Results (PDF Download)

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Jindabyne, 3 March 2024, full results by category 2.03 MB

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Jindabyne, 3 March 2024, full results overall 1.61 MB

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Jindabyne, 3 March 2024, top 3 split times for each leg, by category 1.32 MB

Race Photos

Lizzy Bunckenburg is the new queen of Jindabyne. It might be said, that to come first out of a field of one in the solo women’s field, is not an astonishing achievement (though just to finish this race is demonstrably an incredible feat). But – Lizzy not only won her category on the day, she also bettered the times of every solo woman in the 20-year history of this race, setting a new course record and even beating the 11 hour barrier, clocking an amazing 10:59:20 to eclipse another Kiwi, Julie Quinn’s best time from 16 years ago. For good measure, Lizzy set new leg records for the 1st swim (22:19), 1st bike (40:48), 2nd swim (47:04), 2nd paddle (30:18), and 3rd swim (26:35) along the way. Placing 2nd among the solo competitors, Lizzy was the picture of consistency, with a clear focus and buoyant demeanour through every leg of a long, demanding journey. Lizzy, we are in awe!

Solo men’s winner, Daniel Stein from Salamander Bay, showed his intent from the very start, coming 2nd out of the water at Kalkite amongst the gun team swimmers, and never looked back to record one of the fastest finishing times ever, crossing the line in 4th outright among all finishers including teams, with a fabulous all-round performance of 9:36:15. Daniel looked as fresh at Banjo Patterson Park as he had at the start, and ready for another round. All our admiration and respect, Daniel!

Malcolm Brown was 2nd male solo, with an impressive outing of 11:48:44 in his much-anticipated return to Jindabyne after waiting out the seemingly endless postponements. A superb effort from you, Malcolm!

Neck and neck with Malcolm until the final run leg, Aston Duncan crossed the line a few minutes later in 11:52:12 to take out the Male Over 50s category. After enduring some setbacks last year, Aston’s performance marked a rousing and inspiring personal triumph. Bravo, Duncan!

Among the teams, a new record was established for Open Teams of 4, All Over 50, by “Corbeaus”, an ensemble of Andrew Tooher, Jon King, Ben Hams and Adam Crowe, winning their category despite riding some extra km on the long bike, in 11:00:29.

Tim Boote is a former winner of this race and had planned to enter solo again. With an injury preventing him from running, many would have thrown in the towel for this year. Instead, Tim teamed up with Ebony Axford to take care of the running, while he completed all the swims, paddle and bike legs, pairing up to win the race outright and take out 1st T4 Open in an impressive 9:18:07. Who knows what Tim might have achieved, had he been able to compete solo?

A few minutes later, the 1st placed T4 Mixed team of “Team Ware plus Georgina” (Mark, Jason and Raynare Ware & Georgina Pembroke) surged across the line with an all-round dominant performance in their category, claiming their trophies in 9:22:29.

“Albury Crew” (Nerida Boyd, Emma Flower, Sarah-Jayne Miller and Goele Schmitz) were impressive winners in the competitive All-Female T4s, in 10:42:11, which included new course records to Emma Flower in the 2nd paddle (25:11), and Sarah-Jayne Miller in the 1st and 2nd run legs (29:29 and 1:07:35 respectively). The other new leg record set on the day was for the revised 2nd bike leg, with Sorcha Flett racing to 26:06 on the new, improved course.

Fastest of all T12 teams (and 6th outright finisher) was the All-Female “Wollondibby Wombats” (Nicole Martin, Larissa Cleverly, Sanda Halpin, Mia Kluth and Eliza Lawton) who set an impressive new course record for their category of 9:51:27.

“Me and my Alter Egos” (Jack and Lauren Cross, Laughlin Gould, Emma Wright and Ashlee Innes) was best T12 grouping on the day, winning with 5 members in 10:37:43; not far ahead of 1st placed T12 Mixed “Aprosexias” (another 5-person team of Josh Crowe, John Hannam, Katie King, Therese and Tim Powell), with 10:44:20.

With this race, we draw the curtain on 20 years of the Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic in Jindabyne. If the race might return, it would be with a revised course and possibly revised format. Your suggestions are most welcome and will be carefully and gratefully considered. Stay tuned!

Photo album coming soon.

Published results are provisional. Please advise any errors or anomalies to [email protected]

Results (PDF Download)

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Jindabyne, Sunday 7 March 2021 – full results by category 707.27 KB

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Jindabyne, Sunday 7 March 2021 – full results overall 699.02 KB

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Jindabyne, Sunday 7 March 2021 – top 3 splits for each leg, by category 1.32 MB

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This year’s race report is revealed in part through statistics. Statistics rarely tell a complete story – yet some figures from this glorious occasion are compelling in themselves.

Today will be remembered as an astonishing race: every single solo athlete completed the event for the first time, while the teams presented a burgeoning bouquet of records across the field and across the course, and the best ever completion rate from all the teams. Other records include the highest ever number of enthusiastic compliments and expressions of gratitude to the organisers, and quite possibly the most and brightest smiles throughout the day. And by the way, the weather was perfect throughout… Some highlights:

* Each Solo Champion, several attempting this supreme challenge for the first time – Michael Brennan (9:43:19); Nathan Stewart (9:57:59); Josh Campton (10:19:45); Malcolm Brown (10:42:03); Dave Ellis (10:47:41); and High Mander (11:51:44) – we salute and honour your heroic achievements!

* A new outright course record, and best time ever for an Open Team of 4, set by “Half still Partially Intact” (David Peedom, Andrew Griffin & Rohan Essex) – 7:51:43

* New course record for an Open Team of 12 by the “East Jindy Pirates” ((Aurel Wachter, Jay Furtner, Niki Fisher, Yvette Burns, Jeannette Korten, James Taylor, Trent Lowe, Oliver Michael) – 8:46:00

* New course record for an All-Female Team of 12 from “Alpine Allsorts” (Kym O'Halloran, Jacqui Keogh, Sarah Boyd, Krissi Brewster, Kathryn Dwan, Celine Payet, Joo-Inn Chew, Lindy Edwards) – 11:22:35

* New course record for a Mixed Team of 12 by “Go Getters” (Ben Silke, Oliver Lilford, Ainsley Pahljina, Ebony Tanzen, Aidan Myatt, Isaac Bell, Ira Dudley-Bestow) – 8:57:24

* Individual leg records for the following –
– solo records from Michael Brennan for swim 1 (19:15) and swim 2 (38:46); and Nathan Stewart for paddle 2 (25:45)
– team leg split records for Jen Gold for swim 1 (19:32); Ainsley Pahljina for run 1 (30:28); Linda Stahlgren for bike 1 (31:00); Jeannette Korten for bike 2 (27:25); and Trent Lowe by less than a minute for the famous bike 3 (1:48:09); and David Peedom for swim 3 (16:09).

The number and variety of people who give of themselves and their services to allow such a complex event to roll out include officials and staff from Snowy Monaro Regional Council; Kosciuszko National Park; Snowy Hydro; NSW RMS; Les Threlfo and Volunteer Marine Rescue; June Weston for use of her land; the Jindabyne mountain bike trail community; Andrew Miller (pilot of the Creel Bay ferry); Doug Chatten (medical); Alina McMaster, Tom Landon-Smith and family (constant encouragement and on-the-day services including kayaks for Creel Bay ferry self-service); Jindabyne Sailing Club; Terry Dixon; Justin Hayden from Triathlon Australia (Technical Delegate); Andy Walker and Richard Smyth (sweep riders); Ashley McCormack & daughter; Brad Frazer & Leighton Bates (traffic controllers); Matt Barnes, Robin Ward & Sam Pfitzner (padders on the swim courses); volunteer helpers of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team from Mongolia, the UK, New Zealand, Canberra, Brisbane and Melbourne. Our immense gratitude to you all!

Read Michael Brennan's race story.

Jindabyne race stories

Brief Race Report – Jindabyne Multisport – 7th March 2021

For me, this year’s race was characterised by five factors: 1) Incredible racing conditions, 2) A deepening solo field, 3) Rise of kids, 4) Incredible camaraderie and friendliness, and 5) Dedication of volunteers and support crews.

Swim 1 edit.jpg

After a year made so challenging by Covid, it was certainly a relief to line up for a 6.45am fog free start at Kalkite for the first swim, with a good-sized field. The conditions were near perfect throughout the whole day, with a tricky crosshead wind just starting to pickup for the solo athletes on the final paddle. Without re-counting the whole day, the particular highlights included the long swim with perfect glassy conditions the whole way enabling maximum speed for least effort and the incredibly beautiful flat sections through the glades on the long run. The air temperature was perfect throughout the day, with no issues with cold or dehydration.

Bike 1 edit.jpg

My first Jindy Multisport was in 2015 as part of a team, with my first solo in 2016. This year is the biggest solo male field in that time, and everyone finished in under 11 hours in the under 50’s and Hugh Mander was under 12 hours in the over 50’s!! It is hard to explain, but basically every solo athlete was at the top of their craft this year. To give you a bit of an idea just how competitive this field was:

Dave Ellis (5th solo) was fastest in the 2nd bike leg, and 2nd in the final paddle;
Malcolm Brown (4th solo) was fastest in the long run and second in the gruelling 3rd bike leg;
Josh Campton (3rd solo) was always consistent and lowered his last years’ time by 24 minutes; and
Nathan Stewart (2nd solo) was so fast in the last paddle that the closest was Dave at 4 minutes behind and the furthest was me at close to 15 minutes a drift!

