an attempt to run, ride and paddle a massive 159km over a spectacular course all the way into Melbourne’s Docklands as part of the Marysville to Melbourne Multisport presented by The Difference. Click here for full story ...Mainpeak Multisport returns to Perth
(Posted 18/04/2012)
One of Australia’s toughest multisport events is returning to Perth this year with the announcement that the Mainpeak Multisport - famously labelled by Perth-based professional triathlete, Sean O’Neill, as “harder than Ironman" - is set for Sunday 9 September, 2012. Click here for full story ...Ultra running for all...new 100km Surf Coast Century endurance run announced
(Posted 13/04/2012)
While the Salomon Trail Run Series caters to those just getting into the sport, Rapid Ascent’s newest event, the Surf Coast Century, looks to open the door to more serious trail run achievements.
Based in Anglesea, an hour’s drive south west of Melbourne, the new 100km ‘Century’ will explore tracks and single trails along Victoria’s famous Surf Coast, taking runners on a enviable journey under some of the tallest cliffs and most beautiful b Click here for full story ...
Salomon Trail Run Series returns with extra outing and new locations
(Posted 13/04/2012)
PLUS new 100km Surf Coast Century ultra offers a step up from short course trail. READ DETAILS HERE
The hugely popular Salomon Trail Running Series has opened entries for 2012, with the addition of two new stunning trail run locations and a fourth ‘grand finale’ event that should make trail running even more accessible with the short (~5km) and long (~12km) course options at each race location. Click here for full story ...
Indigenous rider blazes new trail in mountain biking enduro
(Posted 5/04/2012)
A young Alice Spring Indigenous athlete is blazing a new trail as a role model in a sport not usually known for attracting interest in the broader Aboriginal community. Twenty year-old Hayden Jude will be the first ever Indigenous youth to participate in the Ingkerreke Commercial Mountain Bike Enduro, a multi day stage bike race that covers 251km over five days of racing, 14-18May, 2012. Click here for full story ...(Luke) Bell rings for Marysville to Melbourne Multisport
(Posted 4/04/2012)
How do you wind down from not only competing at Ironman Melbourne, but coming seventh overall in a blistering time?
You get back on the bike and take on another monumental athletic challenge, albeit with a twist.
That’s what professional triathlete Luke Bell is doing, having signed up for the Marysville to Melbourne Multisport Challenge presented by the Difference, a three discipline, six-leg endurance race that will cover 159km on Sunday, 29 April, 2012. Click here for full story ...VIDEO: Marysville to Melbourne paddle legs preview
(Posted 3/04/2012)
Last year's Marysville to Melbourne Multisport champion Luke Haines joins women's runner up Peri Gray to offer a preview of the river paddle legs of the event, plus some commentary about training in general and the lead up to 2012's Marysville To Melbourne Multisport presented by The Difference www.marysville2melbourne.com.au ENTER NOW! Event on April 29. Click here for full story ...Rapid Ascent launches the ‘HTFU Australian Coast to Coast’ as the ultimate physical challenge
(Posted 1/04/2012)
Rapid Ascent is excited to launch today ‘The HTFU Australian Coast to Coast’ as the ultimate physical challenge and asks you; are you up to the HTFU challenge? Already known for setting tough courses at all their races, Rapid Ascent have upped the ante big time with the HTFU Australian Coast to Coast being surely the toughest multi discipline event ever created as it crosses the entire Australian continent in a huge West to East traverse. Click here for full story ...
VIDEO: Ride leg tips for Marysville 2 Melbourne plus win Salomon shoes!
(Posted 31/03/2012)
The Marysville to Melbourne presented by The Difference is only one month away now – we hope your training is well underway and you’re in fine physical fettle – be you a team or solo entry!
