XPD Australia

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Introductions and Challenges

Geoff Hunt (AR World Series Director) / 17.05.2010

Teams attended the first of three briefings this morning in the Rydges Hotel, where they were introduced, received their race bibs, and had 30 seconds to express their desires and aims for the event.

Everyone was introduced by the team captains with most taking the opportunity to thank their sponsors, to reinforce team nicknames, or to warn the Race Director, that if he felt a sudden pain in the back “it was result of needles being pushed into the voodoo doll of Craig that the team was carrying�.

One US team expressed the reason for their coming was a form of speed tourism with the aim “to see as much of the region as possible in the shortest time.�

For Brent Edwards from Orion Adventure with three new members it was “a chance to learn about each other and a chance to race against Blackheart, and beat them again�. The challenge has been laid down! [Blackheart are the defending champions having won last time out in the Australian Alps, but OrionHealth.com beat them the same team racing under a different name the year prior to that in a very close finish on the Whitsunday Coast.]

For many the aim was simply to finish, but for others it was a desire to finish early and have some time after the event to relax and enjoy the Carins surroundings and perhaps visit one of the famous islands along the Great Barrier Reef.

The XPD event has no shortcuts and the course remains open to teams for 10 days to allow every team the chance to finish. Those at the front of the field they are expected to finish on the morning of Monday 24th (7.20 is the predicted time), while the final teams are not expected to finish until midnight Friday evening, which is in fact after the official race closing time.See All Event Posts