A massive congratulations to all the solo athletes, with a special thanks to Nathan and team for making the trip from Queensland (& for pushing me along) and to Dave for convincing Malcolm to compete. I reckon we are in for an even faster race next year.

Run 2 edit.jpg

This year saw a big jump in the number of kids and teens competing in teams which was so awesome to see. The children of my own extended group of friends and family are just coming of age (including my own kids), so this was especially exciting to compete alongside them in large numbers. The determination, satisfaction and then joy on the face of the kids running the final leg was so special to witness – team 303 and Jackson in team 302 were a highlight for me.

Bike 3 edit.jpg

Every year and at every Sri Chinmoy race we are reminded of the kindness and camaraderie that connect us as people – and this year’s Jindy Multisport only strengthened this sense of connectedness. For all the competitors, volunteers and spectators who encouraged the solo field on, we are extremely grateful. From my perspective, sincere thanks to Matt, Rob, Felix and Luca (Scrambled legs and Achen) plus Sal Ragusa (aka Marco Pantani) for your good company and encouragement on the course, and Sean King and Andrew Renwick (Proximity) for your positivity and kindness.

Finally, a huge thanks to all of the individual and team competitors who without your commitment we can’t have a race, to the Sri Chinmoy team for your continued dedication to this event, and to my support crew of Peter Brennan (my Dad), Anthony Buykx and my beautiful wife Tash.

Finish edit.jpg

See you all next year, and please bring a friend (I will be bringing Rowan Beggs-French)!

Results (PDF Download)

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Jindabyne, Sunday 8 March 2020, full results by category 1.98 MB

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Jindabyne, Sunday 8 March 2020, full results overall 1.77 MB

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Jindabyne, Sunday 8 March 2020, top 3 split times per leg, by category 1.31 MB

Race Photos

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THE SOLOISTS

The 2020 race saw the closest and most exciting competition among the solo men ever seen at this event, with the lead changing 7 times in the course of the day and the slenderest gap of a mere 59 seconds at the finish line between 1st and 2nd placings. It was a race between 3 varied challengers: Michael Brennan, a former winner of this race but carrying an injury which might or might not play a part over such an extended day of exertion; newly-arrived Jindabyne local Josh Campton, a gun XTerra and Cross Tri World Championship entrant with local knowledge but not yet proven over this distance; and Melbourne 1st-timer Ian Lack, a quality, experienced multiple-Ironman triathlete.

Never far behind this trio was the consistent Craig Maskiell, who worked his way around the course with calm determination and consistency to claim a new record for the Solo Male 50 and Over, with his outstanding overall time of 11:22:53, and 4th place overall. Following Craig in the Under 50s category were Adam Carter (11:41:42) and Glen Sinnott (12:09:41) – who deserve the highest praise for conquering such a daunting, demanding challenge in one of the toughest days out imaginable.

Back to the front of the field, where the drama played out as part cat-and-mouse, part chess match and part endurance meditation, as the greater and lesser strengths (none of these athletes could be said to have weaknesses!) of each of the contenders came into focus. While Josh Campton made his greatest impression on the long 12.5km run up to Sawpit Creek, his hard-earned gains dissolved in the mud and drizzle of the following gruelling mountain bike leg. Ian Lack played the patient game, steadily working his way closer and closer to the lead – perhaps if there had been 13 legs or the final run had been longer he might have clasped the laurel wreath… while Michael Brennan’s experience was a key factor, the single greatest difference among the 3 proved to be Michael’s swimming prowess – the time he made up in each of the 3 swimming legs (including new course records for both the 1st and 3rd swims) proving enough of a buffer to hold off all the others could claw back in other disciplines.

TEAMS OF 2-4

With the race being held on International Women’s Day this year, it was notable that for the first time ever, there were no solo women contestants, nor any all-female teams. We anticipate this drought is only temporary, and 2021 will again see female participants aplenty.

“Geese” (T4 Open – comprising the quartet of Roy Norris, Tristan White, Gary Reed and Miles Waring) was the stand-out team of the day, clocking a phenomenal course record finishing time of 7:54:33, a dizzy new benchmark for aspiring teams to reach for in future years. Next home was “Team Ware + Jack” (Jason, Marc & Harrison Ware + Jack Murphy swimming) in 8:36:53. After the 1st swim leg, these two teams were 1st and 2nd respectively at every single transition, showing solid strength in all disciplines. “Aprosexias” was the 3rd T4 Open team in 9:49:30 (Andrew Tooher, Jon King, Ben Hams & Jonathan Hannam).

The Mixed T4 category was conquered by Melbourne’s super-pairing of Bernadette Dornam – who completed 7 legs – and Myall Quint (“Powered by Bern”), winning in 9:48:43. Hopefully Bernadette saw enough of the course to inspire her to return next year as a solo entrant! Local family ensemble of Winter-sport specialists “Team Evans Zijlstra” (daughters Zana & Abbey with dad Anthony Evans and mum Carla Zijlstra) took 2nd placing with a fine 10:04:45; from 3rd placed Canberra trio “32 Flavours Bilbys” (Sarah Mareuil, Lee Steel & Steven Hanley) with 10:18:47.

TEAMS OF 5-12

“East Jindy Pirates” (Matt Tonner, Jamie Taylor, Niki Fisher, Yvette Burns, Jeanette Korten, Trent Lowe, Jason Furtner & Em Hardwick) sailed from East Jindabyne for a daring and successful raid on the treasure chest of course records, taking off with the new fastest time for T12 Mixed of 9:03:08 and throwing down the gauntlet to any other marauders who might like to challenge for the prize in future years. They enjoyed nearly a one hour buffer ahead of 2nd-placed “Knerds” (Salome Hussein, Andrew Garvie, Chris Waring, Suzie Gunning and Mike Hotchkis) in 9:59:51, with the final podium placing going to another local team, “Race to the Brewery” (Michael Quinlan, Bill Hunter, Sinikka Christo, Ouchy Wirth, Cam Ballinger and Alex Williamson) with 10:12:09.

While the T12 Mixed category was dominated by local teams, the T12 Open saw loyal supporters of this race from further afield come to the fore, with loyal Goulburn outfit “Release the Cracken-back No. 4 Pete” (Mark & Olivia Stutchbury, Rod Smith, Andy Dawes, Jacqui & Andrew Oberg) cruising into 1st place with a fine showing of 9:11:30; from the pioneer ensemble of “Aviator’s Beach Club” (Dave Hayes, Shane Lund, Andy Thomas, Sean Davis, Richard Palmer & Pete Hansen) overcoming an inspired, elongated middle paddle leg to claim 2nd with 9:44:58; while “All Hands on Deck” (Amelia Cook, Sander Van Tol, Jo Vanderley, John Astridge, Scott Crerar and Barry Fields) took 3rd spot in 11:13:10.

*************

This race not only has 12 legs of 4 varied disciplines on water and land, it also involves multiple jurisdictions and stakeholders, all of whom play crucial roles in the ultimate staging of a successful, enjoyable event for all involved. Our special gratitude goes to June Weston of “Michael’s” for permission to ride on her land; Jenny Crowe of Snowy Hydro (owners of the lake and foreshores); Sophie Ballinger of Snowy Monaro Council (administrators of the land and activities thereon); Andrew Miller & Kerry Coomber of Kosciuszko National Park (the long run and long ride); Les Threlfo and his expert, friendly team from Jindabyne Marine Rescue; the wonderful Jindabyne Trail Stewardship team (MTB tracks for the 1st and middle rides); NSW RMS for Road Occupancy Licence for the on-road section of the long MTB course & for Aquatic Licence covering activities on the lake; Jindabyne Sailing Club; Doug Chatten for medic support; Andy Walker for sweeping of all 3 mountain bike legs; Matt Barnes, Robin Ward & David Campbell for additional kayak water-safety; Troy Dowd of Snowy Monaro Council for traffic & signage assistance; Alina McMaster & Tom, Archie & Jackson Landon-Smith for general logistics & keeping everyone’s spirits high; and to volunteer helpers of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team from Mongolia, Latvia, Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne, Geelong and Canberra.

Results (PDF Download)

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Sunday 10 March 2019, full results by category 600.43 KB

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Sunday 10 March 2019, full results overall 588.89 KB

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Sunday 10 March 2019, top 3 split times for each leg 1.32 MB

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The Solo Champions

Michael Brennan’s athletic career continues to amaze and transcend: for someone who has already achieved so much in so many fields, it was appropriate that a victory be added in an event which demands such a comprehensive palette of skills and fitness, a victory which had until now eluded him. Michael’s superb time of 9:36:10 placed him second-fastest individual since the long and arduous 3rd mountain bike leg was added in 2008, and saw him trail only 7 multi-person teams on the day. En route, Michael set a new fastest time for the long 2.5km swim leg with 39:20. Although he finished first, Michael was the last to depart from the finish area, maintaining his full involvement and enthusiasm for the race by offering appreciation and support to all his fellow competitors until nightfall beckoned us all home.

Geoff Breese is another champion whose effervescent energy continues to overflow after the finish line is crossed: Geoff’s main goal appears to be enjoyment of the occasion, which he does not try to hide and is infectious to all around, athletes and volunteers alike. Meanwhile his wholehearted engagement with the race produces some amazing results, including another victory in the Male Over 50 category with 11:51:19, even bettering his “official” race record from last year!

