Rapid Ascent

18/09/2024

Throwback Thursday...

2012, the year "Gangnam Style" takes over the world... 50 Shades of Grey ignites the "mommy p**n" revolution... and 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 with 381 competitors rolling up to brave the new event!

This Saturday (21st) marks the 13th ever Surf Coast Century and boast the BIGGEST field in the event's history.

So far there are 1,573 runners entered and last minute entries still trickling in.

If you're in the area, come down and cheer them on!

Or better yet, snag yourself an entry and join the fun:
https://bit.ly/3zvnDLl

P.S. Recognise that guy in the red Salamon hoodie?? That's THE Ryan Sandes – elite ultra runner from South Africa. No wonder the event got traction!

18/09/2024

Ever wondered what it's like to race XTERRA in Dunsborough?

We were lucky enough to have the Search4Hurt crew shooting an episode as they tackled the race in April this year.

You can watch the full episode here:
https://7plus.com.au/search4hurt?episode-id=SEHU04-005&autoplay=true

Once you're inspired...

Remember that in 2025, the Dunsborough race is going to be the XTERRA Asia-Pacific Championships – so it's going to be bigger and more grandiose than ever.

Get all the details here:
👉 https://www.xterraplanet.com/event/xterra-australia

11/09/2024

ENTRIES FOR THE 2025 OTWAY ODYSSEY/GOGG ARE NOW OPEN!

Learn More & Enter ODYSSEY HERE: https://bit.ly/4dZm4Vf
Learn More & Enter GOGG HERE: https://bit.ly/3TMPbmT

It’s hard to put your finger on what has kept people flocking back to the Odyssey/GOGG Weekend for NINETEEN YEARS, while other events have come, gone and faded into obscurity.

👉 Maybe it’s because 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 – with a suite of mountain bike races of 100km, 50km, 30km, 10km… and Gravel rides of 97km and 49km.

👉 Maybe it’s the 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭-𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐬 on flowing singletrack & “champagne” gravel that never seems to end…

👉 Maybe it’s the 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 of the Otway National Park…

👉 Maybe it’s the 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 made up of World-Cup contenders & national jersey holders…

👉 Maybe it’s that 𝐧𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 that says “I know what you did. You’re tough as nails”…

Or maybe… Maaaaybe…

It’s the magical combination of ALL these things (and more).

WHOEVER YOU ARE, WHATEVER YOUR RIDING SPEED…

WELCOME TO THE 2025 OTWAY ODYSSEY & GOGG

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐃.

09/09/2024

Degrease your drive trains & stock up on gels...

WE’RE OPENING ENTRIES FOR THE 2025 OTWAY ODYSSEY & GOGG THIS WEDNESDAY (11th September).

As always, we’ll be pulling out all stops to ensure this weekend lives up to the title of the 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟𝐟-𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐗𝐂/𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 off the year.

All details will be released soon, but in the meantime...

Here are a few reasons to get organised and enter EARLY this year:

1) “𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐘 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐃” 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 – Save ~10% by entering before 1st December 2024 (of course, if you enter both the Odyssey AND GOGG, you get 20% off!)

2) 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐒 – Be one of the first 500 to enter and get a FREE pair of Bellwether Cycling Socks courtesy of BikeCorp (does "n+1" apply to socks too?).

3) 𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐏𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀 𝐅𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝟓% 𝐎𝐅𝐅! We’ve created a new page JUST for our cycling events. And to bribe… I mean “incentivise” you to join, we’ve hidden a promo code on the page that’ll give you a further 5% off.

Go to the and read the first post for details:

FOLLOW NEW, BIKE-SPECIFIC FACEBOOK PAGE HERE:
👉https://www.facebook.com/RapidAscentMTBGravel

That’s all for now…

Join the group, set a reminder and get training…

The Odyssey is coming!

04/09/2024

Entries are NOW OPEN for 2025 XTERRA Asia-Pacific Championships in DUNSBOROUGH, Western Australia:

👉 https://www.xterraplanet.com/event/xterra-australia

If you missed the memo...

