Lake Crackenback Resort to Host 2013 National Cross Triathlon Championship

Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa will be getting down and dirty when it hosts the 2013 National Cross Triathlon Championships and New South Wales Dirt Fest on 9 and 10 March 2013.

This is not a run-of-the-mill triathlon; it is an off-road hard-core triathlon featuring many of Australia’s top adventure athletes toughing it out in a swim, mountain bike ride and trail run in the Snowy Mountains bushland surrounding Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa.

Over the weekend there will be a variety of events including short course, junior and kid’s triathlons plus trail runs, fun run and a free Mud Rats event for the little ones.

But the main event will be the National Cross Triathlon Championships. The national championship course features a 1000-metre swim, a 24km cross country mountain bike and an 8km trail run.

The event is sanctioned by Triathlon Australia and is a qualifier for the ITU World Cross Triathlon in the Hague, Netherlands in 2013.

Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa is one of Australia’s leading resort for mountain-bike and cross country experiences. The resort features 14km of year round mountain bike and running/walking trails linked to a new Mountain Bike Park that includes a skills area, a downhill flow track set with table-top jumps and berms and a pump track.

Event director Simon Lazenby said that one of the challenges of taking a triathlon off-road is that all course predictability is removed.

“Unlike road triathlons, a mountain bike course is very different every time you ride it. It requires a combination of skill, speed, strength and strategy to stay at the pointy end of the field. The weather, track conditions and terrain make the riding very different every time,” he said. “The trail run takes a wide array of diverse terrain including trails, tracks, creeks, steep craggy ascents and rock scrambles which means that competitors must stay focussed, as you just don’t know what’s around the corner.”

Early bird accommodation deals are available from A$191 per night for bookings made before 30 November 2012. The rate includes overnight accommodation in a mountain-view studio with a hot buffet breakfast. The special rates are based on a minimum two night stay and are subject to availability at the time of booking. Other terms and conditions may apply.

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