Two first-time solo participants completed the epic journey today: Nigel Doyle is the first solo entrant ever from Darwin, and now holds the record for Northern Territory residents of 12:39:53. Nigel’s experience paddling in the surf proved very useful in the choppy conditions of the 3rd paddle leg, while his steadfast determination and positive outlook saw him maintain a remarkable consistency throughout the journey.

Meanwhile Dean McMaster was solely focused on finishing, his willpower overruling the innumerable obstacles tossed up by this long and testing day. It was a great joy to welcome Dean across the finish line in 12:53:32, a triumph by any reckoning.

Teams of 2 – 4

The team of “Once Were Intact” (Andrew and David Griffin, David Peedom and Rohan Essex) came to Jindabyne as defending T4 Open champions and record holders, and gave the course a mighty good race today. For the first half of the event, the lead changed several times between themselves and “Geese” (Sharon Crisafi, Garry Reed, Miles Waring and Tristan White), as both contenders drew further clear of the rest of the field and left organisers scrambling to be in position at the transitions in time for their arrival. “Geese” were too good in the back half of the course however, closing with a 14-minute buffer by the finish line in an all-round classy performance, featuring a course record for the newly-designed 2nd mountain bike eg of 21:34 from Tristan White. 3rd placed “Bin City” (Brock Neall, Jamie McCrudden, Ian Kennerley and Al Boyle) were also consistently excellent across all disciplines, including a new course record for the 2nd paddle leg of 20:29 for Jamie McCrudden.

The T4 Mixed category was won by the impressive husband-and-wife pair of “Team Pogue” (Christine and Ryan), from the trio of “Dave’s BJ’s” (Josh Campton, Dave Snedden and Bonnie Prior), with “Less is More” (Penny Frost, Dave Newton, Richard and Kylie Smyth) rounding out the podium placings. Linda Stahlgren of “Magic 8 ball” also established a new record time for the 2nd mountain bike leg of 28:35.

Sadly there were no teams entered in the T4 Female category this year…

Teams of 5 – 12

The Goulburn grouping of Andrew and Jacqueline Oberg, Andrew Dawes, Rod Smith, Mark Stutchbury and Kerry Baxter came together as “We Perisher-thought – 4 Pete” to take out the T12 Open category in a blink under the span of 9 hours in 8:59:38 after a demanding day which saw them rising above all setbacks and challengers. 2nd placed “Knerds” (Julie and Chris Waring, Andrew Garvie, Mike Hotchkiss and Suzie Gunning) crossed the line in 9:26:02, from perennial podium placegetters “Aviator’s Beach Club” (Dave Hayes, Jack Jessen, Jordan Kelly, Wayne Bradbury, Pete Hansen and Andrew Thomas) took out 3rd with 9:48:31 – swimmer Dave Hayes was so determined to cover the entire course of the first 1.5km leg in the fog, he ended up swimming perhaps further and taking even longer than for the second swim of 2.5km.

The always lively and colourful ensemble “Kaos” (Cassia and Pia Cunningham, Aoihbinn Crimmins, Zoe and Ella Cuthbert, Adrienne Nicotra and Tara Sutherland) smashed the previous best time for the T12 All-Female category with an impressive outing of 10:15:31. Zoe Cuthbert had an exceptional day, setting new best times for both the 1st (32:08) and 3rd (2:11:07) mountain bike legs for her team.

“Results Racing” (Michelle Welch, Emily Stewart-Reed, Michael Reed, Matthew Shadwell, Laura Curran, Gordon Campbell, Robert Mudford and Anna McPherson) were the standout team of the T12 Mixed contenders, winning in a convincing 9:35:50, while a closer race ensued between 2nd placed local team “Cami Jebisi” (Sinikka Christo, William Hunter, Michael Quinlan, Cameron Ballinger and Jennifer Lloyd) who finished in 10:15:56, just a few minutes ahead of 3rd placed “Quangers and Mash” (Georgy Falster, Clint Shinn, Luke and Jess Perkins, Brett Cuthbertson, Vanessa Palmer, Emily O’Halloran and Bernardo Palma) in 10:21:06.

The 1st Swim Leg

Setting out the first swim course in the dark, it was not apparent just how thick was the fog which had settled over the lake in the pre-dawn – so dense that the marker buoys simply could not be seen by swimmers or support paddlers. It is to all swimmer’s credit that groups formed in the gloom and all were able to return to shore safely, by whatever route necessary. In future if such a phenomenon occurs, laps of a shortened course close to the shore will be adopted, the length of the course determined by the necessity of clear visibility between marker buoys.

Note on Course Records

Given the significantly revised and shortened legs for the 2nd paddle and 2nd mountain bike courses, the best times set on these legs from this year are automatically listed as new course records, along with other leg records established during the race. However due to the uncertainties surrounding the distance swum by most of the field for the first swim leg, overall times from today will not be considered for overall course records.

Gratitude to All!

Sincere thanks to all involved with such a complex operation on so many levels: to the authorities and staff of Snowy Monaro Regional Council (especially Sophie Ballinger), Snowy Hydro (especially Jenny Crowe), NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service (especially Andrew Miller), NSW Police, NSW Roads & Maritime Services; to Les Threlfo and his team from the Volunteer Marine Service; to Rohan Kennedy for medical support; to David Campbell, Nick Graham & Matt Barnes for paddling safety support; and to volunteer helpers of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team from Mongolia, Ukraine, New Zealand and Australia.

Results (PDF Download)

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Jindabyne, 4 March 2018, full results by category 753.15 KB

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Jindabyne, 4 March 2018, full results overall 739.85 KB

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Jindabyne, 4 March 2018, top 3 placings each leg by category 1.32 MB

Race Photos

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The Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Jindabyne is an expression and a celebration not only of multiple sports but of multiple capacities and facets of the human heart: courage, enthusiasm, perseverance, sacrifice, camaraderie, sympathy, faith and the joy and satisfaction in one’s own and others’ achievements are all on grand display throughout this epic day. No-one who participates in this event in any way – whether as competitor, organiser, supporter or spectator – ends the day the same person they were at the start: all are uplifted and greatened by the fulness and richness of the experience.

SOLOS

Alina McMaster gave us all a McMaster-class in multi-sport and endurance racing today, combining two supreme qualities of power and grace in a consummate overall performance of 11:49:50. Without the time for long hours of training which forms the diet of most elite athletes, Alina showed the immense worth of experience, enthusiasm, faith and sheer love of her sport. She starting at a cracking pace, setting new solo course records for the first paddle (54:20), run (38:18) and mountain bike (46:15) legs. Thereafter her tenacity was paramount, though always expressed with a smile. Alina’s was an inspiring presence throughout the field and throughout the day, attracting tremendous appreciation and admiration from all competitors and spectators right up to the finish line.

The Solo Male (Under 50) race was an epic; an inspiring and beautiful exhibition of human will, athleticism, heart-power and endurance between two good friends, Klayten Smith of Sydney and Michael Brennan of Canberra. Michael set down a loud and clear marker right from the first swim, leading the field out in a new course record of 20:35 for the 1.5km, already a lead of nearly 5 minutes. If anyone was going to catch him, they would have to work for it! Klayten made up some ground in the paddle and run legs, but after the long 2.5km swim, Michael’s swimming prowess saw his lead stretch to 14 minutes. From this point on, Klayten’s quiet persistence and limitless endurance came to the fore. At the end of the long run up the Pallaibo and Waterfall Loop tracks, the lead was only 3 minutes. The pair rode together the first half of the long mountain bike leg through the National Park, chatting amiably, until Klayten drew away and proceeded to build an unassailable 13 minute buffer by the end of this gruelling leg, for which he broke his own solo course record with a new awesome time of 2:18:16. This margin would grow to over 20 minutes by the finish, with Klayten’s 9:38:03 one of the fastest ever recorded, and earning him a top-10 placing outright, amongst all the specialist relay teams. It was a great privilege to witness two true champions offering all their inner and outer capacities to uplift the whole tone and mood of the event.

First-Time solo participant Ben Rocket was progressing well through the legs, pacing himself wisely, but was forced to withdraw leading into the long run. It was after this same telling leg that Over 50 Male stalwart, Jon School was also withdrawn from the race. Jon was forced to watch from the sidelines as his friend and rival, the smiling Geoff Breeze from Wagga, kept his focus and form to take Jon’s Over 50 Male course record with a new best time of 11:53:38.

Our gratitude, respect and love flows especially to all the Solo competitors, for it is your amazing commitment and superlative sacrifice that is the true soul of this incredible race.

TEAMS OF 2 - 4

“Once Were Intact” – David and Andrew Griffin, David Peedom and Rohan Essex – took full advantage of a fine day for racing, to obliterate the outright course record and win the Open Teams of 4 category in a stunning combined performance of 8:05:18. From the time rider Rohan Essex passed Solo race leader Michael Brennan on the first mountain bike leg, the team never looked back and continually increased their lead. Course marshals and transition crews were scrambling to be in position in time, and were then faced with nearly one hour’s wait for the next team through! Fortunately the team brought their families as support crew, otherwise there would have been almost no-one to applaud their stupendous performance at the finish line.

Next Open Team of 4 were “Struggle Street” – Cameron Butler, Cameron Cox, John Maloney and Isaac Strachan – in 9:17:32, notable for a new record of 39:55 from Cameron Cox for the final paddle leg; with 3rd placed “Magic 8 Ball” – Daniel Gough, James Suthern, George Murray and Glen Sinnott – 5 minutes back in 9:22:55.

