Gan Wei Rong and Liang Zhen Xiao win youth category at SAFRA AVventura

Western Singapore, Sunday, January 24, 2010 – Gan Wei Rong, 18, and Liang Zhen Xiao, 19, won the Youth Men's category at the SAFRA AVventura in a time of 6:02:54.

Liang, who also won AVventura: Rough Ramble in 2009, exclaimed: "The race is a lot tougher this year!"

"This is the toughest race we've ever participated in," said Goh Eng Wei, 21, who came in as the first runner-up in the Novice Men's category in a time of 5:36:16, but added that he and team mate, Goh Wei Kheam, did not go through any special preparation for this race. "It was our usual dragon boat and mountaineering training that helped us through the race. This is not the first time we've taken part in SAFRA AVventura, we took part in last year's AVventura too, and found the race was well-planned this year.”

Winners of the Open Men's category, Cameron Paul Richard-Savage, 34, and Robert Greg Shand, 38, were the first across the finish line in a time of 4:38:25. The Singapore permanent residents, who represented Singapore in the urban adventure racing event, City Chase World Championships, were impressed by the quality of the SAFRA AVventura 2010 race.

"This is easily one of the best organised races of this kind in Singapore, and we are very happy with the way it was run," said Richard-Savage.

"The race route was amazing, and gave us a look at a side of Singapore we never knew. In all, it was a lot of fun," Shand added.

Some 274 adventure racers pushed their endurance and mental grit to the max as they traversed the western part of Singapore on foot, bike and kayak along a grueling 51km race route at SAFRA AVventura 2010 this morning.

Taking the fun and ´surprise' elements up several notches this year, organisers also prepared a host of unexpected obstacle challenges beyond the usual core disciplines of adventure racing. Participants of the Open and Novice categories had to attempt to cross a swinging bridge, monkey bar, low ramp and Jacob's ladder, while participants in the Youth category navigated a tunnel, climbed in and out of a pit and stepped across a series of logs along the race.

Mr Sze Toh Khai Munn, Race Director for SAFRA AVventura 2010, explained: "We have planned the race to be equally tough this year with a long race route as many of our past participants have told us that they enjoyed the adrenaline rush and intense physical challenge. However, we also wanted participants to have more fun along the way, so we added a series of simple obstacles and mystery challenges to surprise them.'

There were three interesting mystery challenges held at selected checkpoints to test the creativity and ´survival' skills of each team. Participants had to solve a cross word puzzle, inflate and deflate their bike tyres and manoeuvre a potato across 20 meters using only another potato hung from a harness around their waist. Participants in the Youth category also had the opportunity to test their shooting skills with a SAR21 rifle at Singapore Discovery Center's computerised simulated shooting range.

Organised by SAFRA Yishun Country Club and known by adventure enthusiasts in Singapore for its challenging race routes over rugged terrain, SAFRA AVventura 2010 even took participants across a dyke flanked by scenic views on both sides along Pasir Laba. Participants also had to clear a team biathlon (run and bike) in the unchartered terrain of Ama Keng.

For the first time, participants in the Youth category also joined their older, more experienced counterparts in completing the same grueling distance of 51km, which fully challenged the physical endurance, navigation skills and teamwork of all racers.

Mr Sze Toh Khai Munn, Race Director for SAFRA AVventura 2010, commented: "Following SAFRA AVventura Rough Ramble last year, I believe most of the participants would have come prepared for another tough race route this year. We have seen a significant drop in the number of female participants this year following feedback from a few female racers last year that Rough Ramble was simply too tough. However, most of the other participants enjoyed the challenge of pushing their limits and they train for it each year. As such, we did not want to disappoint them."

Mr Teo Ser Luck, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, and the Ministry of Transport, was Guest-of-Honour at the prize presentation ceremony held at SAFRA Jurong.

SAFRA AVVENTURA 2010 WINNERS LIST

OPEN CATEGORY (21 Years Old & Above with Adventure Racing Experience)
Position Name Team Name Timing

Men's Open
1st Cameron Paul Richards-Savage; Robert Greg Shand G CAM 4:38:25
2nd Tan Yeow Chung; Teo Ewin Toshiba Bike Labz 4:42:08
3rd Alvin Lim; Yeo Kim Hong Adventure In Motion 4:43:45

Women's Open
1st Celine Ragazzoni; Mireille GYMTONIC 5:30:59
2nd Lynda Scott; Susan Carter HAMMER CHICKS 5:40:49
3rd Zou Yuyun; Neo Lay Peng CrossFitHub.com 6:01:43

Mixed Open
1st Chang Ee Pin; Muhammad Hairul Nazwa Adventure In Motion Too 5:11:04
2nd Kong Eu Yen; Tan Cheng Yin SART NORTH FACE 5:15:50
3rd Angela Turner; Adam Turner Turnermaters 5:27:45

NOVICE CATEGORY (18 Years Old & Above without Adventure Racing Experience)

Men's Novice
1st Emerson Christopher Clayton; Nathan Schelble Old And Slow 5:31:32
2nd Goh Eng Wei; Goh Wei Kheam EGO 5:36:16
3rd Owain Rowat; Huw Tranter Welsh Warriors 5:48:44

Women's Novice
1st Pamela Seah; Lynette Chia Gymsters 7:20:25

There are no other winners as the teams were unable to complete or did not complete within the stipulated time.

Mixed Novice
1stNeil G. Anderson; Megan Joy Kinder ANZA LIGHT 5:17:56
2nd Seow Chow Vong Leon; Zhang Ting Zhun Flood Water Tribe 7:00:04
3rd Tiong Jia Hui; Ng Rong Choon NP-XV 7:09:18

YOUTH CATEGORY (15 to 20 Years Old)

Youth Men
1st Gan Wei Rong; Liang Zhen Xiao The Far Queue 6:02:54
2nd Nicholas Eu Wen Shuen; Too Tat Hsiang Chase The Dream 6:19:58
3rd Kim Kai Xiang; Jeremy Tong Zhi Hao Outdoor Life 6:40:24

Youth Youth Women
There are no winners as the teams were unable to complete or did not complete within the stipulated time.

Youth Mixed
1st Cheryl Lim; Li Xiang Yun Xavier Ice Kachang 7:09:55

There are no other winners as the teams were unable to complete or did not complete within the stipulated time.