Act-Belong-Commit Augusta Adventure Fest 2017
Family Adventure at the Augusta Adventure Fest
Carrie Tansey / 17.11.2017
Ever wanted to go on a real family adventure?
Well look no further; the annual Act-Belong-Commit Augusta Adventure Fest is the most family friendly adventure race around. Kids, athletes, weekend warriors, you name it, this event has something for everyone.
Now in its 12th year, the world’s biggest adventure race puts competitors through their paces as they race along the spectacular, untamed coastline of Western Australia’s southwest.
The polarising landscape makes Augusta the perfect setting for such an event. The towering Boranup Karri forest tapers into sprawling coastal hinterland, providing varying degrees of difficulty for mountain biking and trail running. While the calm waters of the Blackwood’s Hardy Inlet provides a sheltered swim and paddle section before meeting the wild waters of Flinders Bay. Come for the
This years event saw more than 2700 competitors descend on the quiet coastal town, just three hours drive south of Perth, to tackle one of the three races on offer over the weekend.
Serious athletes and those stepping up to challenge, take on Sunday’s Act-Belong-Commit Augusta Adventure Race. The longest race of the weekend comprises a 13.5km inlet and ocean paddle, a 12.5km coastal run, a 2.2km ocean swim, followed by a 28.5km mountain bike and a 400m run to the finish line. The main event is not only open to individuals and teams, but also to pairs, who race each leg side by side the whole way.
Saturday morning's mini event kicked off with the spectacular sight of 1000 paddlers hitting the water for the mass paddle start. The half distance, Augusta Mini, is the perfect option for an introduction to adventure racing. While competitors still complete five legs - a 5.2km inlet paddle, 5.5km coastal run, 1.1km swim, 15km mountain bike ride and a 400m run to the finish, the course is set on more sheltered waters and hinterland tracks making the course achievable for the more novice racers.
Despite race organisers modifying the course due to the 15-20 knot winds, the swim remained the biggest challenge as racers battled the choppy ocean swell.
Busselton local, Steve Anstee, only managed five weeks of training, so he was surprised to find he was the first individual racer to cross the finish line.
“I didn’t even know I was winning, I thought there were heaps of people in front of me!”
As the last of the mini competitors made it across the finish line, the 800 plus army of children flocked towards the river edge for their time to shine. While an impressive number of kids take on the mini course, the Junior Survivor gives all the kids the chance to get in on the action, and of course, the mud! The 4km obstacle course winds its way along the bush and beach and features muddy balance beams, soapy slides, and a whole lot of fun! It’s a chance for the mums and dads to cheer on the kids and a great way to end a memorable day of racing.
Sunday morning brought more wind from the southeast, which meant tricky paddling and swim conditions lay ahead for the 800 athletes ready to take on the main event.
The racing was fast and fierce, with Bing Pascoe the early front runner, but after missing a marker on the swim leg, he received a 30 minute time penalty, allowing Perth’s Brody Baker to get home within that 30 minutes and take the win with a time of 4:15:45.
“It feels awesome to walk away with the win two years in a row, I really had to work for it this year, I felt like it was a lot harder race than last year, but it feels really good.”
“It’s such a great place here in Augusta, you never know how the course is going to challenge you,” Baker said.
The first female across the line was 41 year old, defending champion, Kristen Gadsdon, blitzing the field by eight minutes, in a time of 4:37:56.
“I went in really relaxed because I had no idea how I was going to go. I had no pressure so I didn’t get angry at the conditions, the rougher the better for me because it leaves everything up to chance, so as long as you survive those two legs in the water, it’s on.”
“I’m just so stoked,” Gadsdon said.
As the finishes ran, walked and stumbled across the finish line you could not wipe the smiles off their faces; the pride, surprise and relief at the finish line was palpable. Undoubtedly though, best part of the Augusta Adventure Fest is the unique community vibe of the weekend. I’m not sure if it’s the location, or the congregation of fit, likeminded individuals, the caravan park setting or a combination of all those things, but for such an epic race weekend, the orangisers created a truly welcoming and relaxed adventure racing event. Bring on 2018!
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