The Mixed Teams of 4 category was won handsomely by the pair of “TnT” – Tim Boote and Teagan Belfrage – in 9:52:15. A former solo winner of the race, Tim proved an excellent support for Teagan, whose time of 2:21:32 set a new female record for the long bike leg. The ever-dependable “32 Flavours” – the trio of Katie Binstock, Steve Hanley and Ron Brent – took 2nd placing in 10:04:09; with “Keeping It Real” – Teresa Wynter, Nick Grey, Andrew Lane and Nicholas Moyle – claiming 3rd in 10:23:37.

TEAMS OF 5 - 12

The closest and most thrilling finish of the race came in the Open Teams of 5-12. Two teams had traded the lead in this category throughout the day, and as destiny would have it, it would all come down to the final leg. Miles Waring had to run literally the fastest split of the day (16:42) over the final 5km to clinch victory in 9:01:42 by a mere 9 seconds for his team “Knerds” – Howard Roby, Andrew Garvie, Elise Stewart, Miles and Chris Waring – from a noble “Aviator’s Beach Club” – Dave Hayes, Shane Lund, Andrew Thomas, Richard Palmer, Sean Davis and Pete Hansen – in 9:01:51. 3rd placing went to Goulburn’s “Jindabeen There Again” – Mark and Olivia Stutchbury, Rodney Smith, Kurt Warn and Andy Dawes in 9:26:14.

“The Queen Bees” morphed from an Open to an All-Female team the evening before the race: a smart move which culminated in a category win in 11:42:54. The set-up of Amy Bainbridge, Melissa Backhouse, Carli Shillito, Nicole Barwick, Rach Robson and Megan Divett were happy trophy winners after a splendid day out.

“Team Pav” – Matt Tonner, Yvette Burns, Jason Further, Caroline Kuiper and Glenn Allen – took out the Mixed Teams of 5-12 in 9:24:51. Next home in this category was Canberra’s “Sport and Spinal Physio” – Craig and Zoe Honeybrook, Kelly and Tim Shillington, Claire Campbell, Arty Dziouba, Leanne Wright, Freddy Koche and Simon David – in 9:44:06; with “Resultz Racing” taking 3rd in 10:04:21, comprising Siobhan Palmer, Emily, Stewart-Reed, Rob Mudford, Michael Reed, James Allen, John and Anna McPherson.

Other male course records among the teams included Tristan White’s fine time of 22:21 for the second bike leg for team “Geese”; and Kelsey Boreham’s (team “Grab-a-Kab”) sensational new best time of 1:48:43 for the long second bike leg. A wonderful final 5km run from Alex Keith saw her set a new female course record time for this leg of just 19:22.

GRATITUDE

An event of this magnitude relies on the enthusiastic support, cooperation and service of numerous people, mostly heroes-behind-the-scenes. We are very grateful to Paul Gardiner for riding “sweep" for all 3 bike legs; to June Weston for permission to ride over her land; to Doug Chatten for medical support throughout the long day; to Les Threlfo and the VMS for logistical and safety support on all swim and paddle legs; to Snowy Hydro, Kosciuszko National Park, NSW Police, NSW RMS and Snowy Monaro Council for permits and permissions to stage the race within their respective jurisdictions; to Andrew Miller for operating the barge service to and from Creel Bay; to David Campbell, Robin Ward and Matt Barnes for paddle safety support on all 3 swim courses; to traffic marshals Steve Gilmore and Brad Fraser; to Miller Merrigan for permission to occupy their construction site on Rainbow Drive; and to members of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team from Mongolia, New Zealand, Perth, Brisbane, Torquay and Canberra.

Results (PDF Download)

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Jindabyne, 5 March 2017, full results by category 710.35 KB

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Jindabyne, 5 March 2017, full results overall 697.4 KB

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For participants, helpers, supporters and onlookers, the Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic is a stage on which shines our better nature: a day of epic competition; intense personal battles; of inner and outer struggle; of physical, emotional and mental triumphs; of selfless sacrifices; unexpected challenges, underlying exuberance and – ultimately – unmitigated exhilaration. It is the spirit of life laid bare, grasped, embraced and celebrated.

To quote from last year’s race report: “The race among the Solo Males proved to be an epic …It was the first paddle leg however, that revealed the most crucial factor in the ultimate contest – the superior paddling power of defending champion Tim Boote… Tim drew away from Klayten Smith in the final paddle leg to win in the end by a convincing 7 minutes. Both smashed the course record which Tim had set only the year before, his new mark now standing at 9:41:17.”

For this year’s report, I was tempted to cut and paste from 2016, amending only a few crucial details: just as it was Tim’s superior paddling which won the race last year, so it was Klayten’s much improved paddling – coupled with his already superb prowess in other disciplines – which earned him a famous victory in 2017. En route though, an unparalleled drama unfolded. Inspiration is a powerful force: in the true spirit of transcendence, it is possible that without Tim’s superlative performance last year, Klayten might not have had such a lofty goal to inspire him to discover just what he is capable of. Tim collected a new leg record for solo athletes of 32:34 for the challenging 1st mountain bike and was clearly in rare form. His finish time of 9:30:28 eclipsed his own course record (again) by 11 minutes, racing dauntlessly to the very finish line, never faltering in his lion-hearted purpose. Yet Klayten was today racing in another, even more rarefied realm: his 9:21:37 setting a stratospheric standard for this event. Almost collapsing upon crossing the finish line, Klayten’s face and whole being were witness to a supreme offering of body, life-energy, mind, heart and soul to a higher goal. We were privileged to witness such a contest unfold throughout an engrossing day; an inspiring and thrilling master class of athleticism, courage, dedication, discipline, sacrifice and soaring aspiration from two Himalayan athletes.

Tom Brazier and Paul Cuthbert are among Australia’s top ultra-distance trail runners, both having previously won the Sri Chinmoy Canberra Trail Ultra. Notwithstanding some previous experience with adventure racing, both were entering uncharted territory by even contemplating this event: to finish 3rd and 4th in the Solo category was an outstanding day out from each of these champions. The ebullient Geoff Breese from Wagga Wagga, owner of the Over 50’s course record for Canberra’s Sri Chinmoy Triple-Triathlon, ventured to Jindabyne for the first time and had a superb race, finishing in 12:25:26, tussling with age group course record-holder Jon Schol throughout until Jon was forced to withdraw at Creel Bay. The other soloist, Matthew Sheather, found himself suffering from the cold and wisely withdrew from the fray after the second paddle leg: an experience he plans to build on in preparation for another campaign to this race next year.

The only overall teams course record to be set this year was a wondrous 11:52:39 by the “Go Go Girls Over 60” – the indefatigable team of Sue Archer along with sisters Helen, Jean and Peggy Douglass. Precisely 10 years after they dazzled Jindabyne with their “Go Go Girls 50+” record in 2007, these sprightly girls staged another world-class display to leave us at once humbled and speechless. We eagerly await their return for many years more!

With each passing year, the individual leg records become more and more difficult to better, yet 2017 saw some outstanding efforts that accomplished just that: Ryan Cross blitzing the 1st run leg in 25:04; Zoe Cuthbert beating almost all of the men on the technical 1st MTB course in 33:36; and Vanessa Knee burning up the 2nd MTB route in 29:02. Special mention to Tom Fisher, who missed the MTB2 record of 24:27, by a mere one second.

The Jindabyne ensemble of “Splash, Dash, Crash and Smash” (Katrina Nicholl, Sue Machin, Vanessa Knee and Cath Bylett) took out the T4 Female category in 11:00:06 – hopefully next year they can shave off that extra 7 seconds to come home in under 11 hours. Next all-female team of 4 was “Girl power” (Nicolee Martin, Susie Sprague, Claire Edwards and Litsa Polygerinos) in 11:17:07.

Leading the field throughout the day was an enthralling and – at least for us spectators, highly entertaining – duel between two T4 Open teams: the foursome of David Peedom, Rohan Essex, David and Andrew Griffin of “Once were Intact” battling with the pair of “Fish and the Cro” – Ryan Cross and Brad Fisher. The lead swapped repeatedly throughout the day, though “Fish and the Cro” would seem to have an unassailable lead at Creel Bay of 5 minutes with only 2 legs remaining … yet the final paddle leg has proven the Waterloo of many a campaign, with this year no exception. “Once were Intact” seized their opportunity to press home and take line honours in 8:20:32 ahead of “Fish and the Cro” in 8:29:46 and another impressive pairing of “TRI-X Performance” (Tom Fisher and John Morton) in 8:58:55.

The latest incarnation of Steve Hanley’s “32 Flavours”, teaming with daughter-father combo of Millie and Ron Brent, cruised home to take out the T4 Mixed category in 10:18:02; from 2nd placed “NFR” (Jenna Chiffey, Dan Smith, Tristyn Lowe and Simon Plum) in 10:30:28; while completing the podium in this category were “Must Have Fun” (Katie Binstock, Joe Andrews, Emma Johnson and Rebecca Thomson) in 10:35:18 – notably a team in which females completed 9 of the 12 legs.

“Aviator’s Beach Club” – one of the famous team names returning to this epic event – comprising Dave Hayes, Shane Lund, Andrew Thomas, Richard Palmer, Sean Davis and Peter Hansen, took out the T12 Open category in an impressive 9:15:58, after an enthralling day’s racing with 3 other teams: “Knerds” (Julie, Miles & Chris Waring, Andrew Garvie, & Howard Roby) finished in 9:28:43; while 3rd place ended up as almost a sprint finish between “United Nations 3” (Jacques Lepron, Jonathan Schaffer, Chris Buchanan, Christian de la Rica & David Roberts) in 9:35:02 from “Geese” (Elise Stewart, Greg Dolgopolov, Michael Hotchkiss, Rob Watson & David Griffith) who just missed out on the podium with a 4th placed 9:35:20.