In 2025, XTERRA is collaborating with Rapid Ascent to take the former "XTERRA Dunsborough" from a local triathlon... to a true, global festival of sports – by making it the 2025 XTERRA Asia-Pacific Championships.

There will be:

➡️ 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐬 (including Long Course (APAC Championship!), Short Course and races for the kids)...

➡️ 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧 & 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 that will be the XTERRA Trail Marathon and Trail Half Marathon Asia-Pacific Championships (plus half marathon and 10km!)...

➡️ 𝐋𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐔𝐒 $𝟑𝟓,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲), thanks to this being the first stop on the World Cup circuit and the Asia-Pacific Championships...

➡️ "𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝" 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨 with food, entertainment and more...

➡️ 𝐀 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞-𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐨𝐧 showcasing the world's best athletes letting loose in the pritine wilderness of Meelup Regional Park...

And more!

If you're an off-road triathlete, trail runner or outdoor enthusiast who thrives on high-energy events...

You don't want to miss it.

Entries are now open with Early Bird pricing available for a limited time.

Get all the details here:
👉 https://www.xterraplanet.com/event/xterra-australia

29/08/2024

Yeeha! *stock-whip cracks*

How good was the first ever Shimano Gravel Muster?!

Re-live the action with these fresh video highlights thanks to Aaron Collins.

Thanks again to all riders for coming and making this event something we think will become an institution on the Aussie cycling calendar. (As Toby from Shimano said in his post-race speech "we're in this for the long run". And so are we!).

Bring on 2025!!!

25/08/2024

Just 4 days ago, 78 strangers rolled out of Alice Springs with adrenalin pulsing through their veins and nerves driving their pedals...

Fast forward to today...

And as we broke camp this morning, it felt more like we were a band of lifelong friends (or maybe some strange, traveling family) – hardened by the desert and bonded by thousands of experiences that are impossible to describe in words.

THANK YOU to every one of the two-wheeled pioneers who joined us on this crazy mission.

𝐈𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐠𝐮𝐭𝐬 to charge headfirst into the unknown…

𝐈𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 to persevere over rough roads in heat wave conditions that are making headlines around the country…

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 to do both those things with the gratitude, humility and doggedness you all demonstrated.

Thanks for making the first “Muster” one we’ll be telling stories about for decades.

Now, the racing…

In the men’s, 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧-𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝 hung onto his narrow lead to take the overall victory – impressively riding half the race on broken (“flacid”) handlebars and holding off a charging Richie Porte who got the better of other elites by ~30 seconds today.

(Richie was voted “most improved” rider by the rest of the peloton 😂.)

In the women’s, 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐫 extended her lead to take the overall win over Shauna Frey (despite a 36kmh crash!). She can probably chalk the win down to: 1) Her recent ~4,500km ride from Perth to Sydney (decent base); 2) Her cunning tactics; and 3) Well, she can ride a bike! (Ella mixed it with the top male riders for the entire 4 days.)

And in the age groups…

𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐂𝐊 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄:
https://tomatotiming.racetecresults.com/results.aspx?CId=16&RId=29695

Thanks again everyone…

Last week the Shimano Gravel Muster was just a concept, now it is a rich tapestry of war stories, belly laughs and landscapes that will be part of us all forever.

When can we do it all again?!

The (Inspired) Rapid Ascent Team

24/08/2024

SHIMANO GRAVEL MUSTER DAY 3

If yesterday was labelled the “tough” stage, today would have to be the “scenic” one (if not a little bone rattling).

Starting under the moon in the beautiful clear morning at Hale River, the riders kicked things off with a fast n' furious 17km racing segment, finishing at the historic Arltunga pub.

And what a sector it was...

Dust flew, some unlucky riders dove headfirst into the red dirt, but most thrived with a spectacularly pacey "leg opener".

After that – the pace came off for a cruisy untimed section (to digest morning tea).

But, soon enough the racing was back on!

This time, the Lycra-clad desert troopers charged their way down into a labyrinth of green gorges surrounded by rich-red cliff tops and scraggy ghost gums.

The racing concluded at the famous Trephina Gorge where riders stocked up on carbs and made the most of some downtime in the shade of the prehistoric landscape (some lounging in BYO hammocks!).

