21st June 2017
In a thrilling beginning to the 2017 Cairns Adventure Festival, athletes conquered sand, sea, rainforest and road in Port Douglas on Sunday 4 June. An event that celebrates the athleticism and endurance of the human body, the 2017 Cairns Airport Adventure Festival ran from 4-12 June in onf the most iconic tropical locations in the world.
Kicking off in Port Douglas, the stunning Queensland coastal destination was the epicentre for a variety of competitive physical events including the Hekili Great Barrier Reef Ocean Challenge, the RRR Mountain Bike Challenge and the Coral Coast Triathlon. Many of the event participants were using the Port Douglas opener to prepare for the bigger challenge on the weekend following - the Cairns Ironman and 70.3.
The Port Douglas competitions were part of the Cairns Adventure Festival which featured a week-long calendar of events for all ages and skill levels. Along with the Great Barrier Reef Ocean Challenge and RRR Mountain Bike Challenge there was also the Quicksilver Reef Swim – Green Island and the family fun events McDonalds IRONKIDS Cairns and The Cairns Post Bright Night Run.
However, the pinnacle of the Cairns Adventure Festival is always the Cairns Airport IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Championship and this year was no different. An impressive display of athleticism, endurance and physical prowess, the full-distance triathlon is a gruelling race that features a 3.8km swim, a 42.2km run along Cairns Esplanade and a 180km bike leg that covered one of Australia’s most scenic coastal drives to Port Douglas before ending in the heart of Cairns.
Finishers who managed to last the distance were rewarded with some incredible views along the way, as well as the prestigious title of IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Champion. Many will go on to compete in further IRONMAN Championships around the world.
