Rapid Ascent regrets to advise that we will not be conducting a Keen Adventure Race in 2010.

The event will not be conducted for a range of reasons, primarily being that Keen have withdrawn their sponsorship of the event and thus far we have not been able to secure another naming rights sponsor. Additional reasons being the continuing clash with Geocentric and their alternately scheduled XPD race which makes it difficult for us set an annual date and location.

We wish firstly to thank Keen for their terrific support for the race, for Rapid Ascent and for adventure racing in Australia. We maintain a very good relationship with them and hold absolutely no grudges against them for withdrawing their sponsorship and we encourage you to continue your support of their brand / products.

We also wish to thank all previous competitors in the Keen Adventure Race for their involvement and for believing in the format we have pursued – a format we still believe to be best for all competitors and for the future of adventure racing. We commend and admire all previous competitors for your participation in the race as it really brought out some terrific examples of human endeavour, passion and determination whilst maintaining an incredibly friendly and welcoming race spirit. Thank you.

We have so many extraordinary memories from the three Keen Adventure Races we held – Along the Great Ocean Road in 2007, From the Alps to the Ocean in 2008 and A Journey through the Otways in 2009 and we will certainly miss own adventure missions researching courses for you!

But Rapid Ascent is by no means standing still, we obviously have plenty of other mountain bike and adventure races around Australia and New Zealand including our Anaconda Adventure Race International Series, but if we may recommend any of our events to prospective competitors it would have to be the Mountain Designs Great Southern Adventure Race to take place in and around Denmark in southern WA on 10-11 October – check it out here.

Otherwise, stay tuned for future announcements of an adventure race we’re working on in South East Asia in October 2010 (date and event still to be confirmed), and in terms of the rumour we heard about a race in Northern WA, we’ve been informed that it may have been set back a little but is still a possibility for the future.

Happy adventuring.


2008 Keen Adventure Race – Alps to the Ocean HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO


2007 Keen Adventure Race - Along the Great Ocean Road HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO


 

Latest News

AdventureRace.com.au: Offroad Adventure Sports - Official Launch

(Posted 2/12/2009)
We all know how hard it can be to find adventure sports races in Australia. With many different sources of information you can often spend hours trawling the internet to find events. A new offroad event listing site has gone a long way to rectifying this problem.   Click here for full story ...

Street orienteering returns to Geelong, VIC

(Posted 26/10/2009)

After a successful first up season in Geelong, the popular health and fitness activity of Street Orienteering returns to Geelong on 12 November 2009.    Click here for full story ...

Anaconda Adventure Race aced by The Australian Open in the Australian Event Awards – Best Sporting Event.

(Posted 16/10/2009)

After being nominated as a finalist in the exclusive Australian Event Awards – Best Sporting Event category, Rapid Ascent’s Anaconda Adventure Race has been aced by The Australian Open Tennis when winners were announced at the awards ceremony on Thursday night in Sydney.   Click here for full story ...

Mountain Designs Great Southern Adventure Race has been run and won with some tough conditions on day 2.

(Posted 12/10/2009)

Three Perth athletes and their Sydney team-mate ran, rode, paddled, abseiled, and navigated along an unmarked bush, river & beach course for more than 12 hours to claim line honours at the weekend's 2009 Mountain Designs Great Southern Adventure Race at Denmark.   Click here for full story ...

Rapid Ascent listed as finalists in the Australian Event Awards – best Sporting Event.

(Posted 16/09/2009)

Rapid Ascent is delighted to advise that they have been listed as a finalist in the Australian Event Awards – best Sporting Event category for their Anaconda Adventure Race.   Click here for full story ...

UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships – WOW!

(Posted 9/09/2009)

I’d built the UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships up in my mind to be the biggest mountain bike event to ever happen in Australia... of bling riders riding bling bikes at bling bling speeds up and down hill and they did not disappoint – these riders are super human.    Click here for full story ...

Snowy Hydro Upper Murray Challenge

(Posted 2/09/2009)
This year marks the 7th running of the Snowy Hydro Upper Murray Challenge which has developed the reputation as a scenic, challenging and friendly one-day multisport race. The Upper Murray Challenge is a great event in preparation for the Anaconda Adventure Race, Lorne.Click here for full story ...

Wear a Rapid Ascent shirt at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships and WIN A WEEKEND OF MTB RACING AT MT BULLER!

(Posted 1/09/2009)
If you are attending the 2009 UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships in Canberra this week / weekend then here is your chance to win a FREE MTB EVENT PACKAGE Mt Buller in March next year to the value of over $400   Click here for full story ...

Gold Coasters – Your next dirty weekend is closer than you think!

(Posted 31/08/2009)
Win an entry to the Lorne Anaconda Adventure Race on the Surf Coast. Why stop at one Adventure Race? if you’re fit, fast, live on the Gold Coast and love adventure racing, you could test your mettle against Victoria’s best Adventure racers at the Lorne Anaconda Adventure Race on the Surf Coast, start of the Great Ocean Road, on 6 December.   Click here for full story ...

