Welcome to Rapid Ascent
Regarded as Australiaโs 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 worldโs largest!) to boutique mountain bike festivals.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ | ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ "๐๐๐๐๐" | ๐๐๐ ๐ | "๐๐๐๐๐๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐"
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.
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐:
You're back on the start line, lined up next to your 4 "starting companions" and debriefing about the high-octane prologue thatโs just been raced.
You might be thinking โthis place is leafier than I imaginedโ...
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.
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐:
With a bead of sweat on everyoneโs forehead, the nerves have given way to pure excitement. โLetโs get this show on the road!โ is the sentiment of the group.
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐:
The opening kilometres are relaxed and scenic โ 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 โ 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 closeโฆ
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 isnโt just the end of Stage 1 โ itโs the start of a four-day adventure and camaraderie that will last long after the dust settles.
๐ bit.ly/shimano-gravel-muster
Relaunch of a new event... ๐คฃ !?
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Very funny!! Please bring back the HTFU adventure race across Australia next year :)
You almost had me there ๐ what day is it ๐great locations though !!
Should have made it a triathlon. Shark will win in the water. We would take out the run. So it would all come down to the bike leg!
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ | ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ "๐๐๐๐๐" | ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ | "๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐"
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ...
Itโs Thursday afternoon. Youโre 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.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ...
Youโre 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.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด...
One-by-one, riders are released from the start line, separated by 15 seconds. When itโs 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 youโre โracing it to win itโ. Sit up and cruise if you are here to soak in the scene.
Whatever your goals, this 4km circuit โ with doubletrack and playful CX-style bends โ is the perfect โadvanced warningโ to your legs and lungs ahead of Stage 1 (later that afternoon).
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น?
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.
๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐น๐:
๐๐๐๐: Thursday 21st August, 12:30PM (TBC)
๐๐๐๐๐: Alice Springs, East MacDonnell Ranges, NT
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: ~4km (50m ascent)
๐๐๐๐๐/๐
๐๐๐๐๐: Blatherskite Park, Len Kittle Dr (5km south of Mercure)
๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐: Gravel roads, double track and twisty CX-style singletrack
๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐: Individual time trial, riders start every 15 seconds
Stay tuned for more virtual stage "reccys" to come...
โ OR โ
Visit the website to get all info about "The Muster":
๐ bit.ly/shimano-gravel-muster
Less than 50 spots remaining.
Can't wait!
The Rapid Ascent Team
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THANK YOU to the hundreds of fast-action-taking 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, weโre blown away by the incredible human stories behind the number plates.
Hereโs a small sample:
โ๐ฐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ 2019, ๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐กโ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐กโ๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐ผ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ก ๐คโ๐๐ก โ๐ ๐ค๐๐ข๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ 100๐๐."
โ Callum, Clifton Springs, VIC
โ๐ฐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ (120๐๐) ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐
๐
๐๐๐. ๐ฐโ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ 8 ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.... ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ก.โ
โ Dave, Newcomb VIC
โ๐ฐ'๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ "๐๐๐๐" ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ & ๐ก๐ โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐คโ๐ ๐๐๐ค๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐. ๐ผ ๐ค๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ข๐โ ๐๐๐ข๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฆ 2024 (๐๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ , ๐๐๐ก & โ๐๐๐๐กโ๐ฆ), ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ฆ 2025.โ
โ Lucinda from Bargara QLD
โ๐จ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ'๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ โ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก 100๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ก๐๐! (๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐'๐ก ๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐โ? โ๐โ๐)โ
โ 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.
Details and entries here:
๐ bit.ly/4ifgaSf
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Hey runners!
Weโre thrilled to announce that ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN for the 2025 Surf Coast Century!
๐๐๐๐: Saturday 13 September 2025
๐๐๐๐๐: ANGLESEA, Great Ocean Road, Victoria
๐๐๐๐: 50km Solo, 100km Solo, 100km Relay Team
๐๐๐: Perfect for First-Timers, Seasoned Trail Runners AND Elites!
ALL DETAILS & ENTRIES HERE:
bit.ly/4ifgaSf
Whether you run the 100km solo, join a relay team or tackle the 50km, youโre in for a spectacular day of trails, sea air and forest views โ And youโll leave with a full heart, sore legs and an inexplicable craving to do it all again!
๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐: 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 ๐ค
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