The T12 Mixed category was won by “South Coasters” (Jana Kuznik, Mark & Julie Moore, Mike, McKenzie, Paul, Clayton & Beck O’Brien) in 9:46:59; 2nd place went to “Stuffed Toys and Stuffed Parents” (Gary Rolfe, Mark McDonald, Amanda & Matt Koerber, Rob Hayes, Danielle Winslow, David Simpfendorfer, Melanie Simpson & Janet Street) in 10:20:36; and 3rd place to “Kaos” (Cassia, Saul & Pia Cunningham, Mike & Jesse Dunlop, Zoe & Ella Cuthbert and Adrienne Nicotra) in 11:15:01.

Our award for best team name this year goes to “The Abominable Slow-Men” :-)

Immense gratitude to Les Threlfo and his tireless team from the Jindabyne Volunteer Marine Rescue, who had to step up when the National Parks barge broke down mid-ferry service to and from Creel Bay, coinciding with the onset of the storm; Rohan Kennedy the medic; Paul Gardiner of Rolling Ground for sweeping all 3 MTB legs; Soren, Tim & Matt for paddle support on the 3 swim courses; June Weston for graciously allowing us to ride across her land; to Andrew Miller and the staff of Kosciuszko National Park; staff of Snowy Hydro, Showy Monaro Shire Council, NSW RMS, Queanbeyan Police, and volunteer helpers from the Sri Chinmoy Centres of Chicago, Ulaanbaatar, Christchurch, Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne, Shepparton and Canberra.

Jindabyne race stories

Enjoy Steve Hanley's photo essay on his "32 Flavours" team's journey to win the T4 Mixed category of the 2017 edition.

Jindabyne race stories

Note: more photos from Andrew Oberg's report can be found at the end of the event photo gallery.

The Jinadabyne Multisport Classic did not go unnoticed to the Goulburn contingent of Mark Stutchbury, Andrew Dawes, Jacqueline Oberg, Kelvin Martin, Kerry Baxter, Rod Smith and Andrew Oberg. Most of these competitors are pointy end finishers of the classic Triple Triathlon in Canberra (“Giant 440 Woddies #4Pete” whom were 5th outright in 2016). For the first time, a team was formed by this energetic lot, “JindaBeanThere & DoneThat - #4Pete” who eagerly headed out to tackle a multitude of demanding legs.

Unlike the traditional triathlon format, this event throws in an additional challenge - kayak legs! Right from the first kayak leg, it became apparent that this discipline would be a steep learning curve. Fellow competitors had immensely impressive crafts. Their slick, streamlined and intimidating vessels, would prove to be far superior when compared to the Goulburn team’s craft. Goulburn’s humble little machine would look more at home trout fishing in the local area than racing the magnificent waters of Lake Jindabyne.

Kayakers, Andrew Dawes, Kelvin Martin and Rod Smith all had solid performances, albeit in different conditions. Andrew had a windless ride with a lake as flat as the Sri Chinmoy post-race pancakes. Andrew prepared extensively for this leg, which was clearly evidenced from his super-fast finishing time. He even spent hours constructing a customised hydration system for this leg to maximise paddling time and efficiency. In the second paddle, Kelvin whilst out racing, encountered equipment difficulties. His paddle separated in the middle and with sunscreen all over his hands he was unable to rejoin it, until he had assistance from the water safety crew. Regardless, he still managed a strong performance. Rod had to endure the third leg. By the time he began his leg the lake was becoming a surfer’s delight with waves breaking over the bow. Many of the slick race crafts that were dominant in the earlier legs become victims of this situation. Consequently, Goulburn’s stable little boat would prove its worth after all. By the end of his leg, Rod came to shore battered and sore after suffering the tough conditions.

All of our swimmers were proven performers in the H2O. Mark Stutchbury, Andrew Dawes and Jacqueline Oberg swam in that order. Per usual, Mark and Andrew were formidable forces in the water. Both athletes managed category placing’s in the top five, in turn, helping establish strong leads for the team. Jacqueline got to enjoy a picturesque ferry ride across the lake to her transition area on a remote beach. Her swim started in ocean like conditions becoming increasingly calmer the closer she got to shore. When she emerged from the swim, she sprinted up the bank to tag our last kayaker, proving why she was selected as one of our team runners also.

The mountain bike legs lived up to their respective reputations. During the first leg, Andrew Oberg snapped a chain only 3kms in. Luckily, he was able to repair it in around five minutes to still post the 16th fastest ride for this course. Mark Stutchbury showed his time trial prowess and his ability to scale a barbed wire fence in order to conquer the course, subsequently making up a few more positions during the second MTB leg. Kerry Baxter, racing on a brand new bike reveled in the hilly conditions of the third and longest ride. This involved him conquering over one kilometre of total elevation.

Whilst waiting for our first runner to get underway, Kelvin took the opportunity to do a spot of fishing amidst the chaos! To everybody’s surprise he pulled out not one, but two trout from the water, both were returned to fight another day. Jacqueline got our run campaign started and ran well without incident over the undulating cross country course. Rod took on the second run leg which was easily the most arduous. Given the courses colossal difficulty, the team had plenty of time to have some lunch before the later legs. Andrew Oberg ran the final 5km run leg in just over 20 minutes. The Sri Chinmoy photographer for some reason was twice seen by him on this short run leg. Hence, not wanting to look weak for the lens added a little more pressure to his run.

The team came home in 10:35 minutes and were the 22nd finishers overall. They were the seventh team in the open category and had an absolute blast! The post-race lentil burgers were enjoyed immensely by all and were scoffed down in record time. Following the race, the team commenced strategising for the next year’s event. The “JindaBeanThere & DoneThat - #4Pete” plan on returning next year, bigger, faster and smarter across all 12 demanding legs. With a more fine-tuned race plan, they hope to scale the leaderboard and return more victorious one year from now.

Jindabyne race stories

Go Go Girls All over 60 – 2017 Jindabyne Multisport- Perspective from each discipline

SWIMMER - Helen

Suddenly I remembered….

Yes the Go Go Girls are back to test ourselves at Jindabyne after a 6 year break.

The first swim at daylight is always a heady mix of excitement, nerves and cheering as we headed off to the buoy in calm overcast conditions.

Suddenly I remembered for those at the rear end it is akin to swimming in a spa as the thrashing of legs and arms whip up a foam and fog with a sea of colourful caps ahead.

Gasping with the effects of too much adrenalin suddenly I remembered _ “It is OK, goggles are on, just swim to the finish, tag Jeannie for her paddle”. That team greeting at the end of swim 1? It feels great.

After several months of training in the local pools where the water temperature was up to 31 degrees, the only alternatives was a coastal estuary one hour drive from our farm. Depending on the tide the estuary was a mass of seaweed, the occasional blue bottle, small fish and curious pelicans.

All was going well until a friend mentioned that Bull sharks lurk there! Not wanting to have shark assisted times in training, I took to our farm dams. The leeches were pleased, the ducks and tortoises rather surprised.

Joy of joys the conditions are calm for the second swim and having Jeannie paddling alongside is very reassuring.

Suddenly I remembered how good it feels to swim in this cool clean lake water.

“Goggles are on, just swim”.

The team is going steadily and well as the day progresses and we are waiting at Horseshoe Bay for Peggy when a black line of clouds appears from the south. Pelting rain, wind and Peggy arrived all at the same time. The previously glassy lake is now a boiling mass of chop and the buoy barely visible in the squall. I was so grateful Jeannie was paddling despite the headwind and waves. Suddenly I remembered - “goggles are on, just swim and breathe at the top of the wave.”

When Sue ran to the finish and we were cheering suddenly I remembered how wonderful it is to share this day with three fabulous women on our team, other teams and the brave solo athletes.

Thanks to everyone at Sri Chinmoy and the volunteers who make this event so special.

PADDLER - Jeannie

Sing ho! for the brave an’ gallant sea kayaks

The rockets and epics and fenns are fast, but Lake Jindabyne is renowned for whipping up some choppy seas.

So I decided to take my trusty, comfortable, stable, but slightly slower ‘Mirage 580’. I had tried out my nephews fenn kayak, but found the slight instability meant I wasn’t much faster in it, and the paddling was less enjoyable. Having done some “training” – paddling between Wonboyn and Tathra the week before the race – I was hoping for a bit of rough weather! Well it did happen. A dark clouded squall hit just as our swimmer set out on the last swim leg. I paddled along with her – partly for safety, company and a sort of a warm up before my paddle leg. Helen bravely rode the waves and managed to breathe at the crest – mostly. While I revelled in a bit of stormy seas and pelting rain in my gallant sea kayak.

Jeannie with granddaughter, Frida (mascot for 2 teams) and daughter, Melanie (competitor in team 701)

Thanks so much to Sri Chinmoy team in holding this event. A wonderfully enjoyable day.

RUNNER - Sue

I was privileged to be a part of this great team. Swimming, paddling, mountain biking no problem for Helen, Jean & Peggy. The conditions were pretty good too, only one nasty squall in the afternoon which the girls in the water handled without missing a stroke.

The run legs were challenging. I ran steadily on the first and third ones, but the long, second run was by far the most difficult. It was also the most scenic. Struggling through the Thredbo River (Jean and Ron were there to help with the guide rope) was a bonus. But, by the end of that run I had a meltdown. A good lunch, encouragement from the GGGirls and our indispensable supporters Ron & Paul, got me through for the final leg.

