XPD racers boarded the buses out of Cairns at 0630 this morning for a two hour trip south to Mission Beach. Having discovered the main boat booked to transport everyone to Dunk Island had broken down, the event organisers had to recruit other services to help tackle the job as efficiently as possible. By 1130 and several lattes later (for those teams on the first boat) everyone had assembled for the absolutely final briefing, group photo on the beach and minute of quiet contemplative silence. Just before midday the starting gun fired – XPD Cairns 2010 is officially ‘on’!

Teams left their one (1) inflatable kayak, aka ‘raft’, on the beach while they took off ‘trekking’ at a rather cracking pace down the beach to scale the heights and circumnavigate Dunk Island. Within an hour Orion Adventure (40) and Merrell/Alkali (42) were the first back to get their boats and paddle over to Kumboola Island for the snorkelling component of this leg. The head wind and choppy conditions created a challenge for all and although the snorkelling visibility remained good (~ 10m) the buoys proved tricky for many teams to locate between the peaks and troughs.

The strong start established by Merrell/Alkali (42) took a hit when the team damaged their boat on an oyster covered jetty pylon as they left Dunk Island for the passage crossing to Mission Beach (CP2). This damage required repair which gave Orion Adventure (40) comfortable space to lead ahead and transition to Leg 2 at their leisure.

Though the boat reshuffle to Dunk Island before the start had delayed the anticipated kickoff time, the organisers’ concerns that teams could be paddling all night in the choppy conditions didn’t eventuate quite so. By 6pm half the field had passed through transition at CP2 and the two rear teams were departing Dunk Island. It seems that the tailwind across the passage worked to help quell the challenging swell and assist the heavy water and passenger laden ‘rafts’ ashore. The inflatable kayaks, when loaded with 4 paddlers on open water, became more commonly known as ‘yellow submarines’ on this leg … and vomiting featured as a familiar experience (repeatedly!) for quite a few teams during the crossing.
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The day began with all teams registering and an official welcome from XPD Director, Craig Bycroft. Each team had the opportunity to introduce themselves to the rest of the field and say a few words as they collected their official race bibs. Fast-paced, 30-seconds each – we heard all variety of snappy and witty, humble, controversial, enthusiastic, sarcastic and quirky comments, sponsor plugging and also insights into some teams’ goals, experience and rivals.

This is the first XPD or expedition length adventure race for many of the teams, quite a few having only one previously seasoned member among them. Also for several teams it is the first time they have actually met in person due to reasons such as geographic location or needing a sudden new team member perhaps only days before arriving in Cairns.

The new teams are all in such great spirits and full of enthusiasm to give it their best and just have a go, an Aussie characteristic that Canadian team Race the Rockies (35) commented is unknown for similar new teams at their home events. Several of the US teams further commented that the high reputation of XPD internationally not only reflects it World Series quality, but also its capacity to foster new expedition adventure racers.

Serial XPDers and seasoned expedition length adventure racers from overseas were humble in honoring the large contingent of strong national and international teams present at this year’s event, highlighting the uncertainty and increased competition this will bring to the event – we are in for a treat of fantastic suspense once the starting guns fires.

The bulk of the day centered on teams ticking off their competency and equipment checks under the shady Esplanade trees and in the resort pool: team photos and bio updates; navigation and GPS; first aid; ‘all time – on person’ equipment checks; and kakak skills. Lots of shopping and then food preparation was going on in team accommodation … and lots of resting up and just waiting for the course to be released.

First aid was a bit of an eye opener (and fear raiser) for most teams and not just the international visitors! The amount and severity of dangerous fauna and flora in this neck of the woods has the potential to be quite overwhelming – box jellies, irikanji, stinging trees, crocodiles, spear grass, cassowaries, ticks, leeches, snakes, wasps, wait-a-while, lantana, blackberries, spiders … anyone still keen to race? Some of these things give the most painful and most deadly encounters for their type IN THE WORLD!! An early consensus was the dangerous biodiversity is the biggest concern for teams at this stage.

The racing at XPD Australia begins tomorrow morning (Queensland, Australia time). This translates into overnight for Europe and North America, so when much of the world wake ups tomorrow, they will find teams well into their first leg of snorkel/beach/paddle mayhem on the Great Barrier Reef.  It should make for great entertainment!

Let me give a run down on some of the teams to keep an eye on, and relay a few pieces of background on some teams who I know well . . .