Congratulations (again!) to 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐫 who has won ANOTHER stage and extended her overall lead to 19 minutes!

Big ups also to 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧-𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝 for taking out the men's stage, just ONE second ahead of Richie Porte, and only a few seconds ahead of Mitch Lorkin & Mitch Anderson (you could throw a blanket over the top 4 men all race!).

Elites aside...

We want to acknowlede ALL riders, wherever you finished in the bunch today. It was a bony old 90km of outback ruggedness, and you got through it with poise and, dare I say it, smiles on your faces. WELL DONE.

Tomorrow is 43km of “Red Roubaix” racing, followed by a cruise back to the finish line INSIDE the Alice Springs Brewery.

Buckle up, it’s going to be one heck of a grand finale (and even better afterparty).

See you bright and early,

The Rapid Ascent Team

23/08/2024

GRAVEL MUSTER DAY 2:

The big one… the gruelling one… the epic one.

This 153km monster was marked in most people’s
track notes as “the one to be respected”, and it
certainly lived up to the hype.

Starting in the cool of the morning, the riders enjoyed
a nice little “skill tester” on some rugged 4WD track
before joining the bitumen and punching their way
north on a 35km stretch of road that was straighter
than steel-edge ruler.

Then, as they rejoined the gravel and turned due East,
the race clock started and it was time for the big boys
and girls to clock on for the day.

A big congratulations to for taking a 20
second win over .with.a_k and the two Mitch’s
(Mitch Anderson and Mitch Lorkin). And to .bloor
for a dominant victory in the women’s followed by Lana
Frey and .

FULL RESULTS HERE: https://tomatotiming.racetecresults.com/results.aspx?CId=16&RId=29695

Also, an equally large kudos to all riders who
conquered the sweltering heat and completed one of
toughest 150km you’re ever likely to find. That stage was no joke and you all took it in your strides.

Now it’s time to kick back with a cold one, outback
style, in the quintessentially Australian Hale River
Homestead 🍻

22/08/2024

BAM! BAM! The first ever stage of Shimano Gravel Muster went off with a BANG in Alice Springs this afternoon (amidst a sweltering 34 degree heat wave!)

𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐈𝐓 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐔𝐓:

The start line was graced with 77 enthusiastic riders – ranging from ex world-tour pros… to big-city roadies… to local larrikins looking at their old stomping ground with new eyes.

The general attitude amongst competitors pre-race seemed to be along the line of: “hey, we’re all friends chilling in the desert. No need to take this too seriously”.

But when the starting ho**er sounded… the pace on was ON! (despite it being an untimed sector on the roughest section of track for the entire 4-days!!.)

Maybe the lively start was due to nerves and excitement…

Maybe it was a bid to spend less time in the baking sun…

Or maybe it was just the allure of the finish-line pop-up bar on Flaggons Hills (valid).

Whatever the case, when the riders crested the final 20% pinch to the finish line, there were some tall tales of hard racing and minor spills (as well as some very rosy cheeks!).

A huge CONGRATULATIONS to all riders. It takes guts and open-mindedness to put your hand up and say “I’ll be a guinea pig for your crazy new bike race”. And by the sound of the banter and gratitude around the bar this arvo, we’ve lucked upon an adventurous and fun group.

THANK YOU. We can’t wait to spend the next 3 days with you deep in the desert.

𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐒:

TOP 3 FEMALES:

1) Shauna FREY 32:46.72
2) Ella BLOOR 33:34.54
3) Imogen SMITH 36:40.52

TOP 3 MALES:

1) Karl MICHELIN-BEARD 29:45.06
2) Mitchell ANDERSON 30:11.74
3) Lachlan ALLISON 30:27.91

𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐎𝐒:

Feast your eyes on the sample of photos thanks to James Tudor from Forktail (plenty more to come in coming days).

𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓…

After a meal and soft bed at the Mecure tonight, we’re cutting all ties with civilisation tomorrow and going DEEP into the red center (with a 150km ride!).

Wish us luck and tailwinds!

The Rapid Ascent Crew

08/08/2024

[𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐎 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐋 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 | 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝟒 | "𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐀𝐈𝐗"]

Harness your inner Wout Van Aert because this section is a doozy...