It was a pleasure to do the last run on the edge of Lake Jindabyne at dusk and be greeted by everyone, not least the gracious Sri Chinmoy organisers, it was a truly transcendent experience!

RIDER - Peggy

“By The Time I Got There…..”: (3rd of 3 rides)

By the time I got to the marshal halfway up to Burrangabuggie:

Those really fast (young) blokes were finishing. The marshal, as it turned out, was delighted to have something to do. He must have been on duty for 4 or 5 hours and not seen anyone for a while. “I’m not last”, I puffed, “but you will be able to go home soon”. (Thank you, to all marshals, on all the legs, for being there and offering cheerful encouragement).

By the time I got to Botherum Plain:

The headwind was roaring, the herd of brumbies were moving off to shelter out of the stinging, spitting not-quite-rain. Just enough to dampen, but not drench me. It was a long slog over to the forest, hoping for a bit of protection from the assembling squall and (yippee!) downhill.

By the time I got to Horseshoe Bay

The first solo, Klayten Smith, was just finishing.

Back at Horseshoe, the cold rain squall was seconds away and NPWS boat broken. A huddle of cold bikers shivered on the beach along with anxious team swimmers. Helen, our swimmer and Jean our paddler, ploughed off into the growing chop. Joy of joys, my brilliant team had left me a warm jacket and raincoat.

We (the back end of the field) caught one of the last shuttles after a long cold wait. (Thank you to the skipper and her crew.)

By the time Sue brought the team home with a nifty last run we were well within cut-off – 10 years plus an hour and 5 minutes slower than our last record.

Excellent event. Made possible by Sri Chinmoy Marathon team, land holders, NPWS and other teams, those astonishing solo athletes, our helpers/photographers, Simmo and Paul, and us - brilliant (and still sparkling) team.

Results (PDF Download)

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Jindabyne, 6 March 2016, Full Results by Category 672.6 KB

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Jindabyne, 6 March 2016, Full Results Overall 661.32 KB

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Love conquers all.

One month prior to the 2016 edition of the Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, with only 5 entries received, it seemed the event had lost its appeal and might have breathed its last.

This prospect brought forth a surge of affection and enthusiasm for the race which saw this number multiply tenfold in the next 3 weeks …

… and so the race lives on, thanks entirely to the love of its participants. Our gratitude especially to Michael Brennan – who beat the drum far and wide – and locals from the Jindabyne area for their eager support and faith in this event. The increased participation from local teams also attracted more spectators and supporters, with lots of children adding a happy, festival atmosphere to the transition zones.

The morning dawned calm under a crescent moon above Kalkite, portent of a bright, clear day. 6 solo athletes and 44 relay teams took the plunge for the 1.5km triangular swim in the warm (24 degree) waters at the head of Lake Jindabyne.

The race among the Solo Males proved to be an epic – though placings out of the first swim would prove deceptive, as the final three finishers completed the opening leg in the reverse order of their final standing. Michael Brennan was consistently fastest in the swims, taking the lead again after the second (2.5km) swim leg. It was the first paddle leg however, that revealed the most crucial factor in the ultimate contest – the superior paddling power of defending champion Tim Boote. Klayten Smith – a former winner of Canberra's Sri Chinmoy Triple-Triathlon (which has no paddling) – made his serious move through the two toughest legs of the race, the 11.5km run up the Pallaibo Track and Waterfall Loop, and the following 42.8km mountain bike ride into the heart of the National Park, over Botherum Plain and behind Mt Kalkite. Starting the second run leg with a 14 minute deficit, he reduced this to 4 minutes at Sawpit Creek. By the top of the climb out of the Snowy River on the long bike ride, Klayten had taken the lead. The pair matched stroke for stroke through the final swim and into the transition at Creel Bay, only for Tim to draw away once more in the final paddle leg to win in the end by a convincing 7 minutes. Both smashed the course record which Tim had set only the year before, his new mark now standing at 9:41:17. Astonishingly, Tim finished 2nd outright and Klayten 4th outright even among all the teams. Michael took 3rd among the solos, finishing in 10:42:33. Each of the 3 solo male finishers came away with a new course record for various legs: Tim set a new best time for the 1st MTB course; Klayten a new fastest for the long 3rd MTB; and Michael for the 3rd swim.

Alina McMaster won the inaugural Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic in 2005, returning 11 years later to conquer the now-longer and tougher course solo once more and inspire us all, a true champion soaring through the challenges/opportunities of age, family and a litany of injuries. Drawing on immense courage and determination, Alina thrilled all with her rousing performance. She also set new Solo Female course records for the 1st run and MTB legs, which have been revised since the original course she raced in 2005.

Though they were not pitted against each other, there was nevertheless an intriguing race between Alina and Jon Schol, racing for the first time in the Male 50+. They took turns in the lead until the decisive long ride when Jon pulled away en route to establishing a new course record for his category of 12:14:30.

Standout team of the day – leading from leg 3 to the finish and ultimately winning by a full hour from the runners-up – "Cross, Johnny and the Flying Fishers" (Ryan Cross, Brad Fisher, John Morton and Tim Fisher), easily won the "T4 Open" division from "Inhibitory Synapse" (Peter Velloza, Simon Robertson, Sean Chan and Andrew Grifffin) and "3 Men and a Baby" (Matt Backhouse, Ray Bostleman, Derek Shearer and Steve Baker) – all under the magical 10 hours. 5th placed T4 Open "Hasbeens" featured the star swimmer of the day, Jacques Lepron, who swam the fastest time for each of the 3 swim legs, including a new course record for Swim 3.

"Yeah no kids" (Philippa Woodhill, Claire Edwards, Nicolee Martin and Carolyn Droste) took out the T4 All-Female in 12:15:26; while "32 Flavours" returned as a 3-person ensemble of Milly Brent, Ron Brent and Steve Hanley to handsomely win the T4 Mixed category in 10:09:18 from "Slinky" (Heather Lawton, Andrew Slocombe, Tom Landon-Smith and Michelle Greche) and "CGS Outdoor" (Peter Macartney, Sue Donoghoe, Laura Marshall and Mark Vogel).

The distinction between "Open" and "Mixed" teams is that a Mixed team must have at least 4 legs completed by female team members. Therefore "Open" includes all-male teams and teams with fewer than 4 legs completed by females – meaning that Open teams generally return faster results than Mixed teams and feature higher in the Overall standings – but not today! A notable feature of this race was the extraordinary dominance of the Mixed teams over the Open teams in the T12 division.

"Team KAOS" – mostly young girls and few "oldies" – powered by 2 bike leg records from Tara Sutherland (MTB 1 and MTB 2), were involved in two great races, both of which they won in 10:01:21. Swapping places constantly with "Jindy Jokers" until Paul Cuthbert's decisive long run/long ride combo gave them a large enough lead, the KAOS crew took the T12 Mixed from the local team's 10:04:29 by a mere 3 minutes. Their other race was for fastest T12 team outright against the 1st placed T12 Open team, "Geese" (10:01:57). Powerful paddling from Geese's Greg Dolgopolov put them into the lead at the last transition. only for Ella Curthbert to catch Greg on the final run into Banjo Patterson Park and win the T12 Division by 36 seconds.

"Get Nicked" were the next T12 Mixed team in 10:18:12 from the impressive "Obie Crew" in 10:27:01, who had led the T12s for most of the day. "Chuggin'n Chafin'" came 2nd in the T12 Open in 10:38:22 from "Puffins" in 11:09:48.

Our gratitude to all who helped make this gathering such a memorable day: to June Weston for allowing us to ride through her property; to Les Threlfo and the Volunteer Marine Rescue for on-water safety and support; to Craig Stonestreet, Paul Gardiner and their eager team of volunteers for maintaining and enhancing the amazing network of tracks that form the MTB 1 course (and to Paul for sweeping all 3 MTB courses on the day); to Doug Chatten for medical support; to the ever-helpful Andrew Miller and the staff of Kosciuszko National Park HQ; to Soren, Tim, William and Kelly for paddle support on the 3 swim courses; to Snowy Hydro for permission to stage the race on their lake and land; to Snowy River Shire Council for permits, road signage and assistance; the NSW Police (Queanbeyan); NSW RMS for a Road Occupancy Licence for the MTB 3 course and an Aquatic Licence for the water-based legs; to Triathlon NSW for sanctioning the event; and last but not least to members and friends of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team of Australia, New Zealand and Mongolia for their sleepless service.

Enjoy these superb photos from a memorable day.

See you next year!

Jindabyne race stories

In 2016, Steve Hanley's team "32 Flavours" was a Mixed team of 3. Here are his photos from the day...

Results (PDF Download)

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Jindabyne, full category results 481.07 KB

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Jindabyne 15 March 2015, full results overall 479.43 KB

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The Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic is a splendid celebration in a magical location. The 9th running of this epic event showcased rare athleticism, dauntless determination, high-spirited enthusiasm and smiles aplenty.

Congratulations to all who took part as Solo Athletes, relay team members, officials and helpers in any capacity, all combining as an orchestra in a sporting symphony both marvellous and memorable.

Race of the day belongs to Tim Boote, who came in 8th outright amongst all the teams and set a new Course Record for Solo Athletes (over the post-2007 course) of 10:08:53. Tim exuded calm and focus throughout, seeming as fresh at the finish line as he had for the 6.45am start from Kalkite – an exceptional sporting performance from a gracious winner.