If you haven’t got your entry in yet, best get on it – Slow Poke fees are due to kick in soon, so ensure you register now to get the discounted entry fee! Click here for full story ...VIDEO: Ingkerreke Commercial MTB Enduro heats up
(Posted 30/03/2012)
It's only two months until the Ingkerreke Commercial MTB Enduro kicks up some dust and smashes some Red Centre singletrack, with riders rolling into action May 14-18. They will enjoy five days of unforgettable riding in seven stage that mixes it up between long enduro distances, a night ride to a short hill climb sprint with the Alice Springs crowds cheering you on up Anzac Hill. Here's a little taste of what awaits - book your ticket and accommodation now! Click here for full story ...Suunto Quest – a runner’s watch
(Posted 26/03/2012)
How far, how fast, how long, what cadence, what heart rate, what recovery – the list goes on... who would have thought that recording a run could be so complex! There are more and more sports watches that record all this data but few do it as accurately or as clearly as the Suunto Quest. This well priced watch records and regurgitates all these running stats and more, making the data availa Click here for full story ...
A Master Class in mountain biking the Red Centre
(Posted 22/03/2012)
There are some mountain bike riders who deserve a little more kudos than most. These riders defy conventions of age and expectation, and bring to the saddle a little more maturity than most, an asset that sees them in general execute a more refined riding style, but one that’s just as gritty and determined as the next. And they’re decently quick, too. Click here for full story ...The Forster Adventure Race is (re)born.
(Posted 20/03/2012)
Rapid Ascent is very happy to report that the Forster locals in NSW will be conducting the Forster Adventure Race on Saturday May 12th as a replacement to the Anaconda Adventure Race previously held in the picturesque Mid North Coast township. Click here for full story ...
Jackson and Anset reigning Bike Buller MTB Festival Champions
(Posted 12/03/2012)
f there was a trophy for consistency at the long weekend’s Bike Buller MTB Festival presented by Giant, Adrian Jackson would be the shoe-in. The Team Merdia Flightcentre rider rode consistently fast while others around him dropped in and out of competition due to injury concerns and missing out on stages due to late entry. Jackson, who won the Stage One 50km XC race, recorded the fastest cumulative time across the three Premier Category races, to claim his first Bike Buller Mountain Bike Festiva Click here for full story ...Jackson takes the (quickest) drop, Anset the women's after Bike Buller Brakeburner action
(Posted 11/03/2012)
The sold out 5-Hour Brakeburner Enduro provided plenty of frantic racing today, with yesterday’s Stage One winner, Adrian Jackson dropping dramatically down the Stage Two placings ladder as Super-D specialists pushed into the higher rankings for day two of the Bike Buller Mountain Bike Festival presented by Giant. Click here for full story ...Jackson flies on Stone to take Bike Buller Stage One, Guillot bloodied but happy with women's win
(Posted 10/03/2012)
The Bike Buller Mountain Bike Festival presented by Giant Stage One rolled into action this morning with more than 600 riders congregating at Mt Buller Village under blue skies and anticipating perfect riding conditions in the spectacular Victorian Alps.
The first race of the long weekend festival - a 50km cross country taking in the now-revered Stonefly singletrack - hosted some super quick times, the stand out being Adrian Jackson who led from start to finish, establishing a ten minute overa Click here for full story ...Record numbers for Bike Buller Mountain Bike Festival presented by Giant
(Posted 8/03/2012)
A record crowd of more than 600 mountain bike riders will descend (and ascend) on Mount Buller this long weekend (10-12 March) to celebrate a shared passion for mountain biking singletrack at the 2012 Bike Buller Mountain Bike Festival presented by Giant.
