Richard Ussher wins two day Anaconda Adventure Race in Forster

press release / 25.09.2007

New Zealander Richard Ussher took up the gold at the first ever two day Anaconda Adventure Race, Forster, which was held last weekend, 22-23 September. Twenty-three-year-old Sydneysider Christie Sym was also the first female to cross the finish line. Both went home with $5000 prize money.

Wearing bib number 3, Richard Ussher beat former surf ironman and Anaconda Adventure Race Gold Coast winner Guy Andrews and Narrabeen resident Simon Manson with a time of 8 hours, 13 minutes and 49 seconds.

Christie Sym completed the course in 9 hours, 45 minutes and 40 seconds with a 52-minute lead in front of Kim Beckinsale. Ussher, former World Multisport Champion and Olympic skier and winner of multiple adventure races around the world, said even though he knew he was winning when he reached the third leg of the Sunday course, he still gave his best up to the end. “With adventure racing, you never know how it’s going to turn out so you need to keep pushing all the way to the end. It was a good challenge for me as I’m not a great swimmer,\" Ussher said.

“It’s good to be able to come here and race well. The race organisers have done a great job at putting the course together. Forster is beautiful – it is the sort of place I would come to for a bike ride or paddle,\" he added.

Sym, who also won in the female category at the one-day Anaconda Adventure Race Gold Coast last August, said she didn’t know how she would perform in a two day race.

“Kim Beckinsale and I kept overtaking each other in the ocean swimming and running legs and in the end, I just gave everything I could,\" Sym said. “I’m really glad I could race so well. It was a lot of fun,\" she added.

Ussher and Sym are now looking forward to round three of the Anaconda Adventure Race national series with the Geographe Bay, WA, race on 4 November, which is expected to attract around 1,400 participants.

More than 300 competitors registered to the Anaconda Adventure Race Forster which included ocean swimming, ocean and lake kayaking, coastal, beach and trail running as well as mountain biking. The Saturday (optional) and Sunday legs were respectively 48.9 km and 63.9 km.

One of the well-known participants to the Saturday race was Health Minister Tony Abbott who completed the whole course in 7 hours, 2 minutes and 18 seconds.

For full results and more information on the Anaconda Adventure Race series, visit www.anacondaadventurerace.com