Swisse Mark Webber Tasmania Challenge
All Together At The End – and Throughout The Race
Will Gray (Webber Challenge) / 12.12.2011
The five-day Challenge has steered its way around some of the most spectacular scenery in Tasmania’s south east, and after a long run of late nights and early mornings covering the event this wild ride - a challenge all of its own – has finally come to an end.
Last night, this travelling community of racers, organisers, sponsors and media reconvened just hours after the 3pm deadline in the final day’s cross-city rogaine and descended on the waterfront hotel, gathering for speeches, awards and highlights of an event that has clearly morphed into an one that does the sport of adventure racing proud.
The strategic optional checkpoint format was a major success for experienced course setters Rapid Ascent, the company behind the nuts and bolts of the race course, who work alongside the corporate and event management group Octagon to put on the show.
It allowed the elites to race further but still come in at similar times to the enthusiasts – and it was something that race winner Mark Hinder picked up on. “Usually in this type of racing the elite groups are 50 percent of the time before the others get in,� he said. “This time it’s almost the other way around! To have everyone finishing in that tight grouped time period is a very clever solution and makes for great community spirit on the event.�
Highlights included paddling with dolphins, testing nerves in some spectacular high ropes activities – few are more spectacular than the rope descent from Mount Amos on day one – and simply seeing some of the wild scenic views on the trails around Bruny Island.
And the feeling in the room – from the French enthusiastically laying down plans to tell their whole country about the event to the local racers speaking about a true new challenge on the Australian adventure calendar – was one of excitement already for the next course in 2012.
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