Welcome to Rapid Ascent - Rapid Ascent

welcome to RA

welcome to rapid ascent

Australia's leading Adventure Event Management Company

Welcome to Rapid Ascent

Regarded as Australia’s leading Adventure Sports Event Management company, Rapid Ascent organises off-road, adventure and niche sports events across Australia ranging from mass participation adventure races (the world’s largest!) to boutique mountain bike festivals.

facebook

instagram

rapidascent

𝑆𝐻𝐼𝑀𝐴𝑁𝑂 𝐺𝑅𝐴𝑉𝐸𝐿 𝑀𝑈𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅 | 𝑆𝑇𝐴𝐺𝐸 2 | ‘𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝐺𝐴𝑅𝐷𝐸𝑁 𝑅𝑂𝐴𝐷’

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍: Fri 22nd August 2025
𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄: 148km (810m ascent)
𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓/𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐇: Telegraph Station / Hale River Homestead
𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄: 115km gravel, 35km asphalt
𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐄𝐆𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒:
– #1: 48km. Starts at 49km pt / ends at 97km pt.
– #2: 36km. Starts at 117km pt.
𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓: Rally. Mass start, beginning with un-timed segment.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗘:

It’s early Friday morning and, after a night of luxury in Alice, you’re rolling out from Telegraph Station with the chilly desert air clinging to your jersey. The sun is peeking out from behind the horizon and casting long golden fingers across the terrain.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗢𝗢𝗗:

Yesterday’s nerves are gone. You’re feeling sharper, more grounded. Yes, the legs are a little heavy. But the motto of the day is “let’s go exploring” and the vibes are high.

With everyone swapping notes on tyre pressure and talking about the sting of Flagon Hill the day before – there’s a growing unity in the group. The Gravel Muster is properly underway!

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗜𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚:

You begin at first light, rolling out en masse. Asphalt hums beneath your tyres as a rolling escort leads the way north along the Stuart Highway. Time to chat, bank some kilometres and soak it all in.

After ~40km of cruising – BOOM – the riding makes a drastic turn. You chuck a right onto Gardens Road – a legendary gravel corridor that slices across the desert like a Ginsu knife. Here the race opens up with 2 timed segments that reward grit, pacing and teamwork. Find a bunch. Lock into a rhythm. Feel the wind in your helmet and the sun on your back as you drive through rolling terrain, flanked by distant ranges and wide open skies.

After a long day in the saddle, you arrive dusty, spent, and exhilarated at the Hale River Homestead. This green oasis surroudned by emptiness is the ideal place to unwind, bathe in the pool and treat yourself to a nap (or beer) before dinner. This is a holiday after all!

https://bit.ly/shimano-gravel-muster

𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐎 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐋 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 | 𝐕𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄 "𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐂𝐘" | 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝟏 | "𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐒𝐎𝐍'𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓"

WHEN: Thursday 21st August, 1:30PM (TBC)
DISTANCE: 47km (280m ascent)
START/FINISH: Blatherskite Park
SURFACE: 15km gravel, 14km asphalt, 16km sealed bike path
RACING SEGMENT: 17km bike path from Simpsons Gap to Flagon Hill (starts at 28km mark)
RACING FORMAT: Wave starts (5 riders per wave), separated by 60 seconds.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐄:

You're back on the start line, lined up next to your 4 "starting companions" and debriefing about the high-octane prologue that’s just been raced.

You might be thinking “this place is leafier than I imagined”...

But you know that the tall gums of Alice are hiding the endless expanse of red sand, and spectacular gorges just a few kilometres out of town.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐃:

With a bead of sweat on everyone’s forehead, the nerves have given way to pure excitement. “Let’s get this show on the road!” is the sentiment of the group.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆:

The opening kilometres are relaxed and scenic – a chance to find your rhythm and soak up the majesty of Central Australia.

You pedal past Honeymoon Gap, then follow the winding ribbon of road toward Simpsons Gap, where you arrive beneath soaring cliffs carved by millennia. (Get off your bike and look around. This place will move you.)

Once the sight seeing is done – the racing is on!

A 17km timed segment launches you back toward Alice Springs on the silky smooth, sealed Simpsons Gap Bike Path. It snakes through spinifex and desert oaks, a corridor of speed through an unforgiving landscape.

Just when your bike computer is telling you the finish line is close…

WHACK!