Click here for full story ...Banzai Adventurer wins a year of adventures with Rapid Ascent
(Posted 5/03/2012)
Victorian, Adam Evans, 40, is one of those blokes who likely represents most of us – he loves adventure, but you wouldn’t call him a rabid fanatic where it has completely overtaken his every waking moment . That’s a nice way of saying he hasn’t got time to train enough for the adventures he does have a crack at. Like most of us. But he loves it enough to enter the odd adventure event and obviously felt lucky enough to enter Banzai's Click here for full story ...Marysville To Melbourne presented by The Difference: course preview 1 - trail runs
(Posted 22/02/2012)
You should be in training. These guys are. Not sure how to train for Marysville to Melbourne Multisport presented by the Difference? Hook into this, the first of three course preview vids, hosted by last year's winner, Luke Haines and second place getter in the women's Peri Gray. Click here for full story ...Lachie Norris takes first Kona Odyssey victory, Peta Mullens secures back to back
(Posted 18/02/2012)
Giant team rider Lachlan Norris defied pundits’ predictions to win the Kona Odyssey Mountain Bike Marathon today, maintaining an unassailable lead after passing race favourite, Team Milka/Superior’s Chris Jongewaard, following the 25km mark. Click here for full story ...Kona Shorty results: Team Torq dominate men’s, Rhodes returns from injury for women’s win
(Posted 17/02/2012)
In the 50km Kona Shorty, Team Torq dominated the men’s with the orange and black-clad Jack Haig and Robbie Hucker crossing the line in a time of 2:16:16 in what looked like a dead heat to the eye. Electronic timing splits revealed the 50km Shorty win went to a smiling Jack Haig by a slim 0.07 second. Click here for full story ...Jongewaard interview: Kona Odyssey MTB Marathon
(Posted 16/02/2012)
Race favourite discusses the day ahead at today's Kona Odyssey. Click here for full story ...Kona: a back to back odyssey for one
(Posted 14/02/2012)
You reckon the Kona Odyssey MTB Marathon will be tough huh? Complaining of a bad back, slightly stiff after your last training ride? I put it to you that you don't know what tough is. Eliza Jenkins, however, does. A Rapid Ascent regular competitor across MTB and adventure racing events, Eliza suffers from congenital scoliosis - a curvature of the spine that results from abnormally developed vertebrae in utero – yet has battled odds and pain to be lining up this weekend regardless... Click here for full story ...Have you got the(MTB) skills? Show us...
(Posted 10/02/2012)
Have you got the skills? Check out this bunch of urban-bound MTBers dreaming of dirtier times on a mountain of earth rather than a few bumps of bitumen. Still...they manage to find the fun. They just know it'd be more fun at the Bike Buller MTB Festival presented by Giant on 10-12 March! Click here for full story ...Kona Odyssey Techno initiatives bring the MTB action home live
(Posted 7/02/2012)
Friends of those competing in this year’s Kona Odyssey mountain bike marathon will now be able to track the progress of the race from afar with the introduction of live tracking of elite riders, live splits for all riders and automatic post event upload of rider photographs on Facebook. Click here for full story ...Mud, sweat and 5years of tears - legends of Kona Odyssey (PT1)
(Posted 2/02/2012)
Last year’s Otway Odyssey mountain bike marathon marked a milestone for thirty-odd riders, a persistent bunch who owned the distinction of being the only competitors to be saddling up for their fifth hit out in a row. Did they make it? Not if El Ninja had anything to do with it... (PART 1 of 2 //) Click here for full story ...Mud, sweat and 5 years of tears - legends of Kona Odyssey (PT2)
(Posted 1/02/2012)
Last year’s Otway Odyssey mountain bike marathon marked a milestone for thirty-odd riders, a persistent bunch who owned the distinction of being the only competitors to be saddling up for their fifth hit out in a row. Did they make it? Not if El Ninja had anything to do with it... (PART 2 of 2) Click here for full story ...Go for Gold in Tasmania multisport event
(Posted 31/01/2012)
The beautiful port town of Bridport, on the north east coast of Tasmania, is known for its white sandy beaches, superb seafood dining, and the ferry to Flinders Island. But there is another reason to visit for adventure buffs, with the Bridport Gold Multisport event on the horizon, set to take place on March 17, 2012. Click here for full story ...World By Cycle project interviews John Jacoby
(Posted 26/01/2012)
John Jacoby’s reputation for ultra endurance (both enduring and inflicting) is without question; after all, he has held multiple world titles in marathon kayaking, multisport and adventure racing.
So no wonder a new adventure and education initiative dubbed World By Cycle was keen to catch up with Rapid Ascent's director to talk about the project. Click here for full story ...