Stage 4’s only racing segment is a Roubaix-esque bone rattler that commences when we turn west onto Numery Rd away from Ross River.

This long, straight section of road is the quickest way home but is probably the roughest of the whole event with enough corrugations and loose rock to keep any rider honest.

Time to plant your backside in to the saddle, apply the power and thread the smoothest line.

Just like the Roubaix, this is a CLASSIC, but thankfully nowhere near as long...

Respite comes after ~43km with a the end of the timed section and shady lunch at the spectacular Jesse Gap.

If in doubt, remember this motto:
WWCED? (What Would Clint Eastwood Do? 😂)

More info here:
https://gravelmuster.rapidascent.com.au

05/08/2024

[SIGHTS OF SHIMANO GRAVEL MUSTER | PART 3 | GOLD MINING GHOST TOWN]

Picture this…

It’s Day 3 of the Gravel Muster, and after 17km of racing, you arrive at what can only be described as “a gold mining ghost town”.

Roof-less stone huts, rusty machinery and an eerie lack of residence as far as the eye can see.

Welcome to Arltunga!

Arltunga was the first ever Central Australian township, established 137 years ago during the 1887 gold rush, and long since abandoned (in the 1940s).

Now, it is the sight of the Arltunga Historical Reserve (and your first rest stop on Day 3!)

So, while you’re stopped for a feed, we recommend jumping off your bike, taking a stroll around and soaking up the history…

There’s plenty of tales of weird and wonderful characters to be heard.

In the words of Russell Coight…

“This place is as old as time… and almost as timeless” 😂

👉 https://gravelmuster.rapidascent.com.au

04/08/2024

They came, they ran they conquered!

What a cracker of a day in the Dandenongs for the third and final race of the Trail Running Series.

Once the ice melted from the starting chute, the sun broke through the canopies to reveal a winter’s day that could only be dubbed as “designer-made for running”!

A huge congratulations to all runners. Whether you were in the Short, Medium or Long Course, you all ran with gusto. And more importantly, you did it with a smile and support for your fellow runners – THAT is what trail running is all about.

A special shout out to place getter in all categories. You guys and girls are fast as heck!

And a particularly “big ups” to all SERIES RUNNERS. Thank you for your continued support. It’s been a pleasure seeing old and new faces returning round after round.

Now…

To business…

If you’d like to see how you stack up in the results, go here:
👉https://tomatotiming.racetecresults.com/results.aspx?CId=16&RId=9011&EId=1&dt=0

For personalised photos, keep an eye on your inbox. The master behind the lens – Allan, from Photos4sale – will be sending you a hot batch of rip-snorters in the coming days.

In the meantime, enjoy this selection of pics hot off the press.

THANKS AGAIN LEGENDS. Can’t wait to have you at another event soon (did someone say Century???).

Recover well,

The Rapid Ascent Team

Skratch Labs SportsBeer Move Beyond Premax Blackman's Brewery Footpro

31/07/2024

"𝐼𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑎 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝐶𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦. 𝐻𝑎ℎ𝑎!!"

Janine Konidaris is lucky enough to call the Red Centre home...

She's also crazy enough to reccy the entire Gravel Muster course BEFORE the race (which she's also doing!).

Check out her report for intel about stages 2, 3 and 4 (and a great laugh thanks to Janine's outback wit!):

"𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝟐 (𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟏):

𝑊𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 (150𝑘𝑚) 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 2 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑛𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡.
𝑅𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑. 𝑁𝑜 𝑑𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑗𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑢𝑡𝑠. 𝐶𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑢𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑎𝑗𝑜𝑟. 𝑊𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑚𝑜𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑠𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠.
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝑊𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 80𝑘𝑚𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑎𝑦, 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 75𝑘𝑚𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑡 𝑑𝑎𝑦.

𝑆𝑒𝑡 𝑢𝑝 𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑝, 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑠𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑖𝑒.
𝑂𝑢𝑟 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑑𝑢𝑜, “𝐶𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ“ 𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝐵𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑛𝑒𝑟, 𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝐺𝑎𝑓𝑓, “𝐴𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝐶𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ” 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑔!! 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑢𝑠 𝑎 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑠ℎ 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑎 𝑑𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑙𝑜𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑡.