Scanning the race leaderboard alphabetically, I first come to the defending champion of the previous XPD Australia: Blackheart.com.au.  This is one of the best teams in the southern hemisphere, and they must be counted among the race favorites.  Their home is Brisbane, Australia, nearly 1,000 kilometers south of the race location for 2010, but I would still put them in the “local favorite” category from where I’m sitting.   This team is fast, and two Blackheart racers recently won the Australia Rogaining Championship so we have to consider them ready to take on the tougher orienteering portions of the race.

Dancing Pandas are the next team that jumps out at me, one of the American teams and with Mark Lattanzi who I saw recently when his team raced to a 2nd place finish at the 3-Day Untamed Switzerland race.  The rest of this bunch are tough, experienced racers, although they had to bring in a mercenary Australian to fill in for their injured 4th teammate.   With strong races at PrimalQuest and other events around the world, I would keep my eye on these 4!  Maybe even a dark horse for the podium, here . . .

The Dirty Avocados, also from the United States, are well-known as northern California’s blue ribbon racing team.  They’ve been preparing for Australia for over a year, and have a long list of podium finishes on their resumes (as well as a strong showing with two teams at 2009 Untamed New England — so I’ve seen them compete first hand).

Merrell/Alkali is yet another team racing under the American flag, but oddly is composed of two Canadians, a Frenchman, and a Kiwi.  While usually an “American” team, Merrell is usually led by Robyn Benincasa . . . but this team features some different racers who are still very experienced and among the strongest at the race. The McHale husband/wife duo makes for an interesting storyline, too.

Northwest Profile #5 is a team from Washington in the northwest United States. With PQ experience and numerous regional races, they are no strangers to adventure racing and we’ll be wishing them well on this Australian expedition.
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This is adventure racing!  If you don’t get goose bumps reviewing the course information for the 2010 XPD Australia course, then you should get to a hospital pronto because you don’t have a pulse.

Let’s look at it in broad strokes:

1. Teams start with a snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef, then raft themselves back to the mainland before starting a 100 km mountain bike trip up into the highlands near Koombooloomba Preserve and Tully Gorge National Park.  This area is known as Australia’s “wettest” and picture heavy rainfall, lush vegetation, whitewater, and spectacular views!
2. There is a “dark zone” prior to the next portion of the course, the white water rafting, so this will probably become effectively a restart of the race prior to the whitewater rafting down the wold famous Tully River.  If you picture a Phish concert (without the psychedelic drugs, here), that’s a bit what this dark zone could look like.  Tents, tarps, and improvised shelters . . . buzzing insects . . . staggering people cooking a meal over a small fire; even though it’s early in the race, some teams could be looking worse for wear here.
3. At sunrise, the tent village will disintegrate and teams hit the rapids of the Tulley River.  How fun does whitewater through the jungle sound?!
4. Then teams tackle a 50 km trek through the “Misty Mountains” where — you guessed it — it’s dense jungle and really wet.  Lots of critters through here, so racers will keep the medical kit near the top of their packs.
5. A tough 100+ km mountain bike ride comes next, with a 10 km orienteering section added for spice.  This is entering really remote terrain.
6. Next up is the “Wheelbarrow Way Wheelbarrow push” which is a historic path past ancient rock formations.  Teams will be hauling their kayaks  and gear for the full 20 km, too, but I don’t know if they will really use a wheelbarrow or not.
7. 70 km of shallow river paddling comes next, and to me that sounds like portage/paddling when ever a race org mentions “shallow” in terms of paddling.  The stream they’ll be paddling flows from one watering hole to another, through dry and desolate country.

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Cairns locals today may have noticed an unusual trend of groups of fours all over town – many athletic types in the lobby booking into reception and other accommodation nearby, cycling along the esplanade and around the CBD, also further out, checking out some of Cairns’ sights … maybe anticipating parts of the course? Relaxing, shopping, stocking up on supplies and equipment, chilling by the pool and packing their boxes were other popular options. There was a pretty relaxed vibe about and the weather today provided a magnificently cheerful “welcome to XPD Cairns 2010”.

A few teams were happy to spend some time sharing a bit about themselves and what they are expecting for the race. In no particular order:

Juggernaught (21)
These guys were pretty chatty, super excited and really hoping for a rough and tough course with the team captain stating, “the rougher the course, the more I’ll enjoy myself!”.