Entries open: Marysville to Melbourne Multisport Challenge presented by the Difference
(Posted 18/01/2012)
After a stellar inaugural outing last year, the Marysville to Melbourne presented by The Difference has launched and is set to hit the trails, roads and rivers in an epic journey from country to city on Sunday April 29th, 2012.
Promising to be bigger and better than ever, registrations for the event are NOW OPEN . Click here for full story ...
Kona Odyssey champ returns to battle for fourth title
(Posted 17/01/2012)
Take a look back at the rap sheet - the one worth looking at in the form of the results record - and it's clear that Chris 'Jungleblood' Jongewaard is the man to beat on the Kona Odyssey course come 18th February. He's won every event he's entered on the Otway slopes (2008, 2009, 2011). The first year he didn't compete and 2010 he was unfortunately still legging it on the wind trainer in custody. Controversy surrounding Jungleblood has mostly abated as he's chased World Cup Click here for full story ...Mandatory Equipment: an adventure racing insight
(Posted 14/01/2012)
What happens when you take three women who haven't really dived into AR before, plus one bloke to go and get the coffee, and throw them into the bush to get dirty? Click here for full story ...Will you be the King or Queen of Invy?
(Posted 3/01/2012)
The King & Queen of Invy is on the calendar horizon, the unique event set to be held again over the Australia Day long weekend (January 28th-29th 2012) at Inverloch, Victoria. Click here for full story ...Adventure in the Garden of Eden
(Posted 21/12/2011)
It’s like a gathering of the adventure gods – cough, strike that – a gathering of the adventure retirees, all too stubborn to let go of the rusty ice pick or the idea that they can still knock off a mountain or three. And so it is that a clan of mountain men – once rulers of adventure racing thrones in Australia and New Zealand – now gather annually to take on risky(ish) forays that still strike out into the field of adventure as much as bodies and minds weathered by decades of wild outdoors lif Click here for full story ...Anaconda action from Lorne
(Posted 20/12/2011)
A little action from the recent Anaconda Adventure Race National Series Finale at Lorne...
(full race report here Click here for full story ...Wind up for Victoria’s premier downwind paddling race
(Posted 20/12/2011)
Searching for some genuine downwind thrills and spills? Well, Victoria's premier downwind ocean paddling marathon is back! The first race of the 2012 Go Natural Ocean Racing Series is the time-honoured Graeme Long Memorial Paddle, and it's locked in for Saturday, January 14. Click here for full story ...Queen of adventure takes Anaconda crown - a chat with 2011 Anaconda champion Deanna Blegg
(Posted 8/12/2011)
She may not have raced at the Anaconda Adventure Race Series Finale on the weekend, but the glowing presence of Victorian Deanna Blegg loomed large with the knowledge that no matter the outcome on Lorne’s adventure playground, it would be her accepting the 2011 Series Title Trophy come the end of the day.
Deanna competed hard and fast throughout the year with a glint in her eye that gave away a pure ambition that had been burning strong for the five years she has raced in Anacondas. Click here for full story ...Ussher wins Anaconda Adventure finale, confirms 2011 National Series title
(Posted 4/12/2011)
World champion multisport athlete, New Zealander Richard Ussher, stamped his dominance on the Anaconda Adventure Racing National Series finale, held in Lorne, Victoria, today with a title-winning performance in conditions that tested most of the record breaking entrant list of more than 1200. Click here for full story ...Weekend warriors adventure by the thousand at Lorne
(Posted 30/11/2011)
This weekend’s Anaconda Adventure Race National Series finale at Lorne, Victoria, is shaping up to be a big weekend with the biggest field of entries ever lining up to tackle the 50km course. And while the Top Flights will be pacing up the front, the weekend is as much about the weekend warrior as elite racers. Click here for full story ...World champions join Top Flight field
(Posted 28/11/2011)
The Bondi Boys may be the celeb cred at the Anaconda Adventure Race National Series Finale this weekend at Lorne, but will they be at the pointy end?
