It’s been a busy time of year for the Raid stable of races with plenty of news to update you on including details from the Rogue Raid course, early bird entries closing for the Colts Raid and Scatter Raid along with location clues for the Mojo Raid.
The Rogue Raid
The final touches have been made to the Rogue Raid course and I can now reveal a few hints for what competitors of the 24 hour race are in for. There will be a total of 7 stages with up to 49km of trekking, 118km out mountain biking and 34km of kayaking – assuming no navigation mistakes of course! This is spread over 57 check points totalling a value of 3120 points. Certainly enough adventure to keep teams busy for 24 hours.
Now in it’s 9th edition, this years race is the most centralised of any Rogue Raid course. This has made for an extended permit application process, however the net result is some fantastic mountain biking with the full range from flowing single trail, challenging fire road climbs (and the odd hike-a-bike!) to more semi-rural sealed roads. The trek legs tend to be slower off-trail than more recent editions of the Rogue, and it certainly is not the flattest Rogue course. There is also slightly less kayaking than previous Rogue races, with a mixed fleet of double kayaks being used (balanced within categories) due to the expanded 200 competitor field. However, the balance of points on offer mean that all the strategic decisions that make the race a unique competition are still there. As the second race of the Adventure 1 Series, we’re guaranteed some fierce racing at the pointy end with everything to play for. Closer to the race, some spots may open up for teams looking for a wait-list place in the race.
Details on the 6 hour course will be released soon, but rest assured there will be enough trekking, kayaking and riding to keep teams on their toes. The 6 hour field is two thirds full, so it is worth getting an entry in if you’re keen to be part of the action. Full details can be found here.
The Colts Raid and Scatter Raid
If you are looking to get a taste of the newest sprint format adventure race – The Scatter Raid – or if you have a young budding adventurer in the family looking to cut their teeth on some racing in The Colts Raid, you’ll need to get in soon to make the most of the cheaper entry prices. Early bird entries close this Friday 5/04/2018 with the events coming soon on 22/04/2018. With 4 disciplines spread over 7 stages and up to 37 check points to chase down in just 3 hours, the Colts Raid and Scatter Raid courses are set for some exciting yet accessible racing for people of all abilities from first timers through to the most experienced teams. If you are thinking of giving adventure racing a go, these are the events for you. Entries can be found via the Raid Adventures events page.
While on the subject of Colts racing, the Raid Adventures team put a group of 70 year 12 students through their paces on a couple of AR courses during term 1. These students were doing adventure racing as a PE subject at St Joseph’s College Gregory Terrace – how cool is that! I’ve never seen competitors tear off from the start line so fast in my life before, and no doubt we have some future stars of the sport in the making.
The Mojo Raid
The Mojo Crew have been very busy scouting this years course. I’m pretty excited about the location of this year’s event: it’s going to be a cracker! Lips are tightly sealed, but Jo and Erren have been leaking some clues via social media – you can catch up on them here. Expect a location announcement very soon, with entries to follow shortly afterwards in April using the same pre-entry process used for the Rogue Raid.
A few other exciting developments for the Mojo Raid include the return of the 3 hour family event the day after the main race on 16 September. Camping and limited bike hire will also be available. The team are also excited to welcome Trirunning Toowoomba, GETT Fitness and JMB Mountain Bike Coaching as event sponsors. Stay tuned to the Mojo facebook feed for all the race news. All the details here.
Other Raid Events
The Raid 100 – With the Commonwealth Games descending on Queensland, the Gold Coast is the talk of the town at the moment. But in a little over a year, the next biggest thing in sport is set to hit town – Australia’s first ever expedition length, rogaine format adventure race. Entries open on 2 July 2018. In my planning I’ve catered for 100 competitors (with guaranteed accommodation provided), and places may be in demand, so the event will be opened up via the regular Rogue Raid pre-entry process. The race has already generated expressions of interest from NZ, Sweden, Singapore and South Africa. Keep an eye on the Rogue Facebook page for more details as they roll out.
The Wildfire Raid – with a new event sponsor named, location announced at Kindalan Adventure camp in Redland Bay and entries opened, we are all set for a day of fantastic sprint adventure racing. Again, I think this is going to be a pretty special course, with a focus on single track mountain bike riding, scenic paddling and all the strategic challenge of a Raid race. Early bird entries close on 6/07/2018. Find out all you need to know about the race via the events page.
QLD Rogaine Events
Of course, the Raid events are not your only chance to score some rogaining goodness. Make sure to check out the full QLD Rogaine calendar here. Queensland will be hosting the Australasian Rogaine Championships this year in August, and early bird entries have been extended through to the end of April. This could be the biggest rogaine to ever hit Queensland and not one to be missed. Don’t let the championship title put you off – this is an event for all comers. Entries are also open for the 8 and 12 hour foot rogaines and 6 hour cyclegaines – so many cool events to choose from!
Team Rogue Racing
With the Rogue Raid being the next stop in the Adventure 1 series, it’s been a quiet period for the Rogue racing team (and yes, we will have a Rogue team entered at the Rogue Raid!). Quiet, that is, with the exception of the 8 day 40 min odyssey that was GODZone in New Zealand. I had the extreme fortune to join forces with Canberra based team CBRAR to form team CBRAR-Rogue for the race. You can catch up on our race experience via the race blog (or at least just drool over the stunning NZ back country terrain).
