2011 Adventure Race World Championships
THIS NOVEMBER TASMANIA’S CITY of Burnie will host adventure racing athletes from across the globe, as the site of the 2011 Adventure Racing World Championship (ARWC).
The ARWC is 700 km of trekking, kayaking, mountain biking for a cut of $75,000 in prize money. This year 90 teams of four from 21 countries will compete, making it the largest Adventure Racing World Championships ever held.
“[The ARWC] always throws some incredible challenges at competitors,” says Rob Preston, captain of last year’s winning team. “The 2010 race was described by many experienced racers as being one of the hardest courses ever set, so we hope the 2011 race will be just as tough.”
Burnie, a port city on the north coast of Tasmania, will be the start and finish line of the championships, and the course will run through the rugged west Tasmanian terrain of mountains, rivers and forests.
“The coastline around Burnie looks fantastic and the region is very close to some awesome locations like Cradle Mountain and the Walls of Jerusalem National Park… hugely popular places, but not overrated one bit,” says Rob.
Brett Whitely, spokesperson for Burnie Sports and Events, says it’s an exciting opportunity to place Tasmania’s credentials on the world stage. “This is a magnificent coup for the city, a huge win for the people of Burnie and the North West coast,” he says.
Rob’s team Blackheart is one of 46 Australian teams competing this year. He says it’s great that Australian adventurers have the chance to race in a World Championship on their home turf. “It’s very difficult and expensive to travel to international races, so this year we have the advantage,” he says. “It would be fantastic to see some other Australian teams get some experience and race in more World Series races overseas.”
The ARWC is estimated to bring over $1.4 million into the Tasmanian economy, as spectators, photographers and journalists travel from across Australia to watch the event.
The race is scheduled from 31 October to 11 November 2011. It is supported by both the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania and by Burnie Sports and Events.
For more information check out the ARWC site.
