True Grit expands in Australia's growing multisport event market

With rapid growth in multisport and adventure race events, True Grit, Australia’s first military inspired obstacle challenge, has just marked two years of operations.

Having hosted True Grit challenges at locations near to Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney in 2013, and expanding to running events to four cities in 2014 with the addition of Perth, the weekend of  2nd to 4th October saw the True Grit ‘Night Attack’ event staged at the Adelaide Showgrounds.

Designed and operated by Adam McNamee and Matt Cardinaels, two former Australian Special Forces soldiers, True Grit courses incorporate more than 30 military style obstacles set over courses covering 10 to 12 kilometres. With smoke, heights, undulating terrain and extreme temperatures, they are designed to test participants mental resolve and stamina, with an emphasis on tackling obstacles, not running a marathon.

McNamee explains “we choose our locations carefully.

“A lot of obstacle course races are just structures erected in paddocks, we are much more than that.

“We take a course and tailor it to a military style event.”

The recent Night Attack event took True Grit into an urban seeting, encouraging participants to dress up in fluro or glow in the dark attire and go through a shortened obstacle course that, rather than mud, was lit with UV, strobes and coloured spot lighting and smoke machines.

True Grit’s official apparel partner 2XU also designed customised fluro True Grit athletic t-shirts that glow in the dark under the fluorescent lighting on a number of the obstacles.

True Grit explain they are “about more than just, mud, sweat and beers at the finish line”, with McNamee and Cardinaels wanting to use their brand to leave a legacy for Australian families affected by conflict, with True Grit events raising funds for military charities Legacy and the Commando Welfare Trust.

Like most multisport and adventure race events organisers, True Grit avoid using conventional media and marketing techniques to promote their events.

As McNamee explains “social media is a reflection of how your business is going these days.

“All you have to do is look at the True Grit Facebook page to see the results.”

For more information go to www.truegrit.com.au

9th September 2014 - GOODLIFE HEALTH CLUBS PARTNERS WITH TRUE GRIT