The final ~200m up Flagon Hill, is STEEP, loose and ruthless. Grind, spin or get off and push. Anything goes to get you over the line.

Atop the hill, a pop-up bar waits as your prize. Cold beers. Salty chips. Sunset views. This isn’t just the end of Stage 1 – it’s the start of a four-day adventure and camaraderie that will last long after the dust settles.

👉 https://bit.ly/shimano-gravel-muster

𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐎 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐋 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 | 𝐕𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄 "𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐂𝐘" | 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝟏 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 | "𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍"

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲...

It’s Thursday afternoon. You’re at Blatherskite Park on the outskirts of Alice Springs. The smell of eucalyptus hangs in the air and the heat haze shimmers off the red dirt.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗼𝗱...

You’re cheerful and alert with a hint of pre-race nerves. Sam is on the mic welcoming you and explaining the final details. Banter is flowing and fellow riders are fiddling with gear, introducing themselves, and generally buzzing around in a muddle of anticipation.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴...

One-by-one, riders are released from the start line, separated by 15 seconds. When it’s your turn, you launch for a short and fun individual time trial (spurred by adrenaline and probably going out faster than you planned).

Get aero and push if you’re “racing it to win it”. Sit up and cruise if you are here to soak in the scene.

Whatever your goals, this 4km circuit – with doubletrack and playful CX-style bends – is the perfect “advanced warning” to your legs and lungs ahead of Stage 1 (later that afternoon).

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹?

The opening stages of Stage 1 are a bit narrow in places, and with the pre-race nerves pumping, a mass start proved slightly chaotic last year. For this reason, we are running a short prologue in 2025 ahead of Stage 1 to seed the bunch into smaller start-groups of 5 people and keep things safe and controlled.

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀:

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍: Thursday 21st August, 12:30PM (TBC)
𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄: Alice Springs, East MacDonnell Ranges, NT
𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄: ~4km (50m ascent)
𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓/𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐇: Blatherskite Park, Len Kittle Dr (5km south of Mercure)
𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄: Gravel roads, double track and twisty CX-style singletrack
𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓: Individual time trial, riders start every 15 seconds

Stay tuned for more virtual stage "reccys" to come...

– OR –

Visit the website to get all info about "The Muster":

👉 https://bit.ly/shimano-gravel-muster

Less than 50 spots remaining.

Can't wait!

The Rapid Ascent Team

THANK YOU to the hundreds of fast-acting runners w

THANK YOU to the hundreds of fast-acting runners who are already toeing the start line for the 2025 Surf Coast Century (metaphorically, at least).

From a quick read through your entry notes, we’re blown away by the incredible human stories behind the number plates.

Here’s a small sample:

“𝑰 𝒓𝒖𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒚𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒏 2019, 𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑏𝑟𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑎𝑟 𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝐼 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑢𝑝 𝑓𝑜𝑟 100𝑘𝑚."
– Callum, Clifton Springs, VIC

“𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒆 (120𝒌𝒈) 𝒂𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒓𝒖𝒈 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒕. 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒕 8 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒏.... 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝑟𝑢𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑢𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑚𝑦𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡.”

– Dave, Newcomb VIC

“𝑰'𝒎 𝒓𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 "𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆" 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓 & 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑦 𝑑𝑎𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑒. 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑛𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑀𝑎𝑦 2024 (𝑛𝑜 𝑠𝑦𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑠, 𝑓𝑖𝑡 & ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑡ℎ𝑦), 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝐹𝑒𝑏𝑟𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑦 2025.”

– Lucinda from Bargara QLD

“𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒑𝒊𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒔𝒘𝒐𝒐𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒋𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒌 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆 𝐼'𝑚 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑔𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑎 𝑔𝑜 𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 100𝑘𝑚 𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑟𝑎! (𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑝𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ? ℎ𝑎ℎ𝑎)”

– Zoe from Pakenham VIC

Its stories like these that remind us why the Feel Good Ultra is one big celebration of life on the trails...

Everyone has a story to tell. Everyone has a lifetime of experiences to share. And everyone is brought together by this wild sport of ultra running.

Cannot. Bloody. Wait.

Hey runners! We’re thrilled to announce that E

Hey runners!

We’re thrilled to announce that ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN for the 2025 Surf Coast Century!

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍: Saturday 13 September 2025
𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄: ANGLESEA, Great Ocean Road, Victoria
𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓: 50km Solo, 100km Solo, 100km Relay Team
𝐖𝐇𝐎: Perfect for First-Timers, Seasoned Trail Runners AND Elites!

