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Australian Canoeing Inc., Thursday, 24 August 2006
The Gold Coast is set to explode this weekend with the most exciting new sports event in Australia, the Anaconda Adventure Race. Conceived by champion adventure racer John Jacoby, the Anaconda Adventure Race is a rugged off-road race comprising an ocean swim, ocean/creek paddle, creek & mountain run, mountain bike and beach run. A star field of Surf Ironmen, Triathletes and Adventure Racers will be going head-to-head in a race that showcases some of the Gold Coast’s undiscovered hinterland treasures.
Guy Andrews, Wes Berg, Karla Gilbert, Phil Clayton, Sheree Merryful & Olympic Gold medalist Sara Carrigan are just some of the big names who’ll be on the start line this Saturday. Some of New Zealand’s best endurance athletes are also in town, hoping to steal the thunder and $12K cash purse from the Aussies.
The women’s field is the strongest ever assembled in Australia and amazingly there are 9 women who are capable of winning, with young hotshot Christie Sym from NSW a narrow favourite from New Zealand’s Coast to Coast winner Emily Miazga. An outside chance is Adventure Racing rookie and local girl Karla Gilbert, a fierce competitor who is a distinct chance of upsetting her more fancied rivals.
By contrast, average people of every age and shape will make up the majority of the field, with the youngest competitor at 16 years of age and the eldest Col Andrews (Guy Andrews’ father) who at 68 is quite possibly the fittest man on earth for his age, and is likely to beat plenty of competitors 40+ years his junior! In addition there are 3 other relay team categories - a Corporate Teams category, a Services Adventure Challenge Cup (for Army, Navy, Air Force, Army, Police, Ambulance and Emergency Services) and a Surf Club Adventure Challenge Cup.
A big Outdoor Sports Festival runs in conjunction with the event. Taking up the entire beach in front of Tugun Surf Club, the Festival has lots on offer for the entire family, including outdoor product displays, rides, a 9 metre high climbing pinnacle, a sand-castle building competition (best sand castle wins a new bike!) and a Frisbee toss competition.
Sponsored by adventure retailer Anaconda, the first Anaconda Adventure Race took place in Lorne (Victoria) in December 2005 and was the biggest ever Adventure Race in this country with 950 competitors. The first of 3 races in a new National Series of “sprint” adventure races, the Gold Coast race will be followed by a race in September at Geographe Bay (South-West WA) and in Lorne (Vic) in December. Each race is uniquely different and offers a chance for competitors to race over spectacular terrain.
Running in conjunction with the race is the “Anaconda Junior Survivor”, which will see 400 primary school age children completing Survivor-style challenges such as Monster Minefield, Subterranean Scramble and Spiders Web. The school with the highest percentage of children participating wins $2,000 worth of adventure gear courtesy of Anaconda.
For further information, go to www.AnacondaAdventureRace.com
All enquiries should be directed to the Director Marketing & Planning, Brendon Grail, phone 0402 618 054, e-mail brendon@rapidascent.com.au
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