EVENT OVERVIEW
2021 brought Explore Gippsland to the foreground of Adventure Racing in Australia. A challenging course was made even more challenging by extremely difficult weather conditions and the best athletes in the country expressed their satisfaction with the amazing terrain Gippsland has to offer.
Explore Gippsland Adventure Race cemented itself into the Australian Adventure Race scene with Chapter 2 in 2022. Based in Latrobe Valley, the course included a 32km Packraft stage down the Thomson Rivers, one of Victoria's great white water paddling experiences.
Join Australia’s best adventure athletes in 2023 for the 3rd round of the Adventure 1 Series. Held in July, this event is sure to be hotly contested by the team looking for a great lead up event to Godzone Australia (14-22nd Sept). Explore Gippsland's highly respected management team brings more racing experience than any other event in Australia.
EVENT DETAILS
Event Location
Our course location has been kepted a secret until the last moment as we were waiting for confirmation of the exclusive use of the amazing Munjara Outdoor Camp, on the shore of Lake Glenmaggie. Just north of the town of Heyfield, and within a stones throw of some of the best mountain biking, kayaking and trail running in Victoria.
Basic bunk accommodation in 6 person cabins is available for all 30hr and 13hr athletes on Friday night (28th) and the 13hr teams will be fortunate to enjoy a warm bed on Saturday night while the 30hr teams are still out on course.
3hr Sprint teams will be able to stay on Saturday night prior to their event start on Sunday morning.
Please book you beds via the Eventplus hub, which can be done while you enter a team, or anytime by clicking the SHOP button on the page ($60pp, please bring your own pillow and sleeping bags).
30hr - A1 Series
The Adventure 1 Series started in 2017 and has built in size and reputation over the last 5 seasons. Drawing together Australia’s premier Adventure event organisers under the one brand has created a vibrant and exciting future for the sport in Australia. The premier division is the Mixed class with teams of 4.
30hr course is open for…...30hrs. Winning team is expected to finish in 25-27hrs. The course will consist of compulsory and optional checkpoints, and a bonus leg for the lead teams.
Explore Gippsland will be a qualifying member of the Adventure 1 national series. Teams of 4 competitors are eligible for the points series with not only a national ranking up for grabs but a free entry to the GODZone expedition race for the series winners.
13hr - A2 Series
The A2 is a new development series of Adventure Races across Australia and will become a pathway for athletes to start small and then build up to longer races. The 13hr event will still involve navigation, kayaking, tough mountain biking and trekking but with no packrafting and therefore less intensive gear requirements.
Expected winning time is approx 11hrs and last team will be on the course about 18hrs.
3-6hrs - Sprint
The perfect event to get your teeth into Adventure Racing with a challenge that is achievable, fun and inspiring.
Race Disciplines
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Trail Running/Trekking,
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Mountain Biking,
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Paddling,
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Packrafting (30hr Race only).
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All races involve navigation.
Race Format
All Explore Gippsland events will be 'un-supported' format. What does this mean? It means you do not need to bring your own support crew and we will do the hard work for you..
Can I still bring my family and friends?
Absolutely. But they won’t need to wash your bikes or load boats onto cars so they will actually enjoy their weekend away.
There are several places where your supporters will be able to watch and cheer you on, and we can suggest some fun tourist activities.
Preliminary Schedule
Volunteers
We wouldn't be able to conduct great events like this without the great support of friendly volunteers able to lend a hand during the event. Perhaps you have a family member who would like to help, and see how your team is performing during the event? Or maybe you want to check out what an Adventure Race is all about before taking the plunge yourself?
Please get in touch (using this form) if you are interested in helping. Your costs, meals and a voucher to a future event are all ways we will show our appreciation for your help.
Mandatory Equipment (preliminary)
Mandatory Equipment for the 3 different events are listed below.
30hr course: PDF, or Google Spreadsheet.
13hr course :PDF, or Google Spreadsheet.
Logistics
Below is version 1 of the Explore Gippsland Logistics Planner for 2022. This is just an example for new teams to get a better understanding of the information you will be provided with and the lengths of each discipline you can expect in 2023.
