MR6 Race Wrap-up
Heres how it started…an incessant crazy incorrigible ideas big picture adventure junkie (me) and a grounded detailed awesome designer (but also somewhat adventure addicted) team mate decided after 4 years of racing as MOJO Adventure that we may be able to put on a race for a few friends.
Step 1 Run a training event for a few teams on the hottest day on earth last October. All good, more teams than we thought, everyone survived (just). Processes learned and refined – lots. Do it again! they all told us.
Step 2 Big picture person says – we could do a proper race. Grounded team mate agrees = success. Lets talk to Liam St Pierre… he seems to know what he is doing.
Step 3 Meet Liam at the pub, discover he is as crazy as we are, we may be onto something, I think this is a thing.
Step 4 Decide to run race under the banner of QRA. This is a great organisation and Liam has worked well with them… race day proposed.
Step 5 Permits and planning – Liam takes the lead and guides us through the perils of permits, It was pretty easy actually and it was good to see how the process worked.
Step 6 Find some boats… OOOHHH what’s that? Jarad Kohlar from Peak adventure will be coming back from XPD with his boats? Perfect timing = WIN!
StepA 7 Maps and course vetting – I can’t lie, this was probably our favourite part exploring the awesome terrain that the teams raced in, getting stalked by council (we had permission- it just hadn’t been communicated to everyone).
StepA 8 Promotion and event release – Finally the entries opened… we thought 30 teams would be cool… nearly 70 teams later = GOBSMACKED!
StepA 9 Course setting – hanging the tape here there and everywhere, making up those awesome descriptions we all love to hate… find the saddle in the middle of the lantana guys… Mwahahaha.
Step 10 Gear for the race – emailing Paul Guard 20000000 times. (each time he replied gracefully and swiftly – thanks so much Paul!) Fun trip to Brisvegas to buy our start arch and get a million water containers and flags and heaps of other cool stuff from the Aladdin’s cave that is the QRA shed.
Step 11 Sponsor love – we are so grateful for our awesome sponsors TriRunning Toowoomba, Jonny Sprockets Bike Shop and Tailwind. The prizes gave the race a little extra ZIIING!! Special thanks to Aaron for his mentorship and believing in us.
Step 12 Race week… So much to do! We broke up the ‘have to do’ admin stuff with the being in the bush… at night until 1230am… Ha! Even had pumpkin scones and tea, and a farm tour on the back of the ute with our awesome land owners who let us use their property. I was pretty sick all week so also grateful to the pharmacist for those special codral with its nice kick along ingredient.
Step 13 Race Day – quickest trip to the Dam I have ever done following the white Hilux… we will blame adrenalin I think! So many people, so many amazing volunteers and so many boats. The place was buzzing, we were buzzing, the generator was buzzing… then everyone went to race and it was quiet.
Step 14 Logistics of race day – it would be great to say it ran perfectly from our end but we had a few little hiccups. I don’t think too many people would have noticed in the end but it has been good to reflect back on how it ran and review tactics for next time.
Step 15 The race was over! We packed up and had a beer with a storm lighting up the dark sky in the distance and water of the dam glistening in the moonlight.
Step 16 Feedback – You guys… you encouraged us so much with your awesome feedback and encouragement. We had so much fun, met some amazing people and challenged ourselves, we worked well as a team and learnt many valuable lessons… (one being… bring a compass but that’s not my story to share… haha)
Step 17 Exude gratitude to everyone that contributed, seriously, if you helped in any way, big or small, we thank you!!
Step 18 Get back into training and spend some time with our families.
Step 19 The date is penciled in… the course for next year is forming in our heads. Other cool events and sponsors are also appearing on our radar… Let the adventure begin… AGAIN!!!
Step 20 Putting on this race was a most epic journey in itself, from it’s inception nine months earlier to when we closed the gate at the ski club after the day was over. A journey that was enriched by the people that imparted their knowledge along the way, to the old friends we spent time in the bush and on the water with, to new friendships that were formed along the way… we are truly thankful. Our families have been a great support in allowing and empowering us to take on what is predominately a labour of love. We felt honoured that so many people would hand over their hard earned money to take part in a race that we received so much enjoyment putting on. We were equally amazed by the number of first time adventure racers taking part as well as some legends of the sport! As we catch up on family, work and sleep our minds continually wander to the future and the awesome task of putting on this event in 2016, to the exciting races we’ve scheduled to take part in and catching up with both familiar friends and friends we haven’t met yet in the adventure racing family.
We would love for those who raced the MR6 to write a race report which we will publish on our media sites. Also if you haven’t yet seen the photos from race day you can find them here
video from Team Tea Bar can be found here
// MOJO