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Course Description

Anaconda Adventure Race - Course description and maps

Starting and finishing on the iconic Noosa Main Beach, the course for the Anaconda Adventure Race at Noosa ticks a wish list of hot destinations as you swim through crystal clear water, paddle on the majestic Noosa River, mountain bike over hinterland hills and run along trails through deep rainforest with million dollar views. You’ll love it.

If you are looking for a serious challenge then tackle the whole thing by yourself or join up with 2-4 mates and do one leg each for something more manageable.

The Anaconda Adventure Race at Noosa is unique compared to the other races in The Series because the paddle leg is split in two as you will see below.

The details on this website were updated on 26 July 2012 and are the final details for the 2012 event. The 2012 Anaconda Adventure Race at Noosa event program containing all the details on this website plus additional diagrams, maps and sponsor offers can be downloaded from here.

1.9km Speedo Swim

All competitors will start with their feet on the golden sands of Noosa’s main beach right in front of the Surf Life Saving Club. Once the starter’s gun goes, it’s a quick dash across the sand and into the water for the first leg around 1st Point and into picturesque Little Cove where you’ll exit the water to run around a flag placed on the sand (and catch your breath!). Then it’s back into the crystal clear water to swim a wide course back around 1st Point to a buoy placed in front of the Surf Club, turn right at the buoy and swim the final stretch parallel to the beach and then turn left just before the rock groyne and the first leg of the adventure is done.

6km Ocean and River Paddle Leg

After a swift change from swim to paddle gear you’ll grab your kayak from the transition area on the beach, enter the water and turn left – destination: the Noosa River. Paddlers head through the river mouth, taking care not to get marooned on one of the shallow sand bars, before joining the river proper for a scenic paddle upstream with a popular café promenade strip on your left and scenic coastal wilderness on your right. If you want variety, this paddle leg delivers a bit of everything until you pull into the Tewantin Memorial Park and Transition #2 (TA2).

34km Endura Mountain Bike

The mountain bike leg allows you to get up to speed by heading through a few back streets to get you out of town before you hit the trails proper for a good dose of mountain bike action. Turning off the streets, riders skirt around the side of the Golf Course and then head for the hills on a mixture of double tracks and single tracks through the forest. The course includes a short section of double up but otherwise takes in a flowing point to point course that will see you puffing hard going up hills, smiling hard going down hills and turning hard to miss the random mud holes and other trail obstacles before you pull into Transition Area #3 (TA3) at attractive Lake Macdonald.

14km RACV Noosa Run

Leaving the shores of Lake Macdonald and the transition area behind, runners hit the trails heading eastback towards Noosa and the lure of the finish line. Starting out with a short stint of sealed road past the water tanks, you’ll soon turn onto a fast gravel road that will have you flying footloose-and-fancy-free through the surrounding bushland. But all good things must come to an end as the course soon turns south for a challenging ascent of Mt Tinbeerwah that gives you some extensive views towards the coast. Once over the summit it’s basically all downhill on good 4WD / 2WD roads and sealed footpaths back into the transition area at the Tewantin Memorial Park.

5km River Paddle Leg

Reunited with your boat, paddlers climb back on their crafts for a short 5km paddle back down the Noosa River on a paddle leg comparable with many of the popular tourist boat tours flouted around town as you go back past the café’s and enviable real estate on Noosa Sound to finish up at Woods Park on the Noosa Spit. (If competing in a relay team, both paddle legs must be completed by the same team member using the same boat – they just get a rest while the others run and ride! Individuals must also do both paddle legs using the same boat for each).

1km SeaFM Radio Run

All team members reunite (whilst individuals continue solo) for a back slapping 1km run together, along Noosa Main Beach into the almighty finish chute to the roars of the adoring crowd. Wave to your audience, smile for the cameras and clap a few high fives because you’ll feel like a hero and have battle scars to prove it having just completed the Anaconda Adventure Race at Noosa. Well done.

