Team AROC History

Team AROC is Australia’s most successful adventure racing team. We are made up of Alina McMaster (captain), Tom Landon-Smith, Matt Dalziel and Kris Clauson.

We all have busy lives and so not always able to race in every event. so a few others have stepped in on occasions including Karl Strode-Penny, Tom Crebbin, Adam Hunter, Jay Wilson, Guy Andrews and Andrew Crawley.

Team AROC was formed by Alina and Tom in January 2003. Together we won many of the local adventure races and the Australian 24 hour rogaining championships (the first time to be won by a mixed team). We then teamed up with Matt Dalziel and Tom Crebbin to win the 2003 GeoQuest. With Matt Dalziel and the late Nigel Aylott we went to Cairns and won the Cairns Eco-Adventure race.

Despite not being able to secure a sponsor to help fund our activities we decided to head to the USA, pay our own way including entry fee of US$6,500, and compete for some of the US$250,000 in prize money at the Subaru Primal Quest. This race attracted the best teams in the world including Team Nike ACG, Team Nokia, Team Montrail, Team Seagate, Team Parrallax and Team Buff - to name only a few. We came 2nd in this race much to the surprise of the media - we were the darkhorses. But for all of us in Team AROC this was not our first major expedition race. We have all previously placed in the top 5 in various Eco-Challenge and Southern Traverse events. It was just the first time we have raced together and under a new name.

We then went on to win the Wild Onion Urban Adventure Race - a 24 hour race through the Chicago city streets and rivers. It included roller blading, coasteering, biking, scootering, running, orienteering and paddling.

After a successful year we discovered we really liked racing with each other and we would continue to do so - where finances permitted!!

Team AROC has gone on to win the Mountain Designs Geoquest for the 3rd year in a row and was the first placed Australian team in the Raid Series event in Western Australia coming in 3rd overall.