Lovers of adventure races and triathlons are gearing up for this year’s Race Around Rottnest. New event and distance categories are likely to make the 17 October event more popular than ever before.

There’s a new Off-Road Triathlon category open to both solo competitors and teams consisting of a 1km ocean swim, 16.5km bike ride and 7km trail run. The original Adventure Race has the added challenge of a long (6km) or short (2.5km) paddle leg on either a ski or stand up paddle (SUP) board.

Also new this year is an on-road Olympic Distance Triathlon consisting of a 1500m swim, 40km bike and 10km run around the island. It’s a perfect training event for people looking to compete in the summer triathlon season and with the stunning Rottnest Island location as an added bonus.

Entrants are encouraged to help raise funds for this year’s charity partner Autism West by sharing their supporter page with their networks.