Ingredients: limpid alpine water poured and retained in an ancient valley nestled at the feet of Australia's highest mountains; purpose-built mountain-bike and pedestrian tracks through virgin forest compounding joys upon thrills at every breathless twist and turn; comprehensive services of a thriving township and tourist resort as the race hub; support of a welcoming and generous community; perfect weather; a band of willing souls eager to feast on a banquet served in part by Nature, adventure, skill, ingenuity, friendship and the dauntless quest for enjoyment-fulfillment.

Method: blend all ingredients into a 12-leg race for solo athletes and teams who will swim, paddle, mountain bike and run through varied landscapes and terrains for the better part of a day, starting in the remotest corner of a misty lake at first gleam of day and finishing on the village common under a beaming blue sky.

First staged in 2005, on March 19 this year the Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic returned to Jindabyne, a Winter-time resort servicing the ski-fields of Kosciuszko National Park in southern NSW which in Summer becomes an ideal payground for ... swimming, paddling, mountain biking and running.

Whereas the inaugural event had been dominated by a few solo athletes who defeated even all the teams, this year it was the race amongst the teams which drew most attention as the lead chopped and changed between "Bike and Board" (left) and "Inadaze."   "Bike and Board" combined local knowledge and skill (team captain Craig Stonestreet of Jindabyne bike shop "Bike + Board" created most of the tracks used in the first mountain bike course) with imported talent (Czech swimmer/runner Jan Celustka was in town assisting with coaching the Korean national triathlon team enjoying a training camp in Jindabyne).   They swept the course record and comfortably won the Open Team of 4 category by over half an hour.

They did not have it all their own way on the course however and were pushed all the way by the Mixed Team of 4 "Inadaze" whose stand-out performers were runner Peter Young and the star female paddler of the day, Gabrielle Hurley.   "Inadaze" crossed the line only 5 minutes adrift after 12 legs, the only other team to come in under the 8 hour mark.   The Douglass clan (and Leanne Wilkinson- right) team of "The Go Go Four" comfortably won the All-Female Team of 4 category in 9 and a half hours.

The Teams of 4 certainly dominated the rankings, with Tim Shillington's "Family Feud" the best-placed Team of 12 crossing the line in 9:07 in 12th place outright.

Paul Bruce of Berrima was the winning solo male arriving in 10:18 at his first attempt at the race.   Next to finish was Leone Jansen (left), winning the solo female division in 11:41.   Leone was then joined by Peter Macartney (first solo male over 50 in 12:16) as the only two solo athletes to have completed every Multi-Sport Classic yet staged (yes BOTH of them).   Endurance award for the race goes to Mark Davis who battled rising winds late in the day on the final paddle leg to reach the finish after dark in 13:18.

The 2007 Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic will be staged in and around Lake Jindabyne on Sunday March 18.

Full Results (both Overall and by Category)>>
Photo gallery>>