The start / finish area on the Noosa Main Beach in front of the Surf Life Saving Club is welcoming of everyone and with on site bar, food, sponsors expo and plenty more, so now it’s time to kick back and enjoy a job well done with a smile of satisfaction – MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

A more detailed description of each leg can be found below

COURSE MAP

View Noosa Anaconda Adventure Race in a larger map

Specific information on the course route, operation of the transition areas and other logistical information will be posted to the event website (and included in the event program) 2-3 weeks before the race itself.

GO THE DISTANCE

To complete the Noosa Anaconda Adventure Race in a team or as an individual is to get the best out of life. Its about setting yourself a challenge and then fulfilling a goal. You’ll see people riding bikes who never should be, swimmers who’ll splash ‘n crash and paddlers who spend more time up-side-down than right-way-up, but all in all there is something about doing the race that puts a smile on everyone’s faces. Maybe it’s the adventures with friends, the spectacular wilderness, the inclusive atmosphere or the satisfaction of the finish but give it a crack and you’ll never forget it.

Anyone can do it...

Choose your style and get involved - the Noosa Anaconda Adventure Race can be completed in a range of categories to get anyone and everyone onto the start then over the finish line:

Individuals – do all the legs listed above as a non stop race
Pairs – do every leg but in the company of your mate who’s by your side the whole way (must stay within 50m of each other)
Relay teams – enter a team with up to 4 people where you do one (or more) legs each. A great way to get involved without being a super hero – build up a team of friends and work colleagues and join all the fun

ANACONDA ADVENTURE RACE - detailed course description / briefing

Race start: in front of the Noosa Surf Life Saving Club on the Noosa Main Beach, 7:30am Sunday

SPEEDO OCEAN SWIM – 1.9KM

Swimmers stand on the sand and after the starter’s hooter has sounded, run approx. 20m into the water and start swimming, aiming for a buoy placed 100m off First Point. Turn right around the buoy and then swim to Little Cove exiting the water to run around a flag placed on the beach. Returning to the water, swimmers aim for a second buoy placed approx. 300m off First Point and turn left and swim towards the Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC), turning right around a buoy placed 100m off the sand to then swim parallel to the beach towards the river mouth. Turn left and the final buoy just before the rock groyne and surf a wave into the beach and the TA.
• All competitors MUST start the swim by 7.35am. If you are more than 5 minutes late you will NOT be allowed to start the race.

Transition 1 (T1) – Main Beach Rock Groyne: Swim > Paddle #1
• Located on Main Beach, on the eastern side of the First Rock Groyne, nearest the SLSC
• Open for kayaks and paddling gear to be dropped off after 6:00am on Sunday. All used gear to be collected by 9:30am Sunday
• Swimming gear can be transported back to the finish line using the Bag Transfer Services as explained below (this saves having a support crew)
• Support crews cannot assist inside T1 nor help paddlers launch their boats from the beach

OCEAN AND RIVER PADDLE #1, 6KM

Paddlers launch their boats from T1 on Main Beach and turn left around the rock groyne to paddle parallel to the beach. Turn left around a buoy placed in front of the river mouth and proceed into the river, paddling upstream to a buoy placed in the river opposite the Tewantin Memorial Park. Do a U-Turn around this buoy and then paddle into the TA on Hilton Esplanade, landing your kayaks on the beach as directed.
• There are no intermediary buoys between the buoy placed at the river mouth and the U-Turn opposite Tewantin Memorial Park so paddlers can take the most direct route they choose
• A paddler may elect not to paddle through the Noosa river mouth and portage across the rock groyne, however if they elect to portage they MUST turn left around the buoy placed at the river mouth and then paddle to the beach on the eastern side. (The portage route will be longer but may be quicker for paddlers who are unsure of the river mouth and may otherwise fall out whilst trying to paddle through)
• Paddlers must land their boats on the beach at T2 and move them as directed by the marshals, leaving your paddle with your boat (not in the fenced off bike enclosure). Boats and paddles will be in the same place when you return for Paddle #2. Support crews cannot assist with landing and moving boats.