𝑊ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑠𝑡 𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑙𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐻𝑎𝑙𝑒 𝑅𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟. 𝐼𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟.

𝐼𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑎 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝐶𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑣𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦. 𝐻𝑎ℎ𝑎!! 𝑂𝑛𝑐𝑒 ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑛’𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑤𝑒 𝑠𝑛𝑢𝑐𝑘 𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒. 𝐵𝑢𝑡 ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑢𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡. 𝐻𝑎ℎ𝑎

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝟐 (𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟐)

𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑐ℎ𝑢𝑛𝑘 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑛’𝑡 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑖𝑛 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛. 𝑊𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝𝑒𝑑 𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑡. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒.

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡 10𝑘𝑚𝑠 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑡, 𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑐 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑜𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑔𝑜𝑡 𝑢𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ.

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐻𝑎𝑙𝑒 𝑅𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝐻𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑤𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑚. 𝑊𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑑𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑝𝑠. 𝐴 𝑔𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑜𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑝𝑖𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑒. 𝑁𝑜 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑠𝑜 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑎 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑑 “𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐶𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑙𝑒”.

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝟑

𝐵𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑦 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑙, 𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦, 𝑏𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑟, 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒. 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑛’𝑡 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓𝑓 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠. 𝑅𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑦.
𝐴 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑝ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑎 𝐺𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑖𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑛’𝑡 𝑓𝑖𝑥. 𝑆𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑦.

𝐽𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡.

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝟒

S𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 10𝑘𝑚𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑢𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑦 𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒.
𝑅𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑖𝑛 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛. 𝐼 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑒𝑛𝑗𝑜𝑦𝑒𝑑 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑢𝑚𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑠. 𝐷𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑙 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝐼 𝑠𝑎𝑦.

𝐿𝑜𝑜𝑘, 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑎 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔.

Thanks Janine!

Can't wait!

Now where is that red wine??

👉 https://bit.ly/3waZ3h4

31/07/2024

If you know of the Surf Coast Century, chances are you also know about the prestigious beer steins we award to runners when they complete the 100km footrace under certain times.

Historically, there has been a 1 liter stein for runners who finish under 12 hours and the smaller, 560ml stein for those who go under 16 hours.

But in September 2024, that is all changing…

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧-𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬. 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝟏𝟐 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟏𝟔 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝟏𝟑 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝟑𝟎 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟏𝟖 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲.

There will also be a name change for each award, with the big stein called “The Bells” and the small stein, “The Addis”.

𝑾𝑯𝒀 𝑨𝑹𝑬 𝑾𝑬 "𝑴𝑶𝑽𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑮𝑶𝑨𝑳𝑷𝑶𝑺𝑻𝑺" 𝑭𝑶𝑹 𝑾𝑶𝑴𝑬𝑵?

Short answer: To improve gender equity at our events.

“𝐼𝑓 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑑𝑜 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑒’𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑒, 𝑤𝑒’𝑙𝑙 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑒’𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑔𝑜𝑡… 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑟𝑎 𝑟𝑢𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔”
– Ali Pottinger, Ultra Runner and Level 4 Running Coach

Longer answer: At Rapid Ascent, we were recently reminded about the concept of gender equity (as opposed to gender equality) by a Dirt Church Radio podcast episode featuring ultra running extraordinaire, Ali Pottinger. (Well worth a listen!)

While gender equality aims to treat all genders the same way (e.g. the same cut off times for men and women), 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 (e.g. having slower cutoff times for women so a similar proportion of women participants achieve the prize as male participants.)

𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐖𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐔𝐏 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒?

International research cited by Ali suggested that women are, on average 10-13% slower than males in running events – whether it’s over 100 meters or 100 miles. Therefore, we’ve decided to increase the stein cut-off times for females by 12.5% to recognize the differences.

Now, if you’re a fast female athlete you might be screaming…

"𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄??"

And we get it…

To be honest with you, we are painfully aware that a change like this might be seen as condescending. Especially, when we know for a fact there are runners like Courtney Dewualter and Ruth Croft who are routinely smashing entire fields of the world’s best male runners. And we’ve seen with our own eyes countless female athletes beating most of the men at Surf Coast Century. (We even saw Anna Mckenna WIN the Surf Coast Century outright (by ~35 minutes!) in 2021).

