After an amazing period of growth for the Adventure 1 series during 2022, expanding to over 50 races in almost 20 countries, it’s time to look ahead to racing in 2023 where we kick things off where it all began: Australia.
Team Thought Sports: 2022 Australian Champions
The 2022 Australian national adventure racing series wrapped up recently with the previously postponed 24 hour Wildside Adventure Race. The demanding race was made all the more challenging by the hot and humid conditions on the day, with a course centered around the town of Gloucester. Team Thought Sports entered the race as the clear favourites, proving to be a dominant force in Australian adventure racing over the past number of years. And so it proved to be the case again, sealing a win to claim the title of 2022 Australian Adventure Racing Champions with a clean sweep of victories. This is the first time since Adventure 1 was founded in 2017 that a team has claimed the title of national champion in Australia for a second time. You can read a full race report on how the race unfolded below.
A New Ranking System
With the expansion of the Adventure 1 Series into a global system in almost 20 countries around the world, A1 will now be adopting a new ranking system standardised across the different nations. Previously in Australia, the national title was awarded each year to the team with the best set of results across the calendar year. Moving forward, Adventure 1 will maintain a rolling ranking system where teams accrue points with their best 4 results over a 2 year period. The rankings will be updated after each race on the calendar. Full information on the points structure can be found here.
In addition to the rolling ranking system, each Adventure 1 country will host a single championship event where a national champion will be crowned. In 2023, GODZone Australia has been selected as the A1 Australian National Championships. Under the new structure, in addition to a national championship in each country, each continent will host a single World Cup event, culminating in a World Cup Final. In 2023, GODZone Australia will also act as the Oceania World Cup. You can learn more about the different national championship races here and world cup events here – there is literally a world of adventure waiting for your team to explore.
Under the revised national ranking system, the currently number 1 ranked team in Australia is the 2021 National Champions, team Rogue Adventure off the back of their consistent results in 2021 and early 2022. Team Thought Sports has unsurprisingly rocketed up the ladder, falling short of the top spot at the moment due to exceeding the number of participants permissible to record four results in two years, however don’t be surprised to see them claim a tight hold of the top step in the next ranking round.
Check out your team’s current ranking via the download below.
2023 Australian Series Calendar
The A1 national adventure racing series includes four events on the calendar in 2023 where teams can earn points towards their national ranking. Kicking off in April will be the 24-hour Rogue Raid in Queensland. The series then heads south to Victoria in July for the 30 hour Explore Gippsland Adventure Race. Then in September, GODZone heads to the shores of Australia for the very first time with an expedition race in the Coffs Harbour region of New South Wales. As mentioned above, this event will double as both the Australian Adventure Racing Championships and the Oceania World Cup, where teams will be battling out for not only both of these titles but also a free entry to GODZone New Zealand. Finally, the series will wrap up in 2023 with the 24 hour Wildside Adventure Race in October.
Next Up – The Rogue Raid
The 2023 Australian A1 Series kicks off in late April with the 24hr Rogue Raid adventure race. The Rogue is entering its 14th year with the unique rogaine format attracting a bumper field of over 50 teams including almost 20 teams racing in the A1 category. It’s set to be a clash of the Australian Adventure racing titans with both team Thought Sports (Vic) and Chipesti (NQld) booking an entry, along with a number of very strong local teams. The race heads to the Somerset region of Lake Wivenhoe where teams will be pushed to the full limit of 24 hours over 8 stages of trekking, mountain biking, kayaking and a little mystery discipline thrown into the mix. You can learn more about the race and even grab an entry via the link below.