The 41st Australian Rogaining Championship, postponed from 2020, was held on 29-30 May 2021 north of Burra, South Australia. The SARA organising team produced a detailed technical challenge on the Deceptive Lands map at Bri Glen Springs. At close of entries there were 108 teams and 251 competitors in the 24 hour event. A Covid outbreak in Victoria during the week before the event lead to last minute border closure, preventing Victorian teams from attending. Consequently, 22 teams had to withdraw from the event. Organiser Craig Colwell said there were heart breaking tales of Victorians trying to beat the border closures and restrictions, including two who made it all the way to Burra on the day before the event, before having to return as additional restrictions were imposed.
The Winners of the open categories were:
- Julie Quinn, David Baldwin (ACT): First Mixed
- Ronnie Taib, David Williams (NSW): First Men
- Anna Sheldon, Kate Houghton (Qld): First Women
The Interstate Trophy was won clearly by Tasmania, with ACT and Queensland almost tied for 2nd and 3rd. Some notable performances: Julie Quinn and David Baldwin won clearly by more than 400 points. Tasmanians Christine Brown and Karen Pedley won the Women's Super Veterans category, Women's Veterans, and came second in the Womens overall. Winners of the Mixed Ultra Veterans: Jean Douglass, Grant Battersby from ACT and Richard Robinson from Qld were 12th overall.
The official results are now available on the ARC 2021 website including the category results and ARC 2021 map.