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A RACE similar to Rusty?s Super Kokoda 24-hour race will be held in Australia in July this year. The event is named Kokoda Challenge and will take place at Gold Coast Hinterland from July 16th to the 17th.
The challenge will last for 39 hours along the 96km track ? almost the same length as the WWII Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea.
The purpose of the event is to raise funds to bring about public awareness to the younger generation of Australia to be proud of their countrymen?s achievement during the war, the significance of Kokoda, New Guinea and the Pacific Campaigns.
The funds raised will also provide opportunity to send young Australians to experience the real Kokoda Track through the Kokoda Youth Leadership Programme.
Organizers of the event said: ?The program is structured so that our youth can experience the real spirit and soul of our amazing country and her forefathers.?
The challenge will feature teams of four with up to 100 teams expected to take part.
If you are one of those taking part in this challenge, perhaps you should keep an eye out for the real Kokoda Challenge coming up in August. This time it is real. Rusty?s Super Kokoda 24-hour race will be held from 27 ? 28 August with a prize money of K5,000 for the man or woman to break the current record.
A total of five including an Australian have submitted their names to beat a record time of 24 hours currently held by Brian Freeman of Australia. Brian broke a Papua New Guinean record last year to be the fastest man to date.
The five contestants include Larry Lawson from Australia and previous record holder Osborne Bogijiwai from Kokoda, Joe Uwea, Kig and Barry Koroi from Sogeri.
Click here to find out more about Rusty's Super Kokoda 24-hour Race
Rambo ambos in Kokoda test
By VELERIE JONES
FOUR Queensland Ambulance paramedics have thrown down the gauntlet to other emergency services workers to compete against the in the grueling 96km Kokoda Challenge bushwalk through the Gold Coast Hinterland in July.
The four, known as the Rambo Ambos, have already begun training for the inaugural Challenge, which is open to entries from around Australia.
Rambo Ambos? team leader, intensive care paramedic Ian Tucker, 47, said as the oldest member on his team by about 20 years, he expected the challenge to live up to its name as far as he was concerned.
But he will have an advantage over team mates ? Andrew Fagg, Michael Johnston and Jacinta Higgins ? because he has already experienced the real Kokoda Track through the hot, humid, mountainous Papua New Guinea jungle.
The former Army medic walked the track back in 1981 as part of an Army exercise and said even though he was a younger and fitter man in those days, he found it very tough.
Ian said when he heard about the new Kokoda Challenge through the Hinterland ? devised to raise awareness about the Kokoda Campaign which saw young Australian soldiers become heroes when fought off Japanese force back in 1942 ? he knew he had to enter.
?I mentioned it at work and Andrew, Michael and Jacinta jumped at the chance of entering with me,? he said.
?Now I?d like to see other ambos, and also the police and firies put up teams too.
?It would also be good to see other people we work with like the doctors and nurses at local hospitals enter the challenge, because it?s for such a good cause.?
It costs each team of four $600 to enter the Challenge and money raised will help send young people in need of guiding hand to reach their full potential on the ?life changing? experience of walking the Kokoda Track.
Kokoda Challenge Association chairman, Vietnam veteran Doug Henderson, said entries were now coming in every day with the latest to put up teams including Bond University and number of local high schools.
?We can take up to 100 teams and while we don?t expect to get that many for the first year, we?ve no doubt it will become huge in future years? he said.
Mr. Henderson said walkers had up to 39 hours to complete the challenge with that time frame chosen to honor Australia?s 39th militia battalion, which against all odds, fought off the Japanese under the worst possible battle conditions.
?The challenge?s 96 kilometer route is the same distance as the Kokoda Track and while not as tough as the real Kokoda with its jungle, rivers and mountains and tremendous heat, it will still be pretty rugged,? he said.
Mr. Henderson, who works as a welfare officer at Nereng RSL sub-branch, said money raised by the Challenge would also be used to ensure there were history books about Kokoda in every school in Australia.
Ian Tucker said his team hoped to complete the Kokoda Challenge, which will take place over the weekend of July 16 and 17, in around 24 hours.
Anyone, interested in entering a team in the Challenge should phone Mr. Henderson on 5578 1222 for details or go to http://www.kokodachallenge.com.Ends//
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