But...

We have to remind ourselves, and our elite female participants, that 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞-𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 (𝐘𝐎𝐔!) 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞. The change of the stein qualification isn’t meant to diminish the performance of our high-end female participants, but to give the same proportion of women the chance to win the prize as our male participants. Hence the time extension.

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧 – more power to you! You are in rarified air in the running world, and you can hang your hat on that for the rest of your life. We just hope that this change of qualification time will encourage more women to follow in your footsteps and participate in this sport we all love.

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐄𝐋𝐒𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐈𝐃 𝐀𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐃𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐓𝐘?

The change to stein qualification times are just one small part of the continued push towards gender equity by Rapid Ascent (even though the term “gender equity” is relatively new to us, the underlying principle is not!).

Since we formed in 2005, we’ve launched many initiatives in an attempt to level the playing field between men and women. Some examples include:

➡️ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 to encourage greater female participation at the Otway Odyssey. This initiative aims to provide a supportive and judgment-free community for female rides with things like: female-only start times in the 30km MTB event, a “Ladies Lounge” at the event expo, female-only pre-race info. session, free training guides, women-only Facebook Group and more.

➡️ 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐜𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 / 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞 (the concept of “shrinked and pinked” male clothing doesn’t fly here!)

➡️ 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐧 of varying ages and abilities in promo.

➡️ 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐂𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟.

➡️ 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐦/𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬 (so it’s easy to navigate with the kids – this is one for the dads who are supporting their partners too!)

➡️ 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲, 𝐧𝐨𝐧-𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧. sessions before events (so you don’t feel like you’re turning up to a testosterone-fuelled, flexing session).
Having said that, we are not patting ourselves on the back and planning to rest on our laurels. We have had many internal meetings to brainstorm how else we can improve gender equity (as well as taking notes from other gold-standard events around the world).

As such, here are a few other initiatives you can expect to see rolled out at our events in the near future:

➡️ 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 so you don’t get penalised for falling pregnant after you’ve entered one of our events.

➡️ 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐬 (so you don’t have to share with the masses of nervous men with poor aim!)

➡️ 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐬 available in toilets and at registration (if you get caught out)

➡️ 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐬 (soon we hope to have more information about training at different times of cycles to optimise health and performance etc)

➡️ 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 (so there’s 50:50 representation in the first few rows).

➡️ 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 (if you have suggestions, we welcome your input!)

𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞: We’ve been reminded that gender equity needs to be a continued push (thank you Ali!). We want more women in this sport. And we’ll do whatever we can to level the playing field and make our events equitable and appealing for all genders. The change in stein qualification times is just one small part of this push.

Here’s to progress (not perfection!),
The Rapid Ascent Team

LEARN MORE HERE:
➡️ https://bit.ly/Gender_equity

29/07/2024

If you're waiting for the "do-or-die" moment to enter the Shimano Gravel Muster (22nd-25th Aug)...

NOW IS THE TIME TO PULL THE TRIGGER!

👉 https://bit.ly/3waZ3h4

We're putting the finishing touches on accommodation, food, course maps, post-race parties etc etc. And as such, there will be a 20% price rise if you enter after this Thursday.

We've got an awesome bunch of 72 riders locked and loaded (including Richie Porte!). And it's shaping up to be the odyssey of a lifetime.

There's still time to join us, but the countdown is on! Yeeha!

26/07/2024

[SIGHTS OF SHIMANO GRAVEL MUSTER | PART 2 | HALE RIVER HOMESTEAD]

“𝐴𝑛 𝑜𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘”

It’s the end of Day 2 (“the BIG one”)...

And after an EPIC segment racing along the rich-red-dirt of Garden rd, you’ll finish the day’s riding at the tranquil Hale River Homestead, 115km NE of Alice Springs.

Owned by experienced cattle-station workers, Lynne and Sean, this true-blue aussie homestead is situated on the historic Ambalindum station (a huge, 3,000 square kilometer, working cattle station first established in the early 1900s).

You’ll be greeted by sweeping outback views, a swimming pool!, hearty food and a comfortable bed (or tent) to rest for the night.

There’s no better place for a dinner around the campfire and tall-tales from the day’s riding.