New team formation, Juggernaught, said that they were all injury free … with their fitness ‘to be decided’. They have a host of rather clearly defined goals, which they shared: 1) to finish; 2) to finish unranked; 3) not to be the last ranked team; and 4) to finish in time to watch the State of Origin (26th).

If any team is going to fire up Juggernaught it is the Dukes of Hazzard (30) … and apparently Juggernaught is willing to resort to any unsavoury tactic to ensure they stay ahead!

Amongst this team, members have the experience of several GeoQuests, an XPD and a strong showing at the 2009 Hells Bells under their belt. They are loving the climate, looking forward to a roped element of the course and their only real race concerns are about possible wind while sea kayaking in the inflatable boats … and crocodiles!

In addition to the challenge of the race, these guys have set themselves another challenge: to gain weight during the event – and so they have filled their boxes with tins of food and shared out 150L of Gatorade powder. It is rumoured that bathroom scales will be out at HQ tomorrow, precisely to record weight and height (just for interest), so we’ll see how they go with this once the race is done.

And with their moto, “nothing stops the Juggernaughts” … they went off for a stretch session and to carbo load.
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The XPD race site is now live. In 2 weeks time, 47 teams from over 7 different countries will be embarking on an expedition into the unknown in tropical north Queensland.

Follow their final preparations and their every movement in the race at http://geocentric.geo-loco.com/xpd/

Live GPS tracking and team blogs from the course will give viewers at home an unprecedented insight into the highs and lows of expedition adventure racing. There will also be live feeds linked via twitter, race reports as well as video footage and photos.

From today, fans, family and friends can cheer on and provide valuable morale support to their favourite teams by sending “trail mail”. This will be received by teams in the lead up to the event and at various points on the course.

The revolutionary site is a combined effort by Geocentric, TrackMe360.com and Untamed Adventure.

XPD is open to mixed, all male or all female teams of four. The exact course is kept secret until 24hrs before the start. Then with much excitement and anticipation, teams are provided a course booklet and their race maps. The course booklet contains the location of each of the race checkpoints. Once teams start, racing is 24 hours per day; teams choose when and where they will sleep. The winning team is expected to complete the course in 4-5 days. All other teams will be permitted up to 10 days to complete the expedition without mid-race cut offs. XPD will be challenging for first time racers and experienced teams alike.

As a member of the AR World Series, XPD is a qualifying event for the Adventure Race World Championship (ARWC). The AR World Series is an international circuit of premiere adventure races representing 10 countries creating a 12 month calendar of professional events around the world. The top two teams at each qualifying event receive automatic entry to the ARWC.

XPD receives generous support from Macpac, Verofit, Rydges, Adventure Racing World Series and Sleepmonsters.

Via press release

The Mountain Designs GeoQuest is Australia’s longest running adventure race and is still growing each year! The 9th edition of the event will lure competitors to the famous subtropical forests, white sand beaches, coastal lakes and estuaries of Port Macquarie from 20-23 August 2010.

International competitors are increasingly being attracted to the Mountain Designs GeoQuest. Registrations have already been received from teams from New Zealand, Japan and even a team from Kazakhstan!

Entries are open at have already sold of 50% of spots.

For competitors, the Mountain Designs GeoQuest 2010 has embraced a newer linear format that is sure to provide teams with the ultimate physical and mental challenge. This style of adventure race allows the race organisers to make the absolute best choices in course planning giving teams the pinnacle adventure race experience.

In the annual pilgrimage of the sport, over 500 competitors, support crew, family and friends will travel to this premier adventure race of the year. The Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park will be the official Headquarters of the event. Not only is a great HQ for an adventure race, but it is also the perfect location to bring family and friends for a short holiday.

Mountain Designs GeoQuest involves 48+hrs of non-stop endurance racing in the major disciplines of trekking, mountain biking and kayaking. Mixed, Male or Female teams of four must navigate their way through an arduous 200+km course that is only revealed to them the evening before the race. The Mountain Designs GeoQuest is held annually on the Queens Birthday long weekend in June (except for 2010). The race is moved each year to a different location with exciting new challenges for the teams.

The Geo-Half adventure race is run at the same time as the Mountain Designs GeoQuest. It covers only half the distance but teams have the full 48hrs to complete it. The legs will be challenging, but with the additional time available to complete the half course, teams have a greater chance to reach the finish line.

Via press release

Images courtesy of Matthew Button

I spoke briefly with Kevin yesterday via email as he was making final preparations for his expedition which began earlier today. He will be attempting to circumnavigate the globe via human power (and sailing across the oceans). Below is his latest press release. Best of luck Kevin! We look forward to following along.