ALL DETAILS & ENTRIES HERE:
https://bit.ly/4ifgaSf

Whether you run the 100km solo, join a relay team or tackle the 50km, you’re in for a spectacular day of trails, sea air and forest views – And you’ll leave with a full heart, sore legs and an inexplicable craving to do it all again!

𝐀 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐒 𝐔𝐏 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇: Last year we were humbled when the event attracted the BIGGEST field in its 13 year history (1,500+ runners!).

We have no idea when we'll reach our field limit this year. But, to avoid disappointment, we encourage you to enter as soon as you can.

THANK YOU for your continued support and shared-love for this event. It's a joy and honour to be able to hang out with such a passionate and positive group of runners each year and revel in the outdoors.

We can't wait to share another day of dirt, sweat and high fives with you legends in September 🤙

Meet Anna*... Anna entered the 2025 Shimano Grave

Meet Anna*...

Anna entered the 2025 Shimano Gravel Muster in January without ever having even SAT on her gravel bike.

As she said on her entry form:

"𝐼 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑎 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙 𝑏𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝐽𝑎𝑛𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑛𝑣𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑦 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑒𝑠. 𝐴𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑦, 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑦𝑒𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑗𝑢𝑚𝑝 𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑡. 𝐻𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑒, 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑖𝑘𝑒."

It sounds to us like Anna has chanced upon the secret recipe for a fun adventure:

1. Start with a good dose of envy...
2. Mix in some expensive gear...
3. Sprinkle on a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)...
4. And bake it all together with with some panic training...

Then voila!

You have yourself a trip that you'll remember for many years to come 😂

Jokes aside, it's a pleasure to have you Anna. We look forward to seeing you and the new steed in August.

More details about Gravel Muster here:
➡️ https://bit.ly/shimano-gravel-muster

*Not Anna pictured.

Imagine being one of the international entrants to

Imagine being one of the international entrants to XTERRA APAC Champs when you receive this Email!

Love your style @xterra_asiapacific 😂

Congratulations to 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜 𝐅𝐨𝐱 o

Congratulations to 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜 𝐅𝐨𝐱 on winning a free entry to 2025 #CapetoCapeMTB!

Don't forget: Our friends from Cape to Cape MTB are kindly offering 10% OFF ENTRIES for all 2025 Otway Odyssey riders who join them in Western Australia’s South West this October (16-19).

If you want to take advantage of the special deal, use the code provided during the event to lock in your next MTB adventure.

Make sure you sign up by 11:59pm Sunday 23 March 2025.

Contact hello@capetocapemtb.com with any event questions.

Just 2 weeks from now, on this very page, we'll be

Just 2 weeks from now, on this very page, we'll be publishing the post-race report for the FIRST EVER Australian edition of the XTERRA Asia-Pacific Championships.

You'll read about the Elites conquering the Long Course Triathlon...

You'll hear about the whippet-like runners who set blistering times on the trails to take out the top spots on the podium...

And you'll see photos of thousands of grinning age-group athletes, pushing themselves through a landscape that is nothing short of utopian...

Question is:

Are you going to be part of the action?

There are still entries available but time is running out!

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

P.S. These are some photos from last year's XTERRA Dunsborough. The 2025 edition is in the same place, with the same awesome people, but it will be a much bigger & more international spectacle (because now it's the APAC Champs!).

Seriously though… Who would win out of @simonge

Seriously though…

Who would win out of @simongerrans and @richie_porte at the 2025 Shimano Gravel Muster?

Get all the details here:
👉 https://bit.ly/shimano-gravel-muster

"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟒-𝐢𝐧-𝟏 𝐨𝐟𝐟-𝐫

"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟒-𝐢𝐧-𝟏 𝐨𝐟𝐟-𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚"

That's what XTERRA have dubbed the APAC Champs (Off-road triathlon & trail running) coming to Dunsborough this month (27th-30th).

What's more, they've written an extensive guide detailing what's happening and how to get involved:

👉 https://www.xterraplanet.com/story/apac-champs-what-to-know-about-the-4-in-1-off-road-festival-in-australia

It's well worth a read if you're in the area or just curious about this festival of dirt.

Blackwood... The 1850s-gold-rush-town-turned-quai

Blackwood...

The 1850s-gold-rush-town-turned-quaint-tourist-village nestled next to the Lerderderg River, 80km North-West of Melbourne.