Transition 2 and 4 (T2 & T4) – The western end of Hilton Esplanade, Harbour Town. Paddle #1 > MTB AND Run > Paddle #2
• Located on Hilton Esplanade, just east of the Tewantin Bridge. Parking is in the streets surrounding the TA
• Open for bikes and MTB gear to be dropped off after 6:00am on Sunday. All running gear must be collected by 4:00pm Sunday or…
• Competitors can use the bag transfer service explained below to get your equipment transferred back from T4 (saves having a support crew)

ENDURA MOUNTAIN BIKE 34.5km

The mountain bike leg is essentially an A to B course with a large loop at the end that includes a short section of two way traffic. The toughest parts of the MTB course are probably the hills approaching the 20km pt and the 27km pt and the variety of terrain and surfaces it goes over.
• The first 5km of the MTB course is on sealed surfaces, being a mixture of streets, bike paths and footpaths. Please follow the course marking arrows and REMAIN AWARE of traffic at all times
• The course turns onto the sealed McKinnon Drive at the 7.3km pt and continues along this sealed, and quite busy, road for 1.6km before turning left again onto single track. All riders must ride in the left hand verge and MUST GIVE WAY to traffic as appropriate
• Riders will be going in both directions on the same road between 14.3km-16km and 31km–32.7km sections. All riders must keep left during this two way section and ensure you follow the directions and markings related to you.
• Normal road rules apply at all times

Transition 3 (T3) – Lake Macdonald: MTB > Run
• ALL support crews and spectators must park in the large parking areas at the western end of Collwood Rd below the dam wall. From Noosa: drive out the Cooroy-Noosa Rd, turn right into Swift Drive just before the Cooroy Township and then right into Lake Macdonald Drive. Go past the Botanical gardens and then turn right into Collwood Rd below the dam wall. Approx 25 mins from the race centre at the SLSC. You must walk 600m along the walking track on the northern side of the water treatment plant to get to the TA
• Open for running gear to be dropped off after 6:00am on Sunday. All used gear to be collected by 4:00pm Sunday or…
• Running gear can be transported to T3 before the race using the Bag Transfer Services as explained below (this saves coming out on race morning)

RACV NOOSA RESORT TRAIL RUN 15.5KM

The trail run course is basically an A to B course along a mixture of single / double track, roads and sealed surfaces. The toughest section is a 1.2km long climb that ascends 170m at the 4km mark.
• The last 5km of the run course is the same as the first 5km of the MTB course and is on sealed surfaces, being a mixture of streets, bike paths and footpaths. Please follow the course marking arrows and REMAIN AWARE of traffic at all times
• Normal road rules apply at all times

Transition 4 (and 2) (T4) – The western end of Hilton Esplanade, Harbour Town. Run > Paddle #2
• Located and conducted as explained under T2 above

RIVER PADDLE #2, 5KM

Paddlers launch their boats from T4 and turn left (paddle upstream) andturn right around a buoy placed in the middle of the river (this is the same buoy as in the 1st paddle leg) opposite the Tewantin Memorial Park. Do a U-Turn around this buoy and then paddle downstream to Woods Point (T5), landing your kayaks on the beach as directed.

• There are no intermediary buoys between the U-Turn and T5 so paddlers can take the most direct route they choose.
• Paddlers must land their boats on the beach at T5 and then carry them onto the grass as directed by the marshals, leaving your paddle with your boat. Support crews cannot assist with landing and moving boats.

Transition 5 (T5) – Woods Point, Noosa Spit. Paddle > Team Run
• Located on Hastings Street, in the large grassed area on the left after the last buildings / shops. Public car parking alongside the parkland.
• Open for team run gear to be dropped off after 10:00am on Sunday. Kayaks and other gear must be collected by 4:00pm Sunday upon presentation of kayak collection token (handed out at registration)
• Competitors can use the bag transfer service explained below to get your equipment transferred to T4 for you (saves having a support crew)

SEA FM TEAM / BEACH RUN 1KM

Paddlers pass through the fenced off TA and if part of a team, meet their team mates and then depart on the team run together, whilst individuals continue by themselves. Competitors cross over Hastings Street (GIVE WAY TO TRAFFIC) and then continue on the path to Main Beach and then along the sand (not the timber board walk) to the finish line in front of the Surf Life Saving Club.
• Paddlers can decide if they get changed for the team run or not, but if getting changed you must do so within the fenced off TA and ensure that the race bib is your outermost garment from the TA through to the finish

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