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GeoQuest XPD - Going Outback in Aussie

Rob / 13.08.2003

Australia’s own expedition adventure race, GeoQuest XPD, was launched recently and is planned for August 7-20 2004. It’s creating quite a stir in the Aussie AR community, which is growing fast and a race across the great Australian outback will appeal to many international teams.

It won’t be the first big race in Australia, Eco-Challenge was held in North Queensland in 1997, and there are some world class Australian racers, like John Jacoby and Jane Hall, but until recently AR had not developed to any great extent in Australia. Now that is changing quickly, GeoQuest XPD is the focus of many Australian teams and is set to raise the profile of Australian Adventure Racing.

It will be the first annual expedition length adventure race in the country and it isn’t coming soon enough for the local athletes. In the last two years the sport of adventure racing in Australia has really started to boom. While teams now have a number of 24hr events and one 48hr event, the ultimate challenge is an expedition race.

Andrew Rowe for team Creekwalkers said, “Our team, like the sport of adventure racing, has really developed over the last couple of years. Now, all our energies are focussed on the big one, XPD. Teams at the recent Mountain Designs GeoQuest 48hr event when asked their aims could talk of little else. “We’re very excited about doing a race in the outback and want to take the full 10 days to really enjoy the course” Steve Gardner from Team Chaos said. In fact most teams were already planning their compositions and lead up training events.

The word has also spread internationally with teams from the USA, Brazil, New Zealand and Singapore planning to enter, and the organising team is busy even at this early stage organising travel packages for some international teams. Race Organiser/Director Craig Bycroft said “It is a testament to the diversity and beauty of this country, and the sport in general, that a group of people will travel from the other side of the world to be part of this Australian event.”

GeoQuest XPD will be 700km race over 5-10 days across the great Australian outback and mixed or single sex teams of 4 will be able to enter from the 1 January 2004. The race will be non-stop and involve trekking, mountain biking and kayaking. Kayaks are provided and there are no support crews, equipment will be moved in pre-packed trunks by the organisers. The venue has already been announced as Broken Hill in far western New South Wales.

To find out more visit their site web site.