The inaugral AROC 24 Hour Urban Adventure

Adam Hunter, Dufflecoat Supreme

Race day and any worries about having a hot race were shelved as Canberra turning on its finest autumn weather with 40+ km/hr wind and the odd bit of rain. I think race organisers Tom Landon-Smith and Alina McMaster had ordered in the extreme conditions especially for the race. Out of the Canberra darkness 46 teams of 3 gathered near the National Museum and started setting up their transition area. Some came with tents others with tarps and a few just had boxes to keep their equipment in including us (Team Dufflecoat Supreme). Everyone had tyre tubes and probably a few nerves about the race ahead.

Transitions set up teams started moving to the registration area at the back of the Museum to have their equipment checked and to collect maps, descriptions, maps, notes and more maps. With about 2 hrs to prepare the maps, read all the notes and plan a course things were going to be fairly tight. We started by taping sections of map together then hacking them up into more usable sections, which actually sounds like a waste of time but it does help. Then contact anything and everything to be coming along for the ride. After doing all that there was just enough time to draw a couple of squiggles on the map to mark the intended route. Then it was time for the briefing where the start was revealed. Now anyone who has done an AROC race before would know it is tradition to have to get your feet wet and usually everything else as well within 30 seconds of the start. So this race didn’t break that tradition with 2 people starting at the shore and the 3rd in the kayak waiting 50m out.

Briefing over the race was about to get underway, we put the boat in and then Chapo (Andrew Chapman) and I (Adam Hunter) walk back to the start line while Steve (Steve Dowlan) paddled around the point. Not sure how I managed to get the swim and talking to others on the start line I don’t think many of them were sure how they had scored it either. Anyway the start was signalled and the race got underway with people swimming in every direction to get to their kayaks. After dogging a few people and a kayak or two I scrambled on the back of the kayak and we were off. The first leg of the race was a paddle past all of Canberra’s major attractions and then round Aspen Island where we got a grid reference that was the location to pickup our control card. The first part of the paddle was down wind and with 46 bight yellow boats contrasting with the grey sky and water, it was and amazing sight. Anyway we came through the island in about 10th and then turned for the upwind leg. We weren’t paddling super well and the rough conditions made it even hard to get a solid rhythm going, so we tucked in behind team Maximum Adventure for the best part of the upwind leg. Nearing the control card Chapo and I jumped out ran up the hill to grab the card and then back down to the kayak which Steve had paddled to the point. Unfortunately I managed to pull the bite valve of my bladder when I got out so the water was all leaking out.

We came to the end of the first paddle 3 min down and found the clue for the first control was waiting at the transition. We got to the 1st control and found it was a maze which running around at full speed in made you dizzy. The maze seemed to take forever and at one point I thought we would need a map to get out. Finally we popped out and off we went to control 2 which involved a run and a 200m swim. On the move we got the PFDs off, dropped them at the drop point and picked up a map without breaking stride. We managed to pass 2 teams by doing this. The course then climbed to the top of black mountain and up into Telstra Tower. Taking the lift up was a good time to get some food, have a look at the upcoming rogaine and have a chat to the NSW Stingers. Climbing the stairs to the top, punch, and then back down. Think I missed something there, forgot to look at the view, dam. Back down in the lift we chatted to Tom who was running round like a mad man getting pictures and generally wishing he were racing. On to the rogaine Chapo managed to roll his ankle twice, but continued despite the discomfort. We got to the next sign in point which was the waterslide in 3rd. Unfortunately the waterslide was closed so we continued to the shops and then Belconnen bus interchange. Catching the bus back towards the transition we had two teams on the bus with us (2nd, 3rd and 4th). The two other teams got off near Black Mountain, which was about 5km from the start. This move had me confused for the rest of the course. We jumped off at the university and ran back to the start. We had a 4th team member for a while through the university as Chris Holly joined us to take pictures.

Back at the transition 7 min down and in 2nd place we grabbed our tubes and started the tubing leg. I think everyone had a rough ride over the waves in this leg but we didn’t really gain or lose anything in this section apart from swallowing a heap of water. Picking up the kayak we chased the Stingers around the paddle and had an equal time. Checkpoint 11 was interesting, as we paddled in I was thinking that it had taken ages for the Stingers to come out of the little bay and then as we turned to punch the control I found out why. The wind in this section was unbelievable, Steve and Chapo held onto the bridge so I could punch and then the first 3 strokes off we didn’t seem to move. Paddling back to the transition we past a few teams on the paddle and then lots of people on the tubing.

After grabbing some food we headed to the Sushi Train and then to Civic bus terminal to catch a bus to Woden. A quick run around the edge of the cemetery we got to the scout hall. The Stingers were just leaving. We had a gear check here before grabbing our bikes and heading off to Red Hill. Most of the ride was very enjoyable with some good stretches of fast dirt riding and the sun even decided to make an appearance. Tom, the Mount Isa Guys and Chris and Lindi (photographers) jumped out of the bushes to surprise us at a control, which we found out had been cut down and chucked into the dam. I was surprised it wasn’t left there and we were made to swim to it. Not long after this we were approaching the road and as I was navigating I was in the lead but failed to see the wire fence that had been placed across the track. I cleaned it up in my usual style, 10 km/hr to 0 with no brakes in about 5 cm. I felt like a kangaroo that stuffed up jumping over the fence. Lay down for a minute to recover, not quite long enough as it turns out, I couldn’t make sense of the map for about 5 minutes after that. Ended up with a good line on my arm, which was quite sore, a sore hand and busted map board. This stuffed up our plan for the next leg, which was 2 people paddling and one person going to the shops, so I swapped with Chapo so I could rest my hand and arm. It is interesting standing in a queue in the shops to get some chips and powerade while still racing. Not sure the other people thought it was as funny, they probably thought I stank or something like that.