Kevin Shannon, 23, is embarking on the challenge of a lifetime, to circumnavigate the globe using only human and natural power. The expedition, titled Because It Is There: A Zero Emissions Odyssey, will take 3 years to complete, will involve cycling 40,000 miles across 5 continents and sailing 10,000 miles across both the Atlantic and the Pacific. Kevin’s odyssey will take him through the extremes of our planets weather, with temperatures ranging from -30°C to 50°C; powerful, potentially tent destroying, Patagonian winds and tropical storms.

Kevin will be completely immersed in a variety of cultures on his incredible journey, living by the roadside as he makes his way east.

The inspiration for the journey came from infamous explorer and former local resident in the village in which he lives, George Mallory, who died in his attempt to be the first to reach the summit of Mt Everest in 1924.

“One of my earliest memories is being sat on the floor of the assembly hall at primary school and being told by my headteacher about this incredible man who attempted to climb Mt Everest. I was fascinated and It was then I knew I wanted to do something similar when I grew up. It wasn’t until I left University a couple of years ago and I found a book about a man cycling to Beijing that the idea for my own expedition really began to take shape.”

Kevin hopes to use the latest technology to present the expedition in real time through his website http://www.becauseitisthere.co.uk. He will be blogging from the side of the road from his netbook and utilizing social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr to share his journey. Visitors to the expedition website can follow the journey online via mapping technology and a tracking device provided by vehicle tracking firm Masternaut.

Although still looking for the majority of funding for the expedition, Kevin still aims to start on March 24th as planned. He admits that the credit crunch has hit the expedition hard.

“Finding funding for an expedition is never easy at the best of times but with the current economic climate things have become very hard indeed.

His father and acting expedition manager will take on the role of continuing to find a sponsor whilst Kevin is pedalling his way around the world.

Through his expedition Kevin hopes to raise £1 Million for Combat Stress, the leading charity for treatment of ex-servicemen and women suffering from conditions such as PTSD, depression and anxiety disorders. He says

“Combat Stress is an extremely worthwhile organisation and I feel that the expedition is the perfect way to help to raise awareness and also fundraise for this fantastic charity”

A cracker of a race for the last event of the Paddy Pallin Adventure Race Series 2009-10!

The 2009/10 Paddy Pallin Adventure Racing Series concluded in style over the weekend with 230 teams (nearly 700 racers) traversing a landscape that is renown for its striking beauty. Indeed Tomaree National Park, the Worimi Conservation Lands and the Port Stephens-Great Lakes Marine Park provided a spectacular backdrop for the Paddy Pallin Adventure Race. 30 hours before the race start, the scene was set with a 3.3 magnitude earthquake hitting Nelson Bay.

Saturday 13 March 2010 – 10:23AM: starting at the base of the famous Stockton Beach sand dunes, competitors were looking up at the near vertical sand climb in front of them; teams knew a real adventure was to come and the anticipation was stirring. The near-record field spread out quickly through the rolling sands looking for elusive codes on hidden checkpoints before starting their coastal assault. Jumping on the bikes at Boat Harbour, they tackled a fast ride along One Mile and Samurai Beaches and then a short push through Tomaree National Park to Big Rocky. Teams were then faced with the highlight of the event as they had to swim out to a small rocky island complete with a crystal-clear, 3m deep rock pool containing the next checkpoint. Back on the bikes, teams headed off to Fingal Bay for a paddle across to Fingal Bay Island. All teams got a rock-hopping coasteer in while the top ten teams visited the historic lighthouse. From there it was a last chance to catch a wave on the kayaks and then a beach run and very short ride to the finish at Fingal Bay oval. Pheew, what a day! Continue Reading

Adventurer Lei Wang departs in less than 2 weeks to make an attempt on Everest. Born in Beijing, she says that she grew up as a typical city girl. She graduated with a B.S degree in Computer Science from Tsinghua University in Beijing followed by an M.S. degree in Computer Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After working in the IT field for several years, she decided to pursue her M.B.A. degree at Wharton. It was there that she was first introduced to ice climbing and mountaineering and climbed her first glacier mountain in Ecuador (Cotopaxi). Upon graduation, she traveled to Africa where she reached the summit of Kilimanjaro.

She begin pursuing her dream of the Seven Summits and Two Poles in 2004. She has successfully climbed six of the seven summits and has skied to both the North and South Poles. We caught up with Lei with just days before her departure and got the chance to interview her about her current and past expeditions along with her motivation and inspiration.

