Adventure or Racing?

Adam Rose / 12.11.2016

Some of us watched, or participated in, the Costa Rican world champs in 2013. It featured a little bit of mud, a little bit of paddling, a little bit of mangroves. Then came the 2014 Ecuadorian mudfest, with dog, in the Amazon. Altitude sickness vs jungle heat. Last year, there was the matter of the Pantanal in Brazil...some still shudder at the memory. The heat, the crocs, the never-ending sloshing through water, with not a single team finishing the entire course. All were characterised by an emphasis on adventure rather than straight racing, much to the chagrin of some teams. There were voices raised afterwards, not least by some top teams, wanting a return to competing rather than simple survival.  

Now we have the Shoalhaven XPD. Craig Bycroft's events are known for their epic legs, toughness, and fairly straight-forward nav. Mangrove mazes do not figure prominently.

So far, this world champs has been fairly 'uneventful'. There have been a few injuries, including the top teams of Godzone and Thule, and others including Spirit, but so far no traumatic what-the-hell-are-we-doing-here responses from the teams. It's a fantastic location, scenic as heck, of multiple, fast stages. With the longest bike leg measuring 99km, teams will be encouraged to move quickly, rather than having to pace themselves as they do with the 250km variety (Patagonia, anyone?). There's only one cut off, a long time to allow teams to finish, nothing unusual in the way of special disciplines  - just good old fashioned 'go a long way as quick as you can' (Rob's words). At the same time, have any of the lead teams gone out too fast? There is a lot of running going on, rather than trekking, and when the full distance is in excess of 600km, that might be over ambitious. 

So, how does that grab you? As a spectator, even if you normally compete, do you prefer to see teams suffer the rash of a thousand cuts, a la stinging tree, or moving fast and efficiently, an exercise in athleticism over masochism? Certainly, it makes it more likely the best team will win, as there are less curveballs to battle. Plus, as far as we know, there's nothing likely to eat anyone, though getting bitten by an evil critter is a definite maybe. 

No doubt the teams will feedback afterwards, and with the beauty of the course, there'll be no end of awesome vistas, spectacular sunsets, and excessive awesomer superlatives. Watching it unfold, though, the sheer scale of this champs is impressive. If anything, having so many teams is almost daunting; as the line stretches over the coming days, it will be a challenge to keep the logistics running smoothly. Hopefully Merrell's missing box was just a hiccup, the rivers don't flood, the bush remains unblazing, and as the teams approach the middle of the course, Seagate is kept under pressure. Well, that last one is possibly just mine. :) 

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