Adventure has a new home base in Queensland with Noosa announced as the new location to host the first round of the 2012 Anaconda Adventure Race National Series, set to kick off on 11-12 August. The Anaconda Series will then travel to Augusta, WA, on 3-4 November, where it transforms into the largest adventure race in the world with more than 1800 ardent adventurers tackling the off-road course. The field then heads back east to another favourite racing locale in Lorne, Victoria, for the finale on 8-9 December.
Entries for each event in the Series are now open at www.anacondaadventurerace.com

The most popular adventure racing series in Australia by participation, the Anaconda Series is set to be bolstered further by the announcement that it will host at each of its three rounds, the all-new Anaconda Mini, an abridged version of the main event which will give those new to adventure racing a taste of the sport without the intimidating distances involved in the full length version. Ideal for younger competitors and first timers, the Anaconda Mini is also aiming to encourage a higher rate of female participation, giving women an entry level entree to adventure racing.

The addition of the Anaconda Mini means the overall Anaconda Adventure National Series now has a full progression pathway for competitors with the 4km Junior Survivor allowing the very youngest (from 4 years of age) to tackle a short obstacle style course.

Adventure Nirvana in Noosa
The decision to move the Queensland chapter of the Anaconda Adventure Race National Series north from its traditional home on the Gold Coast to Noosa was not made lightly, say event organisers. “For the past six years, the Gold Coast has proven a fantastic location for the Anaconda,” says Race Director John Jacoby, “But we felt it was time for a change of scene –new locations, terrains and challenges all being the spice of life when talking about adventure racing.
“Noosa was the logical choice, given what’s on offer there in terms of the stunning coastline and hinterland, which we’ll explore fully with the new course. And we’re hopeful that the Noosa community will be as welcoming as the Gold Coast was in taking the adventure community into their fold and we know from our other races that the event has the potential to significantly boost tourism visitation to the region,” says Jacoby.

The premier race at Noosa, held on Sunday 12 August, will entail an exciting 63km course, kicked off in style with Hasting Street crowds cheering competitors into the crystal waters off Noosa’s Main Beach before they take to the kayak to round Noosa Spit and up Noosa River towards Goat Island. Then it’s off water and onto the bike as racers take to riding through Tewantin State Forest, after which they take to the trails for a stretch of running back through the Tewantin timber. Another paddle back downriver into the back of Hastings Street and the crowds will again cheer in adventurers as they put in a final dash over the finishline.

The full Noosa course is:

1. 1.9km Swim Leg
2. 6km Ocean and River Paddle Leg
3. 34km Mountain Bike
4. 14km Trail Run
5. 5km River Paddle Leg
6. 1km Team Run

Full course details for Noosa, along with for the Augusta, WA and Lorne, Vic, rounds can be found at www.anacondaadventurerace.com.

Mini-adventure for all
The new Anaconda Mini adventure race will open up the sport of adventure racing to a wider community.  Organiser Rapid Ascent has created a shortened course of 27km-29km at each location, based geographically on the full length version (usually 50km-63km) with just as much off-road fun packed in but without the challenge of longer distances. The Anaconda Mini will take place the day prior to the main event, and like the Anaconda Adventure Race, be open to individuals and teams. In a unique twist for some competitors, it will also feature a female-only start.

Chasing women
The new push to entice females onto the field of adventure has been spurred on by commentary from women already competing along with those on the sidelines keen but deterred from competing solo by the perceived difficulty of the distances involved. “Feedback from  female competitors over the years suggested that while many women were interested in adventure racing as a sport, they often viewed the full Anaconda courses as too much of a commitment to begin with,” says Rapid Ascent Race Director, John Jacoby. “While we reckon that the Anaconda is an achievable challenge for anyone regardless of gender, we also recognise that we needed to provide a stepping stone to meeting that challenge – and that goes for both genders.
Rapid Ascent has launched a round of initiatives that will encourage women into the sport of adventure racing, including online discussion forums, female-only race wave starts, women-specific training programs and sessions, and access to advice from leading women competitors including Blegg and recent Marysville to Melbourne multisport winner, Peri Gray. As part of the push, there is now a Female Focus section on the Anaconda Adventure Race National Series websites, found at www.anacondaadventurerace.com.