Written by Maya Auld
Inward Bound (IB) is an annual navigation based, endurance running event for ANU Students in the surrounds of Canberra.
First held in 1962, this event has been an integral part of ANU’s sporting history as it has run annually almost every year since. Despite being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-19, it started back up again last year. Although the 2022 event was delayed due to weather setbacks, the event was successfully run a few weeks later.
Designed as an interhall competition, there are seven ‘divisions’ that each hall is able to partake in. The term ‘division’ refers to the length of time provided and the distance required to run. Division 1 runners are required to run approximately 100km within a 24 hour period. This number goes down in increments all the way to Division 7.
There is also opportunity for ex-residents of halls to participate on behalf of their college as well as non-ANU students to participate through ‘Division X’. Prior to Covid-19, three ex-residents were able to partake in each college. In 2022 and 2023, five ex-residents have been able to participate from each hall.
Within each division consists a team of four people. Within each team, the roles consist of a head navigator, an assistant or co-navigator, and two scouts.
The navigators are the primary decision makers of the team with a dedicated role of guiding the team from start to finish of the race using provided maps and a compass. The scout’s role is to attempt to determine where the team is at the very start of the race and play an ongoing role whilst running and scouting surrounding areas to support the navigators in their decision making.
Following a strict scrutineering process, with nothing but a map and required survival equipment, each division is blindfolded and loaded onto separate buses.
Each division is then driven for several hours and dropped off in an unknown location, usually in the Australian bushland. Each division, whilst dropped in varying locations are all provided with no information other than the coordinates of the same endpoint.
Last year, the endpoint was on the NSW south coast at Maloney’s Beach. Departing on Friday afternoon/evening, each division was given until 7pm the next day to cross the finish line. Depending on what division you are in, the distance required to run as well as the time you are dropped is different.
The coordinates of endpoint are kept top secret and are only known by the IB coordinators. Only when each division is dropped, is the location shared with the wider ANU community as spectators can watch the IB teams virtually following the IB Live Blog.
Provided with a “scouting time”, the role of the scouts is to run in opposite directions and illustrate/note down their surroundings on paper to attempt to determine where their team has been dropped. Surroundings could be anything from landmarks of interest, types of trees, to road signs and more. Scouts will also use their compass to take bearing throughout the scouting time.
Once arrived back at the drop point, the scouts relay the information found to the navigators with their job to determine where they are in order to plot out a direction to the end point. Teams are also commonly provided with booklets containing information about exclusion zones, roads which are banned from crossing/running on as well as checkpoints.
When the navigator believes they have determined the drop location, and have come up with a route to end point, the teams within each division races against each other to the finish line. The teams orient their way through bushland during the night and into the next day before the cut-off time. This year, the cut-off time is 4:30pm.
Each year, the IB Committee is responsible for the organisation, promotion, and safety regulations of the race. The event also requires volunteers for numerous roles that go into the smooth running of the event.
This year, Inward Bound is planned to be held on Friday 6th – Saturday 7th October, but is subject to change if weather conditions do not permit safe racing conditions. College members are able to sign up to a Spectator Bus for each college or, alternatively, a set number of private vehicles are allowed out to end point. For more information, college IB Community Coordinators can be contacted.
Burton and Garran Hall have won IB overall for the past five consecutive years…but who will claim the trophy this year?
More information will be released further to race date and is usually provided to residents by their respective colleges as well as the IB committee.
Graphics by Annisa Zatalini
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