Graham Hammell (11:07:54) and Cameron Darragh (11:28:29) were also magnificent in conquering such an enormous feat of endurance, strength, skill and inner fortitude.

Quickest team were the former record holders (from 2010) “Get Stuffed” (James Crook, David Coward, Jarrod Crosby and Danny Wright), whose combined time of 8:40:36 proved 32 minutes faster than the field.

New records were established for various legs including Joe Andrews’ 23:38 for the 2nd paddle; Laura Marshall’s 32:48 and Danny Wright’s 24:27 for the 2nd bike; and Steve Ward’s 17:20 for the 3rd swim.

Our deep gratitude goes to Andrew Miller (Kosciuszko National Park); Jenny Crowe (Snowy Hydro); Nipun Patterson; June Westwood; Les Threlfo and the Volunteer Marine Rescue (NSW); Craig Stonestreet & Paul Gardiner (MTB tracks); Rick Scott (Snowy River Shire Council); Aiden Machin (sweep MTB); Tim Davoli & Soren Netz (paddle support); Sam Morabito (NSW Police); Karl Brough (NSW Roads & Maritime Service); Tom Roberts (Sports Medicine Australia); special guest helpers Mr Lee, Sue & Duy; “My Rainbow-Dreams” cafe; and Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team volunteers from London, Bucharest, Ulan Baatar, Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne and Canberra.

A fine photo album from around the transitions captures multifarious moods and memories of the day.

Jindabyne race stories

In 2014, Steve's Hanley's team "32 Flavours" incarnated as an All-Male team of 4, to take out the course record for their category. Read his report with photos.

The Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic was staged in, on and around Lake Jindabyne and the Kosciuszko National Park on Sunday 2 March 2014. Full results by category and overall follow:

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, 2 March 2014 – full results by category>>

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, 2 March 2014 – full results overall>>

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, 2 March 2014 – top 3 placings for each leg by category>>

Just as race eve brought a drenching downpour to ease the drought afflicting the Jindabyne countryside, so race morn dawned clear and bright, presaging the end of the 3-year drought since the Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic was last staged in March 2011.

Major flooding in 2012 and high water levels in 2013 saw the postponement of this marquee event not once, but twice, enforcing a 3-year hiatus between its 7th and 8th editions. Come race day, everyone involved was reminded just how much we all love this race: the scenery, the ambience, the camaraderie, the competition, the many and varied challenges, the exhilaration…

Only two solo entrants toed the line at Kalkite Waters, joining the teams' start at 7 am. A small contingent they may have been, yet they provided – for the first occasion in the event's history – a 100% finish rate for the whole solo field. Graham Hammell from Gerringong, was originally entered with a mate as a team of two, yet when his friend was unable to attend, rather than withdrawing himself, Graham decided simply to step up to the next level and race the whole thing solo. His time of 11:13:03 was a sensational return for the courage, commitment and daring to take on this challenge: he even collected a new course record (for soloists) for the MTB1 course along the way. David Shirley of Castlecrag (NSW), is another who came and conquered on his second attempt, finishing in 12:47:12 after a steady and focussed race throughout. We salute both soloists – your cheerful demeanour and constant respect and appreciation for the efforts of all the course marshals and helpers along the way demonstrated both your humility and magnanimity, which combined with your sheer guts and determination gave us all tremendous inspiration and joy in your achievements.

Not only did the entire solo field finish the race, but amazingly – and again, for the first time in the event's history – every team which started the race, also crossed the finish line. While there were a few athletes who did not make the cut-off times for a leg here or there, in each case their teams were able to take it in their stride and forge ahead to the finish: wonderful testimony to the spirit, adaptability and attitude of all teams across the field.

New team on the block "32 Flavours" (Heath Wade, Mark McDonald, Steve Hanley and David Simpfendorfer) led the race for most of the day and ended up setting a superb new course record of 8:17:01 for this gruelling 12-leg epic. David Simpfendorfer was the engine room for the team, serving up the fastest times on the day for each of his 3 bike legs, including new course records for the second (24:34) and third (1:54:04) bike legs. 20 minutes adrift of "32 Flavours" came the Wollongong-based stalwarts "Team Ranga" of Brett Parry, Dave Neall, Ian Kennerley and Al Boyle.

Next team home was "Six of the Best" (Jacob Helson, Martin Wells, Michael Hass, Mark Bolte, Bradley Holland, Phil Holland), winning the T12 Open category in 9:06:48. "Six of the Best" proved to be the only team out of the top ten finishers who were NOT entered in the highly-competitive T4 Open category.

The predominantly-female "Sweet Lego" placed 11th outright and 1st in the T12 Mixed category (Kate Vandenberg, Danielle Winslow, Beth Chaffers, Simon Everett, Ian Warren) in 9:43:36. "Evan's Angels" (Tegan Makowski, Karri Ryan, Meg Helson, Evan Westlake) also broke the 10-hour barrier with their 9:51:16 and first place in the T4 Mixed category.

The T4 Female category went to the local team of "Jindy Quattro Divas" (Tara Burton, Shauna Knee, Sara Ward-Collins, Vanessa Knee), finishing in 11:01:00. En route to their victory, Vanessa also took out a new record for the MTB1 course of 36:34.

Our debt of gratitude is owed to Les Threlfo and the Volunteer Marine Rescue for their marvellous on-water support for all swim and paddle legs; to Paul Gardiner for his expert work renovating the track for the MTB1 course as well as sweeping all three mountain bike legs; to Glenn Inches for medical support on the day; to Andrew Miller and staff of the Kosciuszko National Park for their enthusiastic embrace of the race, including providing the ferry service between Creel and Horseshoe Bays; to Triathlon NSW and in particular Race Referee Maureen Bronjes; to the officers and staff of Snowy Hydro, the Snowy River Shire Council, NSW Police and NSW RMS (both Roads and Aquatic divisions).

We especially salute and offer our soulful thanks to the owners of "Michaels" (venue for most of the MTB2 course), June Weston and her late husband Bob, who sadly passed away in the week before the race, who have been wholehearted supporters of the "Classic" since its inception. Bob will be affectionately remembered by all the event organisers – his laconic, kind-hearted presence at once reassuring, calming and energising. We like to feel that in future editions of this race as we swim, paddle, ride and run across the beloved landscape in which he lived and worked for over 90 years, Bob will be there, his smile of encouragement and appreciation offering that extra unseen boost that carries us all beyond our personal limitations and sustains the thread of joy that transforms our struggles into lasting happiness…

Full results are published – both overall and by category – including split times and placings for each athlete and each leg of the race; along with a photo album from the day.

Race Photos

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The weather is always a factor in an outdoor multi-sport event such as the Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic in and around Jindabyne - yet the most significant role it played in influencing this year's event was in the week prior to the race.

Heavy rains, following months of record rainfall, left the Gungarlin River on Botherum Plain impassable. With not enough time to obtain permissions from traffic authorities for a completely new course, the 3rd bike leg became a 28 km point-to-point ascent of Kosciuszko Rd from Sawpit Creek to Charlotte's Pass, the highest point on a public sealed road in Australia. This was followed by a transport stage to Creel Bay, where the 3rd swim leg became a 1.2 km triangular loop, returning to the same starting point to lead into the 3rd paddle leg.

The 1st run and mountain bike courses were also significantly altered from previous years, each becoming a little shorter, faster and more streamlined.

Due to the inclusion of a temporary bike leg along with a transport stage, finishing times for this year's event are not eligible for overall course records. All finishing times are for time spent racing only, and do not include the mandatory one hour allocated for the transport stage from Charlotte's Pass to Creel Bay.

Despite forecast showers, only the briefest smattering of rain was felt with a few gusts of wind mid-afternoon, as most of the day saw perfect racing conditions â€“ relatively cool, overcast and a still lake.

In the Solo Male division, Aaron Coles took a 3-minute lead out of the 1st swim and never looked back, only extending his margin as the day progressed to finish in an outstanding 10:12:34. Steven Hanley and Lee Rice both had exceptional races to finish in 10:56:40 and 11:28:03 respectively. The tussle between Steven and Lee came down to a simple equation: more race time being spent paddling and biking â€“ Steven's two strongest suits â€“ meant he was ultimately favoured against Lee's superior swimming and running.

Sharon Dilly, the only Solo Female competitor, showed tremendous heart and both inner and outer strength to conquer this demanding course at her first attempt in 11:55:24 â€“ and set a new course record for the 3rd paddle of 59:55 (the fastest of any solo athlete) en route!

An exultant "Team RANGA" (Ian Kennerley, Al Boyle, Dave Neal and Brett Parry) from Wollongong, were not only the fastest but also the happiest team to finish, in a slick 7:56:43 placing them 1st in the Open Teams of 4 as well as taking line honours. Along the way, Ian Kennerley also established a new fastest time for the 1st paddle of 38:35.

Next across the line in 8:01:33, and 2nd Open Team of 4 were the 3-man combo "The Confabulators" (Grant Prowse, Bart McPherson and Mitch Hale). Bart McPherson not only established a new course record for the new, shorter 1st run leg (naturally breaking his own record from the old course), he also ran the fastest times for the other two run legs, and set the second fastest times for two of the paddles.

3rd place Open Team of 4 in 8:36:33 were "Magic 8 Ball", featuring English Chanel swimmer Kevin Cassidy alongside James Southern, Yan Zhao and Ed McDonald.

