2024 is a breakthrough year for the Adventure Racing World Series in Oceania.
The series will grow to 8 races, presented by 5 experienced Race Directors, uniting Adventure Racing in Australia and New Zealand into a competitive race calendar. Teams taking part will feature in the ARWS-Oceania rankings and the next Oceania Championship will be the X-Marathon 24 hour race at Lake Macquarie, from which a team will qualify for the 2025 AR World Championship in Canada.
The year will start with Terra Nova, followed by Total Recon in South Australia, then the Mountain Designs Geoquest in New South Wales, Hells Bells in Queensland, X-Marathon as the Championship race, Wildside AR (NSW), Geoquest New Zealand, and wrapping up in the Australian Capital Territory with the Top Dog 24 race.
Total Recon is the newest race, organised by Murraylands Multisports (MMI) with Morgan Coull as the Race Director. Morgan has raced XPD four times, competed in most of the other Oceania Series races and was a finisher at Eco-Challenge Fiji with Team Aussie Rescue. As Chairman of MMI he’s organised numerous sporting events and is on a mission to re-introduce Adventure Racing to South Australia.
“After a long break 2023 saw the return of adventure racing to the state with Total Recon attracting 39 teams participating,” he said. “In 2024 we’ll host a 24 hour race at Murray Bridge in May, and we’re delighted to bring this new race into the supportive structure of the ARWS Oceania Series”
He added, “Our organising team has a passion for adventure racing and we plan to be around for the long haul to help grow the AR community in South Australia.”
Hells Bells and Geoquest are two classic Australian races and need no introduction to the AR community as they are a calendar fixture for many racers. They are staged by Wild&Co under the direction of Chris Dixon, as are Terra Nova (now in its 5th year) and the Top Dog race, which was launched with a very successful Oceania Championship in Canberra this year.
Terra Nova recently announced Kioloa, Shoalhaven as the venue for April 6/7th and the race, which has grown every year, looks set to be the biggest yet. Top Dog will be returning to the Stromlo Forest Park, where there are so many great course design opportunities, and Geoquest and Hell Bells venues will be announced early in 2024.
Another race in the Wild&Co stable, which is also returning to a great venue, is the Geoquest New Zealand race. This will again be held from Napier, Hawke’s Bay with an October date.
“After an incredibly beautiful 2023 race, we’re excited to be planning for the 2024 course,” said Dixon. “Teams can expect some of the best white water rafting the north island has to offer as well as some incredible mountain vistas and to visit a few secret spots that only a few locals will know about.”
X-Marathon is another long established name in Australian racing and the race returns in August for a 10th anniversary edition as the 2024 ARWS Oceania Championship.
Under the direction of passionate Race Directors Serge and Maria, the event has evolved into a celebration of diversity, inclusivity, and adventure. The weekend includes three distinct courses (Full 24h, Half 12h, Mini 4h), an Australian Adventure Racing Conference, and exciting social opportunities, for racers and spectators.
The course will be set around the picturesque Lake Macquarie, an area with numerous mountain bike trails and orienteering maps and a perfect setting for the X-Marathon anniversary and championship race.
The highest ranked premier mixed (4 person) team that has also entered one of the other 2024 Oceania Series races will get the opportunity to go the AR World Championship in British Columbia, Canada in 2025!
The Wildside Adventure Race is also celebrating its 10 year Anniversary and is heading back to where it all began, the spiritual home of Fully Rad Adventures, Forster, NSW, Australia.
Race Director Richard Old promises an epic course exploring the wild spaces around the great lakes, with 3 course options: 15, 30 or 60 hours, with the longest being the ARWS category.
“I am super excited to have Wildside as part of the ARWS Oceania Series,” he said. “Our 10 year anniversary race promises to have everything - challenging treks, demanding mountain biking and exciting paddling. The course is rich in history, has a close connection with nature and is stunningly beautiful.”
Speaking about the major expansion of the Oceania Series ARWS CEO Heidi Muller said, “I’m very excited by the growth of the series and it’s so positive that the ARWS is helping to unite and grow adventure racing in the region.
“The energy and passion of the series Race Directors, combined with their adventure racing experience, will mean teams can expect an incredible adventure racing experience in 2024. It’s going to be a great year for adventure racing in Oceania.”
2024 ARWS Oceania Series
Terra Nova 24
Dates: 6-7 April
Location: Kioloa, Shoalhaven
Categories: 120km full and 70km half in 24 hours
Location Announcement: https://www.terranova24.com.au/location
Total Recon 24
Dates: 25-26 May
Location: Murray Bridge, SA
Categories: 145km full and 75km half in 24 hours
https://www.mmievents.net.au/events/totalrecon-24
Mountain Designs Geoquest
Dates: 7-10 June
Location: Announced January 2024, Mid-north Coast NSW
Categories: 220km full and 120km half in 48 hours
https://www.geoquest.com.au/
Mountain Designs Hells Bells
Dates: 3-4 August
Location: Sunshine Coast Queensland
Categories: 120km full and 80km half in 24 hours
https://www.hellsbells.com.au/
X-Marathon Oceania Championship 2024
Dates: 24-25 August
Location: Lake Macquarie, NSW
Categories: 24hrs/120km (Also 12 & 4 hour courses)
https://xmarathon.com.au/
Wildside Adventure Rac
eDates: 3-7 October
Location: Forster and Great Lakes
Categories: 60 hours (Also 30 & 15 hour courses)
https://www.wildsideadventurerace.com.au/wildside2024
Mountain Designs Geoquest New Zealand
Dates: 25-28 October
Location: Napier, Hawke’s Bay, NZ
Categories: 220km / 120km full and half / 48hrs
https://www.geoquest.com.au/geoquest-new-zealand
Top Dog 24
Dates: 16-17 November
Location: Stromlo Forest Park, Canberra
Categories: 120km / 70km full and half / 24hrs
https://www.topdog24.com.au/
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