What made you decide to do this series of expeditions?

It’s funny how life drops a few curveballs into your lap. These coincidences are what make life interesting! If it wasn’t for me seeing the movies “Touching the Void”, or “Women of K2”, I would probably have never discovered my passion for adventures!!

Likewise, as part of a MBA school program at Wharton I was first introduced to ice climbing and mountaineering, and climbed my first glacier mountain, Cotopaxi in Ecuador. When I graduated, I decided to head out to Africa and climb Kilimanjaro.. It was during that climb, I realized how challenging it was for me and how my lack of fitness almost made me fail. I love challenges and overcoming them. Remembering what happened in the two movies, I realized that I wanted to be one of them. A spark was ignited, a passion to accomplish what had previously seemed invisible or impossible. Without knowing “how”, I decided I “would” and show the world that others can do it to.

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Australia has won the hosting rights for the Adventure Racing World Championships in 2011 which will be held in the state of Tasmania.

Race Director Craig Bycroft said “Tasmania as a world renowned adventure destination and support from Events Tasmania were two of the key factors in us winning the Adventure Racing World Championships”. Geoff Hunt, ARWorld Series Director said “I’m sure the 2011 Adventure Racing World Championship will be a huge success and look forward to exploring the state of Tasmania.”

Produced for the Adventure Racing World Championships will be a 1hr Destination/Adventure Sports Documentary to be aired locally and internationally. It will have a key focus on the athletes and the adventure landscape of Tasmania.

XPD will now begin seeking event partners and supporters to provide the world the best Adventure Racing World Championships possible. Already on board as a media partner is Australia’s premier adventure and outdoors magazine, Outer Edge, which will cover the event in the lead up to and during the Championships.”

The race is scheduled for late 2011. Teams of four will race day and night for over 700km in the disciplines of mountain biking, trekking and kayaking. The course will take in some of the best adventure “hot spots” in the Tasmania.

The Adventure Racing World Series is an international circuit of premiere adventure races in 10 countries culminating every 12 months in the Adventure Racing World Championships.

In 2006 the 2nd Edition of XPD was successfully held in Tasmania and received great support from the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania, Parks & Wildlife Service, Forestry Tasmania, Hydro Tasmania and the Hobart City Council.

The Adventure Racing World Championship in 2011 is supported by the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania.

The www.arwc2011.com website will be launched soon. For details on the current XPD Expedition race www.xpd.com.au .

Photos by Owen Hughes

GEELONG’S Grant Suckling employed the wisdom of his little girl to win the Lorne Anaconda Adventure Race on Sunday morning, crossing the line before a crowd of 3,000-plus spectators, just 30 seconds ahead of arch rival Perth’s Sean O’Neill.

At one stage Suckling was convinced he’d lost the race to five-time WA triathlon of the year O’Neill, who was race favourite after claiming open men’s line honours in the last two Anaconda Adventure Races in Queensland and Western Australia.

Suckling finished second and 2.5 minutes behind O’Neill at the Augusta race last month, but prior to Sunday’s race felt his training regimen, strong competitive record this year, a desperate need to win, and his new “secret weapon” kayak the Think Uno would hold him in good stead.

When Suckling thought he’d lost the race he gave himself a “good talking to” and adopted his seven-year-old daughter Emily’s mantra – “it’s supposed to hurt a little bit” to spur himself on.

In an absolute nail-biter of a race, it wasn’t until the last 80 metres that Suckling knew he had it in the bag.

Amid a field of almost 1,200 competitors from all over Australia O’Neill emerged from the 1.9km ocean swim with a lead of more than four minutes over Suckling.

But the 35-year-old father of two made up the difference on the 3km ocean paddle, recording a time of six minutes quicker than O’Neill, 26.

Suckling lost the lead on the 14km coastal trail run to O’Neill, who then found it tough going on the 24km mountain bike leg.

“During the mountain bike I thought, Sean’s probably finished the race by now, then all of a sudden I rode round a corner and I watched Sean fall off,” Suckling said.

O’Neill made a quick recovery but Suckling rode around him after his second fall on the steep descent.
“I rode down that hill flat-out and nailed every corner,” Suckling said.

“I got down to the beach, put on my shoes and started running but I didn’t know I was going to win it until I was 80 or 100 metres out.”