"Velocity Vixens" (Sue Navakas, Roslyn Hickson, Sally Parker and Michele Clement), one of the most consistent high-performance multi-sport teams of the past decade, were the clear winner amongst the All-Female Teams of 4, in a combined 9:19:13. Team member Sally Parker - a known swimmer - established a new course record for the new 1st run of 31:22.

2nd All-Female Team of 4 in 10:14:07 were the local "Jindy Quatro Divas" â€“ Alina Plescam, Cherrie Power, Vanessa Knee and Janine Becker. Their cause was also boosted by a new course record to Vanessa Knee (40:27) for the 1st bike leg.

"Tangerine Trio", featuring husband-and-wife dynamic due of David Baldwin and Julie Quinn, supplemented with Andrew Rowe, took out the major prize in the Mixed Teams of 4 in 8:28:56. It is not often that Julie races without setting at least one course record, and she chose the hardest on offer to go for today, clinching a new best time for the daunting 2nd run of 1:12:26.

2nd in the Mixed Teams of 4 â€“ and leading for most of the day â€“ were the exciting "VO3 Max" (Morgan Skillman, Jeremy Gillman-Wells, Gerard Tiffen and Brent Miller) in 8:34:40. Gun biker Brent Miller set new best times for the both the 1st and 2nd bikes legs (27:34 and 25:05 respectively), as well as the best time on the day for the 3rd bike of 1:12:51; while swimmer Morgan Skillman was the outright fastest in all 3 swim legs.

3rd placed Mixed Team of 4 (actually 3), "The Third Wheel" (Tim Boote, Deanna Blegg, Teagan Belfrage) were an usual combination in the Mixed Teams context, in that they only featured one male. Their finishing time of 9:04:03 included a new best time for the 1st paddle leg of 46:27 by Deanna Blegg.

The closest finish in any category came in the Open Teams of 12 where the "Old School" (9:22:21) overcame a half-hour deficit at the half-way stage of the race to gradually claw their way back, in the end just pipping "Warij" (9:22:25) by three seconds. A little later came 3rd placed "Ground Engaging Tools" in 9:34:17.

1st in the All-Female Team of 12 were "The Flamin' Lambretta's", stopping the clock in 10:39:38.

The Mixed Team of 12 major prize went once again to the ever-present (having participated every year) "Aviators Beach Club", coming third across the line in 8:22:42. Stalwart competitor Gabrielle Hurley showed her worth once more, setting a new course record for the final paddle leg of 53:28. Next were the "Jindy Allsorts" in 9:30:42, also taking the unofficial award for 1st-placed local team; ahead of "It's All Good" in 9:49:05.

One other course record was established â€“ for fastest female team member in the 2nd bike â€“ by Michelle Inglis of "The Followers of Ming the Merciless", in 36:17.

Our immense gratitude goes to Craig Stonestreet and his team for their hundreds of hours of work on the tracks used for the 1st bike course, and for establishing some new tracks for the 1st run course. Also to Allison Mitchell of Snowline Podiatry for her assistance with paddling on the swim courses, and to Mick Davis for sweeping the first two bike courses; as well as to medico Glen Inches for his sterling services.

A huge thank you to the Snowy River SES for providing support and communication services across all swim and paddle legs of the event, and for stepping in to help when our own boat broke down half way through the day.

This event could not happen without the dedicated support of the staff and officers of Kosciuszko National Park (especially Andrew Miller); Koscsiuzko Education Centre; Snowy River Shire Council; Snowy Hydro; NSW Maritime; NSW RTA; NSW Police (Southern Area Command); and Bob and June Weston.

Full results â€“ both overall and by category â€“ are published, along with a photo album from around the course. The 8th Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic will be staged in, on and around Lake Jindabyne in March 2012.

The 7th Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic was staged in, on and around Lake Jindabyne and Kosciuszko Ntional Park on Sunday 13 March 2011.

Due to a late change in the 3rd cycle leg (leg 8 of the race), a transport stage was included, between Charlotte's Pass and Creel Bay. Please note that the published results do not include the transport stage, so the published finishing time represents the accumulated race time, and not the elapsed time between the start and finish of the event.

7th Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Jindabyne - full results by category>>

7th Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic, Jindabyne - full results overall>>

Results for the Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic staged on Sunday 7 March 2010:

Full results by category>>

Full results overall>>

Top 3 placings for each leg by category>>

Race Photos

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7 March, 2010: Two years ago, Steve Hanley dragged himself and his bike up over the Gungarlin Pipeline track and across Botherum Plain. During the next swim from Horseshoe Bay, hardly able to breathe, he realised he was cooked and his dream of completing the Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic as a soloist was over. He had courageously entered the race with the flu and saw a year's training dissolve in a quiet resignation at Creel Bay.

His resolve intensified by the experience, Steve (left) returned in 2009 to conquer the course. In 2010 he took over an hour off his time and won the race.

Ross Beatty came in 20 minutes after Steve, immediately proclaiming "Never again!" yet smiling nonetheless. This was Ross' comeback race after a few years focussing on other pursuits. For the soloists it was a hard day at the office, yet a profoundly significant personal achievement. Scott Sorrell had led from the outset, while Craig Kentwell had also looked solid throughout, until the long climb up the Gungarlin Fire Trail took its toll on them both.

Three teams broke the magical 9-hour barrier, all with stellar all-round performances. Last year's winners "Get Stuffed" (right) â€“ swimmer James Crook, paddler David Coward, runner Jarrod Crosby and mountain biker Daniel Wright â€“ took line honours and 1st place in the T4 Open category in a new course record 8:32:18.

Not far behind, in 8:40:12 â€“ also a new course record in their category of T4 Mixed â€“ came "Entropic", featuring 2 former solo finishers and female athlete of the day, Shanyn Sparreboom (left) who set the fastest time outright (and female course records) for 2 of the 3 swim legs, and the fastest female time for the remaining swim as well as the final run. Shanyn chose good company in Randall Fitzsimon, Alex Ramsay and Mark McDonald.

Jindabyne stalwarts, Dave Hayes' "Aviators Beach Club" â€“ who have sometimes raced as a Mixed Team in past years â€“ just pipped the 9-hour mark in 8:59:38 to take out this year's T12 Open main prize. Dave was joined this time round by Elliott Wise, Shane Lund, JK Thomas, Richard Palmer and Pete Hansen.

Next were "The Sequins", 1st in a new record time for the T12 Mixed category in 9:22:23. Sally Parker led the charge with Nicholas Remires, Pete Garbutt, Catarina Axelsson, Aaron Coles and Pete Flynn rounding out a formidable combination.

The famous "Go Go Girls" again showed the younger women a thing or two (not that they are competitive, mind you!), taking out the T4 Female 50+ category in the impressive time of 11:12:37. Each of the Go Go Girls â€“ swimmer Helen Douglass, paddler Jean Douglass, runner Sue Archer and mountain biker Peggy Douglass â€“ were among the very top female performers in every single leg of the race.

Jindabyne locals "The Roaring 40's" â€“ Jodie Old, Sue Machin, Carol Lee and Daisy Oayda â€“ took the T4 Female category in 11:56:28, to the delight of the local supporters.

The outstanding bike ride of the day came from local boy Anthony Evans of team "Multi-Glisse", who had warmed up with the 1st run and 2nd swim before tackling the 3rd MTB ride â€“ while most riders were returning slower times in the muddy conditions, Anthony's 1:55:41 set a new course record, the only rider to break 2 hours for the grueling 43 km.

Bart McPherson (right) of team "Mumbulla Muscle" was the sensational runner of the day, setting the fastest times for all 3 run legs, including course records for the 1st and 3rd runs. His 57:33 for the tough uphill 2nd run was a full 10 minutes quicker than his closest rival.

Also notable were new course records for the 3rd paddle leg by Rachelle Irving (54:41) and Gavin Granger (42:14) in trying conditions.

The organisers wish to express their sincere gratitude to Les Threlfo and the Snowy River State Emergency Service for safety, communication and patrolling of all water-based courses; Craig Stonestreet for building and maintaining the 1st MTB course and sweeping all 3 MTB courses; Bob and June Weston for use of their property "Michaels" for the 2nd MTB and transition area at Michaels Corner; Andrew Miller and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (Kosciuszko National Park) for assistance with the 2nd run, 3rd MTB and provision of a ferry service between Creel Bay and Horseshoe Bay; Pat Darlington for making available the facilities of the Kosciuszko Education Centre at Sawpit Creek; Snowy Hydro for permission to use the lake and its foreshores; Snowy River Shire Council for permission to construct the transition areas and for use of the cycle path for the 3rd run and Banjo Patterson Park for the finish; Peggy Huang for emergency medical services; Snr Constable Sam Morabito of the Queanbeyan Police, Wayne Wilson of the RTA (Wollongong) and Volker Georgi of the Snowy River Shire Local Traffic Committee (Berridale) for approval of traffic management plans and issuance of a Road Occupancy License for the use of Kosciuszko Rd during the 3rd MTB leg; Mick McKenzie of NSW Maritime (Queanbeyan) for approval of plans for an Aquatic License for use of Lake Jindabyne; ACT Snowsports for use of their PA system; "My Rainbow-Dreams" vegetarian cafe (Dickson) for catering services; and volunteer members from the Sri Chinmoy Centres of Brisbane, Melbourne, Auckland, Geelong, Sydney and Canberra.

Congratulations to all who participated in this remarkable and memorable event.

Full results are published, along with a photo album from the day.

The 7th Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic will be staged on Sunday 13 March in 2011.