We'd suggest that they'll have their work cut out to keep pace with the likes of the Adventure Race World Champions, Myriam and Jacky Boisset, who as part of Team Thule won the recent World Champs in Tasmania. Click here for full story ...Bike Buller MTB Festival ENTRIES OPEN
(Posted 24/11/2011)
Entries have opened for the Bike Buller Mountain Bike Festival presented by Giant with a promise that this year's event will deliver more biking bang – not to mention festival fun – for your buck. Click here for full story ...
Bondi Rescue Boys surf into Lorne Anaconda adventure
(Posted 23/11/2011)
Famous for lifesaving heroics on the Channel Ten television program Bondi Rescue, the Bondi Boys are headed south from their word-famous beach playground to tackle this year’s Anaconda Adventure race National Series finale in Lorne, Victoria, on 4 December. Click here for full story ...Cotton on Foundation Run Geelong 2011 = 11,150 runners = another big weekend for Rapid Ascent!
(Posted 21/11/2011)
We all enjoy what we do here at Rapid Ascent and draw great satisfaction from putting people through their paces (literally) at our events... but excuse us if we’re all a bit dopey on the phone or e-mail today because the weekend’s activities have left is a little drained... 11,150 runners at one (massive) event will do that! Click here for full story ...
Why break a 14 year adventure racing hiatus – Andrew Maffett reveals all
(Posted 18/11/2011)
It took me a while to work out why I wanted to enter the Anaconda Adventure Race...
After being a fanatical competitor in these events at their genesis in the mid 1980’s, when I placed in the now iconic NZ Coast Coast and Winter Classic in Omeo, I had gracefully retired to being a non competitive ‘fitness only’ athlete. Click here for full story ...
Augusta Anaconda highlights on screen
(Posted 15/11/2011)
Check out this highlights reel from this month's Augusta, WA, Anaconda Adventure Race, including interviews with the winners. Kiwis. Won again. Bah! Cricket, rugby, now adventure racing... Dear Ms. Gillard, You may have noticed recently that where once the Australian elite sporting community were regarded as world beaters, we now seem to have slipped from the mantle of Absolute Champions of Everything Requiring Sporting Ability and are now being relegated to positions that aren'tr important (any Click here for full story ...Rapid Ascent mountain bike event wins coveted Brolga tourism award
(Posted 14/11/2011)
The growing popularity of mountain biking as a tourism drawcard has been heartily recognised with the Northern Territory’s Tourism Minister, Malarndirri McCarthy, awarding Rapid Ascent’s Ingkerreke Commercial Mountain Bike Enduro event with a coveted Brolga Award on the weekend.
Click here for full story ...Proposing an adventurous life ’til death do they part
(Posted 10/11/2011)
Sixty kilometres is a long way to mull over a question that will change your life forever, especially when you’ve had to swim and kayak before hopping on a mountain bike nursing an engagement ring that’s at the heart of that burning question. So how nervous must Michael Cain, 30, have been as he tackled the Anaconda Adventure Race knowing that he had to keep the ring safe and sound (and his mouth shut) until the final 2.5km beach run, where he planned to propose to his girlfriend, Shannon Trend, Click here for full story ...Kiwis conquer Augusta Anaconda Adventure Race
(Posted 6/11/2011)
It was action and upsets aplenty at today’s Anaconda Adventure Race National Series held at Augusta, in Western Australia, with the Kiwi contingent taking its first ever win in the Trans Tasman Trophy, an annual grudge adventure match-up between New Zealand and Australia. Click here for full story ...Tasman tussle and the dark horse
(Posted 5/11/2011)
Tonight’s bar conversation: the Tasman tussle – will the Kiwis be able to avert the bulldozer course of history and win the Trans Tasman Trophy for the first time in Augusta, WA?
On paper, the Aussies should be scared. Click here for full story ...
INTERVIEW: BBC adventurer Ben Fogle tackles Anaconda
(Posted 4/11/2011)
BBC Television presenter and renowned global adventurer Ben Fogle has landed in Augusta Western Australia to take on the world's biggest adventure race as part of his new series A Year of Adventures. Rapid Ascent chats to Ben a few days out from his first taste of the Anaconda. Click here for full story ...