The two events were finalists in the Best Sporting Event category with the winners announced at an awards ceremony in Sydney recently.

The Anaconda Adventure Race is like an off-road triathlon encompassing ocean swimming, kayaking, mountain bike riding and trail running.

A series of races are held each year, with each one in a different location across Australia, and for the past two years Forster has hosted a race. Next year, on May 1 and 2, Forster will host the final race in the 09/10 series.

The adventure race series is organised by Rapid Ascent and general manager Sam Maffett was thrilled to have been listed as a finalist for the Best Sporting Event award.

“It has been a terrific experience to be part of, but with competition like the multi-million dollar Australian Open, the odds of winning were never going to be that high,” he admitted.

Rapid Ascent is a relatively small events management company owned and run by Sam and John Jacoby and based in Torquay on the Victorian Surf Coast.

Other finalists in the Best Sporting event category were The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race organised by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and The Whereis Australian Surf Life Saving Championships organised by surf Life Saving Australia.

Following the gala awards dinner at the Westin Hotel Ballroom in Sydney, Sam swapped his suit for his running shoes, and was off to Western Australia to set up check points for one of his company’s more ‘hardcore adventure races’.

“It’s that kind of diversity that I love and why I do what I do.”