After the quick paddle Steve and Chapo jumped out and were cold as it was now about 45 min before sunset, so we quickly got onto the run which was a loop and they started to warm up. Chris caught up with us again on the way to the trig in the run. He told a joke about 3 blondes walking into a bar ………. bang, bang, bang. He didn’t think our reaction was very good at the time but I hadn’t actually heard it. I was more amazed he hadn’t broken his ankles walking round in the dark without a torch, good flash though.

Back to the transition. There were a few teams around as we set off on the bike back to the Museum. At this point it was well and truly dark, but we didn’t have the good lights yet as we were supposed to be back on the bike in day light if we kept to our plan. Had trouble finding one control even though we were standing 5 metres from it and a bit slow on a couple of others. I also manage to loose / drop my compass just to add to the list of things I had managed to break and lose. I don’t know if you call it lost as I knew exactly where it was I just was not prepared to turn around and go and get it cause we were already a couple of kilometres down the track.

I made one of the worst route choices at the end of this leg. For some reason I thought that going up push bike hill 15 hr into the race (the steepest fire trail on Black Mountain) would be a good idea. Technically it was shorter but you can’t ride a single bit and at 15 hrs it’s hard enough pushing your bike up. Mental note big hill = slow, sort of obvious isn’t it. Back to the transition finally and we learned the Stingers were 50 min ahead and that the paddle had been cancelled, which I was quite glade of as the temperature had continued to descend.

I am not sure how cold it was but we put some long pants on and I grabbed my beanie before heading out on the orienteering around ANU. This was great fun running around and through the buildings in the dark. We gained an extra member for this leg as well, Tom decided it was time for a run and joined us for the 50 min run round the uni. We also livened things up by accidentally leaving the descriptions at the bikes and Steve decided it was time to start modifying Chris’ joke by starting to add in a few swear words.

We then jumped on the bikes and headed off to Mulligans Flat via Bruce Ridge, Lake Ginninderra and Gungahlin where there was a food van open. I was obviously getting a bit tired at this point as I nearly fell asleep on the bike once or twice. The smooth cycle paths didn’t help keep my mind occupied either. We managed to pull back nearly 30 mins on this one leg. Got to the transition for the orienteering and we had another gear check and got an orienteering map of the flats. I started heading off in the direction I thought we should be going but then got confused as we looked at the orienteering map first and ran to checkpoint 71 instead of 69. Realising the mistake only when we got to 71 was depressing and we had to go back past the start to get 69 and 70. Got to 71 again and continued on our way. At this point I was getting some good knee pain and Chapo was getting a bit tired. I took some painkillers to ease the pain and we ate some more food to try increasing our speed again. This sort of worked. I think the pain didn’t go away but we started moving faster, may have just been the food. Towards the end of this leg Steve started bring up the blond joke again by this stage it was grossly distorted from the original which I hadn’t heard yet so just thought it was normal. Then morning was breaking as we came through the last control on the hills, a truly magical sight and sign that this truly was a 24 hr race.

As we descended to the road we met up with Chris and Lindi taking more photos, they had been running around all night as well getting photos and yet still looked fresh. Finally Steve got to ask Chris what the joke was again and it was funnier now due to how much Steve had distorted it during the night. A short jog along the road we arrived at the bike pick up where we received another map. Tom and the Mt Isa Guys were waiting again and informed us that we were now known as the Trench coats, close enough, at least it still had part of out team name in it. As we started out on the 3 hr cycle leg around Mt Majura and Mt Ainslie I was wishing I had a trench coat on or at least an extra pair of gloves. Chapo was starting to get really tired at this stage so we pulled out the tow line and I gave him a boost up a couple of the hills. Having ridden around the single trail in Majura before I wanted to stop for a play but it was still a little cold and we were running out of time to get back to the start. Getting to the end of the ride we decided that we would ride back to the finish rather than running back and possibly being late. We thought we had less time than we actually had so we pushed it all the way home finishing about 1 minute before 9 am but found out the start was 20 min late so could have relaxed a bit more.

The finish revealed we had gained a bit more time on the Stingers who had two flats in the last ride, finishing 30 min behind in 2nd place. A top effort for Steve who’s longest adventure race was 13 hrs and Chapo who’s longest race was about 7 hrs. A quality BBQ breakfast was provided at the finish and time to chat to other teams before the presentation.

I went home for a sleep and the following day went out to get my compass and managed to find it exactly where I had dropped it. I also noticed that the control was still out so I rang up Alina to see if they had many to collect. They did so I spent the day riding around the southern sections of the course collecting controls. It was just like racing but without the stop watch. Even got to play on some single trail that I had missed during the race.

To wrap up, the first AROC urban 24-hour race was one of the most enjoyable and challenging races I have ever participated in. It is also the only true 24-hour Adventure Race. So thanks goes to Tom and Alina for putting on such an incredible event which pushed every team for the full 24 hrs, yet had plenty of twists and turns to keep it interesting. Further thanks goes to the volunteers who we may not see or notice during the race but without them we would have no race.

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