The course

The X-Marathon Adventure Race is a classic navigation event that will push you to the limit, both physically and mentally, and this year’s course is no exception! Each year, the course is different and may consist of kayaking, mountain biking, trekking, pack rafting and a few surprises!

The logistics planner will be released two weeks prior to the race leaving you with time to plan your strategy, while the exact course will only be revealed on the Friday night prior to the event. That should get your adrenaline pumping! All teams will receive the course map at the same time and will have just a few hours to plan their route. You’ll need to embrace a spirit of adventure and be prepared for anything!

The course itself is determined by control points. Teams will use topographical maps and satellite images to navigate their way between checkpoints. Race organizers will transport your gear between checkpoints as you swap from one discipline to another.  The first team to successfully navigate all of the checkpoints and cross the finish line with all team members will be the winner.

This course will certainly test your durability, both physically and mentally. You will have to plan your own sleeping strategy as there are no provisions given for sleeping. Teams will need to carefully plan their water usage, how much to carry and where to refill, if possible. You’ll need to carefully research weather and climate conditions and make sure you’re properly prepared.

2019 8th edition

Since 2018  we offer two courses: Full and Half.

Full Course – As the names suggest, the Full Course is an intense expedition race that is approximately 200 km. This will truly push your team to the edge. With great planning, preparation and organization, the leading time for a fast team is expected to be around 24 hours while the cut off time is 48 hours. The full course is the main focus of the event and you will need to be seriously tough to get through it!

Half Course – The Half Course will suit those who prefer a shorter version with more time to relish in the experience. In this variant, the leading time is expected to be 18 hours, while other teams can stay on a course for up to 48 hours.  The Half Course starts at the same point as the Full Course before then branching off to different sections. The Half Course will suit teams with less experience and who are not ready for the intense course. Don’t worry, this is still a grueling experience, and not to be underestimated!

If you’re a novice team, we suggest you start on the half course, but for the truly adventurous, you can still join the full course if you wish! It will test and push you possibly to limits you didn’t know existed. Some first time team don’t manage to finish the course but plenty of first time teams have managed it. Are you up for the ultimate challenge?

 

Check out 2016 and 2017 editions, how it could be

Check out couple of videos from 2016 edition, this is how it might be:

 

SEE X-Marathon 2017 course UPDATES

Expected winning time 24 hours. All teams can be on the course up to 48 hours. For the fastest teams kayaking legs will take about 6 hours, 10 hours of MTB and 8 hours of trekking.

 

Approximate 2017 distances were

  • MTB 120 km
  • Trekkng 30 km
  • Kayaking 55 km
  • Packrafting 12 km

 

maps

The best sample maps are used in our online trekking. If you had not seen 2016 edition live tracking, it is worth to check it out. In 2017 edition maps similar to 2016 edition will be used (VicMap 2012 version). Another good sample is a collection of maps from 2013 edition can be found here>> (courtesy of Liam Team Rogue Adventure). Please note, 2013 sample maps are VicMap 2000 version and tend to be less accurate then the ones will be used.    

 

LOGISTICS PLANNER for 2017 course

2017 Logistics planner is released. Download printable PDF verion.

XM Logistics Planner 17