And the first stop on the 2025 Trail Running Series this winter!

Earlier this year, Sam and John saw this new location as the perfect opportunity for a sightseeing tour of the area.

They trod the trails (lush), shook hands with the locals (friendly), and shoved as many baked-goods into their faces as humanly possible (photo says it all).

Their review?

Blackwood is a hidden gem!

Whether you're a runner or spectator, Blackwood has plenty of great coffee, pubs and things to see (like the Garden of St Erth). It's also close to the restaurants and goings-on of Daylesford – making it the perfect area for a winter weekend escape.

Word of warning though:

If you plan on staying overnight, it might pay to book early. This area is popular!

More details about the Trail Running Series here:
👉 https://bit.ly/TRS-2025

“𝑆𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝐼 𝑎𝑚. 𝐼'𝑚 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑓𝑎𝑠𝑡, 𝐼'𝑚 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑢𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝐼 𝑓𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑓 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑟 𝑎 ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑓 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑙 𝑟𝑢𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑡'𝑠 𝑎 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡”

That’s 👆 what Trail Runner – Elsie – said on her entry form for the 21KM event at the @xterra_asiapacific Championship coming up in Dunsborough this month (27th-30th).

And it really got us thinking…

It’s all too easy to find reasons NOT to do an event (or shrink away from any challenge in life)...

“𝐼’𝑚 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑓𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ”…

“𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑓 𝐼 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑠ℎ?”...

“𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑓 𝐼’𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒?”...

But, what if we all looked for reasons why we SHOULD do hard things.

For Elsie it’s her sons. She says:

“𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑠 (7 𝑎𝑛𝑑 4) 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑑𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑓𝑓 𝑖𝑓 𝑤𝑒 𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑖𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠, 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑓 𝑤𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑝 10 𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑜𝑝 100, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕, 𝒅𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒕.”

Awesome stuff Elsie! If only every parent was as good a role model as you are.

(And, just quietly, a trail half marathon is a FAR bigger achievement than a “good start”. It’s further than most people will ever run.)

Now…

If you’re reading this thinking “maybe I should enter XTERRA” (or tackle any “hard thing” for that matter), let Elsie be your inspiration to GO FOR IT.

Life’s too short to sit on the sidelines.

Learn more about XTERRA (in Dunsborough) here:
👉 https://www.xterraplanet.com/event/xterra-australia

Why would World-Tour-Icon – Simon Gerrans – wa

Why would World-Tour-Icon – Simon Gerrans – want to ride gravel bikes through the desert 🏜?

In his words:

"𝐼'𝑣𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑁𝑜𝑟𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑛 𝑇𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦, 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝐴𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑆𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑒-𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒"

If you want to join Simon for a trip of a lifetime at the Shimano Gravel Muster this August...

Get all the details and enter here:
👉 https://bit.ly/3VjaxbV

𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐦/𝐁𝐢𝐤𝐞

𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐦/𝐁𝐢𝐤𝐞/𝐑𝐮𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬 in Dunsborough this month!

Athletes, with great races comes great opportunity…

Specifically, in the week leading up to XTERRA Asia-Pacific Championships, there will be free skills sessions (on the race courses) to help you prepare.

These clinics are open to all competitors and will be hosted by certified and friendly coaches (plus some elite XTERRA athletes) so you get all the guidance and support you need to get to race day feeling confident.

𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬:

Tuesday 24th March:

🏃‍♀️ Run Clinic
16:00-17:00
Dunsborough Country Club

Wednesday 25th March:

🚵‍♀️ MTB Clinic
09:00-11:00
Dunsborough Country Club

🏊‍♀️Swim Clinic
16:00-17:00
Old Dunsborough Boat Ramp

Get the details about bike and run clinics here:
👉 https://www.xterraplanet.com/activity/xterra-australia-bikerun-clinics

And swim clinic here:
👉 https://www.xterraplanet.com/activity/xterra-australia-swim-clinic

When Victoria gives you winter... Say "sod the win

When Victoria gives you winter... Say "sod the winter" & escape to the trails!

𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐋 𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒!

All details and entries here:
👉 https://bit.ly/TRS-2025

This series is back for a 15th year – taking place over 3 Sundays, in 3 wilderness locations, all within 90 mins drive of Melbourne's CBD.

𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄 #𝟏: 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝 (𝐍𝐄𝐖!) | 1st June 2025 | 7.9km / 15.8km / 22km

𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄 #𝟐: 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚 | 6th July 2025 | 8km / 15km / 28km & 4km

𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄 #𝟑: 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐧 | 3rd August 2025 | 7km / 15km / 22k

LEARN MORE HERE:
👉 https://bit.ly/TRS-2025

Choose 1 or 2 races that suit you.

OR...

Enter all 3 Races as a “Gold Runner” for 10% OFF! (Plus FREE Buff and soft hydration flask).

We. Cannot. Wait.

This series and the people it attracts warms the soul through winter!

So...

Are you hibernating through the frigid months?

Or joining the great trail migration?

ENTER HERE:
👉 https://eventplus.net/TRS2

Check out these pics taken from the XTERRA Asia-Pa

Check out these pics taken from the XTERRA Asia-Pacific Championship course in Dunsborough by Salomon athlete, @claireobriensmith, earlier this year.

Is there any arguing that this is one of the MOST SPECTACULAR outdoor playgrounds on the planet?!

Coming up later this March (27-30th), XTERRA will unleash in this area with thousands of athletes and EIGHT different events (including 10KM, 21KM and 38KM trail runs and several triathlon distances).

If you’re a trail runner or triathlete who thrives on nature, you owe it to yourself to come and experience this place for yourself.

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

#westisbest

No doubt Gerro has this small patch of red dirt se

No doubt Gerro has this small patch of red dirt setup behind @hendrys_1975 for daily skid-practice ahead of The Shimano Gravel Muster this August.

Can't bloomin' wait!

👉 https://bit.ly/3VjaxbV

We’re getting VERY excited for the XTERRA Asia-P

We’re getting VERY excited for the XTERRA Asia-Pacific Championship (Trail Running AND Triathlon) in Dunsborough this March!

If you missed the announcement…

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

Here’s what you need to know about the event:

👉 It’s all happening in Dunsborough, Western Australia, between 27th and 30th March 2025.

👉There will be EIGHT events over the weekend, including Sprint Distance Triathlon, Full Course Triathlon, Trail Runs of multiple distances, Kids and Groms events!...

👉 It’s going to be bigger and better than ever in 2025 – with a “festivalised” event centre, a large elite field, more international competitors, NEW events (including a Trail Marathon which will be the XTERRA Asia Pacific Trail Running Championship), a live-streamed XTERRA Short Track race, awards dinner and more.

👉The title of “Asia Pacific Champion” is up for grabs in the Full Distance Triathlon & Trail Marathon – Age Group and Elites. (Plus an elite prize pool of US$35,200!)

👉There’ll be 58 qualifying spots for World Championships across all age-groups – with the first 2-3 finishers in most catogories qualifying for the global stage (Full Course Tri and Trail Marathon only).

👉FEAR NOT! Just because this is a championship event, it is not exclusively for the elites. There are events that cater to all ages and all abilities, delivered in a family-friendly atmosphere. (Just with the added buzz and excitement of racing the same courses as the world’s best!)

Get all the details and enter here:

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

Nothing to see here… Just a couple of hundred ri

Nothing to see here… Just a couple of hundred riders, GOGG-ing through the Otways!

(Yes, GOGGing is a verb now 😂).

There’s something about the relaxed format, speccy scenery and incredible people that makes the Great Otway Gravel Grind (GOGG) a feel-good day, both on and off the bike.

Thanks heaps to @skratchlabsaustralia for the mid-ride quesadillas. And to Warren for the pics.

For full GOGG results, go here: https://tomatotiming.racetecresults.com/results.aspx?CId=16&RId=29772&EId=5

And for your personalised photos, check out the shots captured by Allan and Dan here: https://photos4sale.co.nz/

(Just select the event “Great Otway Gravel Grind” and enter your bib number).

Until next year, keep pedaling!

The Rapid Ascent Team

#otwayodyssey #theGOGG @skratchlabsaustralia @bikecorp @krushoz #clifbar@forrestbrewery @colacotwayshire @sportsbeer_official @forrestmountainbikeclub @leattmtb_aus #forrest #otwaynationalpark @gravelworldtour #rideforrest #visitotways #IAMotways #OtwayOdyssey #theGOGG @premax.co #WEAREGRANFONDO @clifbar

Load More… Follow on Instagram

Welcome to Rapid Ascent

We create events that inspire

Latest News