Indigenous adventures star in latest Outer Edge Magazine

(Posted 6/08/2009)
Get your latest edition of Outer Edge magazine today. It’s jam packed with a punch of adventure – the majority of its latest edition dedicated to unearthing active Indigenous adventures across Australia and beyond.    Click here for full story ...
  Click here to view the entire list of updates
    
   

All Race Videos are Now on YouTube

(May 7 2009 4:21PM)

To view the Keen Adventure Race videos click the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=854B4F3E78BF2EA3 

We are currently uploading the remainder of the event videos, so they will be available shortly.

Stage 4 and One Day Expose race video

(May 3 2009 8:18PM)

 

You Tube  - Stage 4 and One Day Expose race video

Nichol and Linda Wiley win the 1 Day Expose Adventure Race

(May 2 2009 3:57PM)

Local husband and wife team, Nicholl and Linda Wiley, won the inaugural 1 Day Expose today at Anglesea beach.  Although they didn't cross the line first, it was their surfing ability that gave them the time credits to take them to the top of the podium.  Claiming to be merely parents instead of athletes, they surprised themselves by winning the race today against some experienced adventure racers.  With little orienteering background but obviously fantastic athletic ability and teamwork they managed to storm home in four and a half hours.  With four kids at home, is it any wonder they've developed a good working relationship and know how to motivate each other? 

Congratulations!  We're in awe.

Crossing the line first but losing to the Wileys in a time credit countback was team Cam and the Captain (Cameron Shakespeare & Steve Parker).  Preferring the longer distance 5 day format they were just happy to be involved and have a hit out.  

Orion Mixed claim the prize

(May 2 2009 3:00PM)

Orion Mixed continued their seamless run by crossing the finish line early in the afternoon at Anglesea Beach in first place to also take the overall Keen Adventure Race win.  The New Zealanders, Anna Berthelsen and Stuart Lynch had a dream event with no mishaps or mechanicals to win overall today.  Runner's Up in the 2008 race, things went to plan this year for the World Champions who were ecstatic when they finished today. Relieved that things went to plan for them, they had different opinions as to whether the race was harder or easier than last year but both agreed that, "today was pretty awesome".  We all agree that they were pretty awesome, particularly Anna who is an inspiration in her athletic ability and attitude. 

In a credible second place overall were the Keen Torquers, Luke Haines and Grant Suckling just 2 hours behind the winners and in third were the City Bike Wanna Be Dudes, Hugh Stodart and Richard Mountstephens.

The Orion Boys team, Wayne Oxenham and Brent Edwards, who were in contention for a podium finish, were not so lucky and had to retire from the race when Wayne's tendinitis became unbearable half way through this stage and, "oh so close" to the finish line. 

The 5 day competitors will be completing the race all afternoon and then heading to a presentation function tonight to celebrate their amazing efforts.

Stage 4 finish continues

(May 2 2009 1:25PM)

As another five teams make their way around Point Roadknight we await the arrival of more five day competitors.

Keen Torquers finish stage 4

(May 2 2009 1:16PM)

Grant Suckling and Luke Haines just completed Stage 4 collecting all optional checkpoints

Orion Mixed take line honours

(May 2 2009 1:14PM)

Orion Mixed have just finish the fourth and final stage of the Keen Adventure race.

Finish line - Stage 4

(May 2 2009 12:54PM)

We are awaiting team 4 (Keen Torquers) and team 2 (Orion Mixed) who have just come across Point Roadknight paddling towards the finish line here in Anglesea.

Team Hazardous Materials and It's All Good are back on course

(May 2 2009 12:17PM)

Hazardous Material (Yves Abdurahman & Steven Swann) who were forced to pull out of the 5 day event due to illness have joined back in today with the 1 Day Expose competitors.  Spotted on course a few minutes ago they were in good spirits and racing strong.  Capturing the day's efforts on film via a helmet cam, we'll see if it's worth uploading onto the race website

Team It's All Good (Kath Copland & Kevin Humphrey) are also back out on course and have slotted back into the 5 day race after having to pull out nearly 20 hours into Stage 3.  Good to see Kath is feeling well enough to race although I just heard they're opting to walk rather than run the entire course just so that they can finish.

Team Waratah (Ben Loone & Robbie Adams) are also walking (in agony) and determined to finish the event demonstrating the will power of these amazing athletes.

New Caledonian team struggle with english rally notes

(May 2 2009 12:05PM)

Today's format is dictated by 'rally' notes that are more detailed route details than the previous four days of racing.  Unfortunately for OUTSPORT (Carl Girold & Martial Devillers) who are native French speakers, the notes haven't been making complete sense.  Prior to today's stage the boys were travelling very well and were in the top 10.  Let's hope that they don't lose too much time from the hiccups along the way and can maintain their good overall placing.

(Click here for all the updates)