Act Belong Commit Augusta Adventure Fest
The Australian Team Has Been Selected
News Release / 25.08.2014
Representing Australia in the Tri Nations Trophy at this year’s Act-Belong-Commit Augusta Adventure Fest – the World’s Biggest Adventure Race – will be: Ben Allen, Matt Duncan and Peri Gray.
The Tri Nations Trophy is a competition between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, held as part of the main Act-Belong-Commit Augusta Adventure Race. Each nation has three designated competitors (two male and one female), all of whom compete as individuals and the nation with the lowest cumulative team time being the winner.
The Australian team was selected through a public voting system. Five male and two female highly accomplished adventure racing athletes nominated for selection in the team and the Australian public was invited to vote on who should represent them. Over 1,900 people voted, with Allen, Duncan and Gray scoring the highest number of votes.
Ben Allen, from North Wollongong NSW, comes from a surf lifesaving background originally but most recently has been focusing on off-road triathlons. He has 14 Xterra World Tour race victories to his name and also won X-Adventure, Dunsborough in WA in March.
Although currently competing in Europe, Allen will be back on Aussie turf in fine form to challenge the Tri Nations Trophy.
“Representing Australia is a huge honour and I’d be very proud to wear the green and gold,” said Allen.
Matt Duncan will have a hometown advantage, being born and bred in Western Australia. Duncan also has a surf lifesaving background and is hoping to improve on his third place performance at the Act-Belong-Commit Augusta Adventure Race last year.
“I am ready to live my dream of representing Australia in a race I love,” said Duncan.
Peri Gray from Jan Juc, Victoria, is the sole female in the team and is certainly no stranger to adventure racing. Gray has a long list of top three results in similar events, including coming first at the Lorne Adventure Fest last year.
“It will be an enormous privilege to represent Australia in a sport that is my passion and to which I have been committed to for many years,” said Gray.
The Tri Nations Trophy was won by the New Zealand team last year and will be fiercely defended by kiwis Olly Shaw, Sam Manson and Emma McCosh. The South African team is yet to be announced.
The Augusta Adventure Race is a 62km multidiscipline off-road race with over 1,900 competitors tackling a 12.5km coastal run, 1.9km ocean swim, 13km ocean paddle, 32km mountain bike and 2.5km beach run to the finish.
Two additional race formats are held to complement the sold-out premier race, the Mini Adventure Race and Junior Survivor, and over 3,400 competitors are expected across the weekend – making it the world’s biggest adventure race.
Check out the details at www.AugustaAdventureFest.com.
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