Desperate to make the Lorne event an Anaconda Adventure Race hat-trick O’Neill didn’t have time to remove his bike helmet or put on his shoes for the final 1.5km beach run, and was relegated to second place as Suckling crossed the finish line with his daughter Emily, seven, who ran the last 50 metres with him.

Ultimately Suckling finished in 3hr:57min:32sec. O’Neill finished on 3hr:58min:02sec.

“Oh mate, this is beyond comprehension, it’s a massive big deal,” Suckling said at the finish line.
“I’m ecstatic, it was a fairy tale,” said Suckling, who had dreamed of crossing the finish line with his daughter.

Former world marathon kayaking champion Chad Meek, of Mansfield, was third in the open men’s class on 4hr:14min:47 seconds, professional triathlete Luke Bell of Melbourne was fourth on 4hr:17min:31sec, and Melbourne’s Alexandra Houghton was fifth in 4hr:18min:42sec.

Event manager, Rapid Ascent’s Sam Maffett said Luke Bell won the swim leg, followed by Torquay’s Tristan Read, with O’Neill in third place.

After that it was a two horse race with Suckling or O’Neill claiming victory on each leg.

“It was a very close and fantastic race and full compliments go to both Grant and Sean,” Mr Maffett said.

“It was an exciting race because the lead changed at the end of every leg. Sean had a couple of crashes on the bike because on the descent he was going so hard to try and catch Grant.”

Veteran women’s competitor Kim Beckinsale, 42, of Noosa, was first individual woman over the line with a time of 5hr:4min:22sec.

Mansfield’s Skye Taylor was second in 5hr:8min:32sec. Torquay’s Peri Gray was third on 5hr:20min:49sec.

The first team was St Kilda’s Cotton On, with a time of 3hr:47min:45sec.

Beckinsale claims Anaconda hat-trick

WHEN Noosa’s Kim Beckinsale lost her way in the run leg of Sunday’s Anaconda Adventure Race at Lorne, she was convinced a jinx had returned to rob her of a hat-trick, but the veteran’s gritty style saw her regain the women’s lead and win by more than four minutes.

Beckinsale, 42, was race favourite, but felt a hex had always stopped her from winning three events in a row.
She won the women’s categories in the Queensland and Western Australian Anaconda Adventure Races in spring and was afraid to dream of making it a hat-trick at Lorne, in Victoria.

“I was fine in the 1.9km swim – I didn’t freeze or get cramps which was fantastic, and I was third female starting out on the 13km paddle,” Beckinsale said.

“I had a pretty good transition and felt fantastic on the run, and then I went the wrong way. I ended up on a big open fire trail, I ran through this big creek and uphill to a dam and there were about 20 of us running around going ‘Oh my God, where are we?’

“When I went the wrong way I thought ‘Oh yeah, that’s my jinx coming through’.

“I think I lost about 10 minutes so I had to absolutely hammer it, I didn’t ever give up.”

Beckinsale was shattered at the start of the 24km mountain bike ride but maintained a consistent pace.
About 12 km into the ride she caught female leader Skye Taylor, of Mansfield in Victoria’s High Country, but didn’t know if there were other women ahead of Taylor.

“When I finished the bike leg I heard I was in the lead so I had a nice run down the beach in my socks,” Beckinsale said.

“I’m pretty stoked,” said Beckinsale, who within a few hours of finishing became so hungry she ran to the shops to buy pizza for a celebratory dinner.

Amid a field of almost 1,200 competitors Beckinsale recorded a finish time of 5hr:4min:22sec to claim her third consecutive Anaconda Adventure Race.

Taylor, 26, completed the course in 5hr:8:min:32sec and Torquay’s Peri Gray crossed the line after 5hr:20min:49sec.

The win caps off an exciting year for Sunshine Beach physical education teacher Beckinsale, who came to adventure racing after fracturing her spine. She was hit by a car on her road bike. Her subsequent fear of road riding saw her give away triathlons, take up mountain biking and convert to adventure racing.

The open men’s winner of the Lorne Anaconda Adventure Race was Geelong’s Grant Suckling, 35, with a time of 3hr:57min:32sec. Perth’s Sean O’Neill, 26, finished second on 3hr:58min:02sec, and Taylor’s partner Chad Meek was third open male.

The first team was St Kilda’s Cotton On, with a time of 3hr:47min:45sec.

Picture shows Lorne Anaconda Adventure Race women’s winner Kim Beckinsale competing on Sunday, December 6.