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Simson to join fellow Kiwi and World MultiSport champion Currie at Oceania Cross Tri Champs

New Zealand’s Jess Simson follows Braden Currie’s lead and signs on to the Oceania Cross Triathlon Championships following epic ‘Coast to Coast’ title defence…

SNOWY MOUNTAINS, NSW—There will be no rest for reigning two-time Coast to Coast winner Jess Simson (NZL), as the South Island native will back up her second World Multisport championship win two weeks ago, as well as a second-place finish in the Lake Wanaka Half on Sunday, by competing in the Oceania Cross Triathlon Championships at Lake Crackenback, NSW, this weekend (28 Feb – 1 March).

Fellow Kiwi and World Multisport (aka Speight’s Coast to Coast – The Longest Day) champion Braden Currie, who won his third straight 243km Coast to Coast multisport race across the South Island and finished fifth at the iron-distance Challenge Wanaka four days ago, has also signed on to complete a staggering triple-header this month.

“This was my second time winning the Coast to Coast,” said Simson. “It’s always a challenging day out so great to come away with a win after a solid summer of training.”

For Simson, this will be her first foray into cross triathlon, after having competed in the elite multisport ranks for years, and having won the Wulong Mountain Quest last year and setting ‘The Goat’ mountain run (19km) record in 2013.

“I have never done a Cross Triathlon or Xterra before,” said the 30-year-old Wanaka resident. “I have not done any swim training except for a 2km swim on Sunday at the Lake Wanaka Half, and I have not been on my mountain bike since November so I am purely excited to try something new in a beautiful area of Australia.”

The Oceania Cross Triathlon Championships comes just one week after the Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa hosted the inaugural two-day, four-stage Snowies Mountain Bike Festival. The triathlon features a 1,500m swim, 30km cross-country mountain bike and 10km trail run.

With a $40,000 prize purse, the event has attracted a red-hot field. Aside from Simson and Currie, Australian Olympians Courtney Atkinson and Erin Densham will be heavy pre-race favourites, as well as multi-time Xterra champions Ben Allen (AUS) and Jacqui Slack (GBR). Recently crowned Australian Cross Triathlon champion Max Neumann will also be on the start.

“I’ve never been to the Snowies and I think it’s a pretty awesome place to be,” Currie told In2Adventure in January. “I’ve been hearing a lot about the mountain biking and I’m looking forward to that.  Obviously it’s got a great prize purse and I hope I can be up towards the top to claim it.”

The Oceania Cross Triathlon Championships is a Continental Championships awarded by the Oceania Triathlon Union (OTU), and is one of three events in Australia that are qualifying rounds for the World Cross Triathlon Championships in 2015 to be held in Sardinia, Italy on 26th September, 2015.

“I’m sure it is bound to be highly competitive with some very strong athletes out on course,” concluded Simson. “I’ve been to Lake Crackenback twice, for two weddings, and think it will be a neat area to race.”

The Oceania Cross Triathlon Championships is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, and consists of a 1,500m swim, 30km mountain bike and 10km trail run in the stunning vicinity of Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa.

About the Oceania Cross Triathlon Championships:

The Oceania Cross Triathlon Championships is a Continental Championships awarded by the Oceania Triathlon Union (OTU), and is one of three events in Australia that are qualifying rounds for the World Cross Triathlon Championships in 2015 to be held in Sardinia, Italy on 26th September, 2015.

The race will be hosted at Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa in the spectacular Snowy Mountains (NSW), featuring the trails, rivers, hills, lakes and bushland of this iconic region. The Championships includes events for the entire family, while the feature race consists of 1500m swim, 30km XC mountain bike and 10km trail run. For more information about the event visit the event website HERE

About TreX:

For seven years TreX has positioned itself as the pinnacle of the cross – or off-road – triathlon racing series in the Asia-Pacific region. Presented by the premier outdoor adventure event specialists In2Adventure, TreX consists of an open water swim, mountain bike leg and trail run. While each TreX event features an elite category with industry-leading prize purses, including $10,000 for the Australian Cross Triathlon Championships and $40,000 for the Oceania Cross Triathlon Championships, the TreX Cross Triathlon national series invites participation from all ages and skill levels. For more information visit TreX here.

About In2Adventure:

In2Adventure are Asia-Pacific’s premier adventure event specialists. With a full calendar of national events scheduled throughout Australia, including adventure races, cross triathlon, XC mountain bike, trail runs and corporate events, In2Adventure fully embraces all things ‘off road’ and ‘off the beaten track’ and offers a unique, individual experience for all ages and skill levels. For more information and upcoming events visit the TreX website here.

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Aaron S. Lee
Media Manager | Public Relations
+61 415 763 293
Aaron@in2adventure.com.au

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