The Mark Webber Challenge is currently underway in Tasmania and we’ve got a South African in the mix. Trail runner Ryan Sandes is teamed up with V8 super car driver Rick Kelly.
Their Day 1 went pretty well. The stage included orienteering, paddling, mountain biking, abseiling and running across a 55-kilometre course. Ryan and Rick crossed the line first, but they did not do the extra distance so missed out on the time credits the other teams gained. In a Twitter post Ryan says, “My 1st abseil today at the @SMWebberTasChlg ! Felt pretty good running down a mountain backwards!”.
On Day 2 the field started the stage by plunging from a boat into the icy waters of Fortesque Bay for a swim to the shores of the Tasman Peninsula. The 100 metre sprint left the teams shivering on the beach and in little doubt that they were in for another testing day. Next was an 11 kilometre paddle, followed by a tortuous 17 kilometre run, before a 17 kilometre mountain bike took them to the historic Port Arthur site.
I can’t quite figure things out from the race releases but seems that there were two run stages today (Day 2) and not one. Ryan and Rick mis-read the race instructions and didn’t pack their running shoes for the second run leg, a one-hour rogaine. So, Kelly did it in his bike shoes and Ryan did it barefoot. Their support crew team (I don’t get this either ‘cos the race is unsupported? must be the event crew?) rushed to the previous transition to fetch their shoes.
While many teams chase the time credits on offer for going to additional control points, Ryan and Rick opted for a more direct approach. And while they crossed the line first, it was Team Iron House still on the top of the results sheet at the end of the day.
“It was our fault that the shoes weren’t there, we just didn’t read the instructions carefully enough,” said Kelly. “It’s been a massive learning curve today. It was much more difficult than the first day.”
The event website is www.markwebbertasmaniachallenge.com