As paradoxical as it sounds, you don’t have to be fast to be competitive. I’m living proof of this. Though I’m not super speed, I’m always fired up to race. So I look for ways to satisfy my drive and win some hardware.
I may have a new secret weapon: diversification. And I think adventure races might be the best way to harness my running endurance, cycling leg strength, and strong rower’s upper being. I’m not talking multi-day, bush-whacking-in-Borneo races, but multi-hour ones done near the comfort of a bed and shower.
That’s what initially drew me to the Urban Max in Brisbane last October.
It was different than previous multi-sport races I had competed in – this was ‘The Amazing Race’ meets ‘Adventure Race’ around city streets.
The way it worked: competing in teams of two, organisers give you an information sheet which directs to your clue sheet and map containing riddles and cryptic clues. Teams solve the clues by navigating to various checkpoints – pursuit, activity, mystery and roaming – that are scattered around the city.
After a short safety briefing, the race kicked-off and we quickly made our way down to Anzac Square to retrieve our clue sheets. Some teams decided to sit-down and do a thorough planning session, while others, like us, did our route planning on the run. It didn’t take long for me to realise that this race was as much about strategy and local knowledge as it was about speed.
First up? A session of inline skating around the botanical gardens. While some took to the challenge like seasoned-pros others stumbled their way through. Thankfully my team-mate and I survived without injury, however the same couldn’t be said for Team 57 who crashed out with one team member fracturing his arm.
Onwards and upwards we raced to the CBD to tick off our next challenge. Locate a fruit juice bar that sold an “Urban Maximiser” juice and then guess its ingredients This was definitely a welcome relief from the energy sapping inline skating.
We continued our search for the remaining 16 checkpoints travelling mostly on foot but occasionally jumping on the bus to cover the longer distances. Checkpoints were scattered in all directions taking us from Newstead to Coorparoo and even to the top of Mt-Cootha.
My legs were tired, and my feet had hot spots but I wasn’t going to miss out on the next challenge – rock climbing at the Urban Climbing Centre in West End. Having never climbed before the 10 metre climb was a buzz and definitely the highlight of the day for me.
Most of the pursuit checkpoints required an intimate knowledge of Brisbane’s history and landmarks – not my best forte. Some included the Walter Hill fountain in the city botanic gardens, the Wally Lewis statue at Suncorp stadium and the Wollemi Pine located at Southbank. For these challenges we relied heavily on our “phone-a-friend” to solve the cryptic clues and guide us to the locations. When our “phone-a-friend” required their own well-deserved pit stop we enlisted the help of unsuspecting members of the public to lend a guiding hand.
When the roaming checkpoint rolled around I suspected this was one challenge we would fail for sure. To successfully complete the task we were instructed to collect a minimum of $10 on behalf of Mission Australia. Thankfully Brissy locals are a friendly and generous lot, readily opening their wallets for such a good cause.
As the race drew to a close my team-mate and I were faced with two challenging checkpoints – 1 to sink a five metre putt at the Bulimba golf course and 2 leap from a five metre diving platform into a pool. The latter proving a blessing in disguise as the Brisbane heat was starting to take its toll on my weary legs.
Of course, it was all worth it, reaching the finish line we were greeted with a beer and sandwiches. I couldn’t think of a better way to end what had proved to be a great race.
RUN IT: maxadventure.com.au