10/09/2026
THE 12TH EDITION OF X-MARATHON THAT FELT MORE LIKE THE 13TH! 🤯🌊🌧️🌙
They say adventure racing is all about adapting to the unexpected.
Well… apparently race organisers need to be pretty good at it too! 😅
At the start of race week, local authorities announced a planned burn across half of our course. After a battle worthy of its own adventure race, we managed to get it moved to the following weekend. Crisis one: sorted! 💪
Then Friday arrived.
As most teams were arriving to Killcare SLS for registration, Council and the RFS announced a Total Fire Ban.In NSW, that meant parklands were closed for events.
Other events were cancelled.
But cancelling X-Marathon? Not today! 😅
So we went back to the drawing board and reshaped the entire race.
Parkland sections were moved to Sunday. X-Marathon became a stage race. Saturday was all about the water, while the land sections would begin at midnight, when the Total Fire Ban was lifted.
A few checkpoints were added. Some disappeared. Logistics were rewritten. Sleep became optional. 😂
And somehow… X-Marathon happened!
🌊 FULL course teams started with an epic ocean paddle through the break at Killcare Beach, followed by a battle with mangroves and rip currents in the Brisbane Water inlets.
⛈️ HALF course teams didn't get the ocean experience, but Mother Nature still delivered a storm in the evening! Luckily, it was short-lived and everyone completed the course.
🌙 At midnight, teams were back on the start line to trek the spectacular Bouddi walk, ride through the maze and rocks of local MTB trails and trek through Kincumba Mountain Reserve.
🏆 Victorian male duo Mooners Gone Mad took the overall win in FULL.
🏆 A Kiwi mixed team of four Forever Forests Racing became champions in the Premier category.
🏆 NSW DUNN and DUSTED -are the fastest HALF course team
But honestly, after a week like that, every team, volunteer, official and organiser deserves a medal! 😂❤️
This is adventure racing. You can plan everything perfectly — and then nature throws everything at you.
So you adapt. You problem-solve. You keep moving forward.
And eventually, you get to the finish line. ❤️
Full results and checkpoint splits are available on the Adventure Cup website, with updated rankings. Want to see where everyone really went? Check out the live tracking replay! 👀😂
And now… X-Marathon 2027 is already in the making! 🔥 A linear course is planned for the last weekend of August as a warm up for the epic Alpine Quest Expedition Race in October.
Apparently, we didn't learn our lesson. 😎