This is going to be fun!

Entries still available here:
👉 https://bit.ly/3waZ3h4

25/07/2024

[SIGHTS OF SHIMANO GRAVEL MUSTER | PART 1 | SIMPSONS GAP BIKE PATH]

Less than 1 month to go until “The Muster”!

To help build excitement/anticipation, over the next few weeks, we’ll be posting about some of the wild, unique and quirky sights we’ll see along the way.

First up… Simpsons Gap Bike Path.

This is the first timed/racing segment of Day 1…

And with it’s relatively short length (17km), smooth surface and stunning landscape, it’s the perfect introduction to the outback!

“𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑘𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑅𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑅𝑒𝑑 𝐺𝑢𝑚 𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑀𝑢𝑙𝑔𝑎 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑊𝑖𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑦 𝐵𝑢𝑠ℎ 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑠, 𝑡𝑜 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑦 ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑠”
– northernterritory.com

Yes, the scenery is spectacular. But even better is the finishing line…

The final 1km of the stage is an uphill kick to the top of Flagons Hill, where you’ll be greeted by our very own pop-up bar (with FREE beer)!!

So, grit the teeth, slam down the watts, and get ready to celebrate the start of an epic adventure overlooking the outback sunset with new friends.

🎶 This is Aus-trail-iiiiaah 🎶

Still haven’t entered?

Join us here:
👉 https://bit.ly/3waZ3h4

23/07/2024

Thinking about joing us at Run Bibbulmun?
Here are 7 reasons to stop thinking and enter now! 😜

Seriously though, there are only 20 spots left, so if you're planning on coming, enter here:
👉 https://bit.ly/3L80YHw

𝐑𝐔𝐍 𝐁𝐈𝐁𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐌𝐔𝐍 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍: 15 – 17 November 2024

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄: Denmark in the Great Southern Region of WA

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄: A spectacular running route along sections of the famed Bibbulmun Track with LONG and SHORT course options each day:

𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝟏
🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀🏃‍♀️LONG COURSE – 35km – Valley of the Giants to Peaceful Bay
🏃‍♀️SHORT COURSE – 17km – Conspicuous Cliffs to Peaceful Bay

𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝟐
🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀🏃‍♀️LONG COURSE – 33km – Nulaki to Cosy Corner
🏃‍♀️SHORT COURSE – 24km – Lowlands Beach to Cosy Corner

𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝟑
🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀🏃‍♀️LONG COURSE – 39km – Denmark SLSC to central Denmark
🏃‍♀️SHORT COURSE – 21km – Greens Pool to central Denmark

𝐖𝐇𝐎: Solo runners (running independently or with friends!)

𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒: Full support available (support crews optional)
Centralised course area that’s close to Denmark.

𝐖𝐇𝐘: Life is short. Why not?!

ONLY 20 SPOTS LEFT.

Enter here:

👉 https://bit.ly/3L80YHw𝐑𝐔𝐍

17/07/2024

Shimano Gravel Muster Q&A session with Sam and Jez from Rapid Ascent.
We cover various details about the event, services, course, bike set up, food, accomm and more. This is going to be epic!!

17/07/2024

"𝐼𝑠 𝐴𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑆𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑡 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑤??"

With all the negative headlines, and Run Larapinta and the Shimano Gravel Muster coming up in August, this question has been arising a bit lately.

Our answer?

The situation in Alice Springs is not especially different to how it always is. Yes, there is some crime late at night in the CBD, but in all the years we've been travelling there, we've never seen any!

While we don't want to minimise or disregard the issues in Alice, we're also very aware that doom and gloom sells papers so that's what the media is focussing on.

If you use common sense and do not go out solo at night/don’t go into the CBD after dark, you should not have any issues. (Town is safe by day.)

Plus, The Mercure (where we are staying in Alice Springs) is a gated venue. You will be very safe there.

Bottom line: The fear-based headlines should not deter you from travelling to and experiencing the wonders of the Northern Territory!

If you'd like to get a taste for the REAL Alice Springs, this article is worth a read:

Alice Springs has had a bad rap lately. But is it still safe to travel there? We go behind the headlines to find out.