Six Cities. One Very Competitive Client.

When VBCS / Smarter Communities locked in a multi-city Amazing Race, we knew this was going to be big. Six cities across Australia, one connected experience, and around 150 participants all diving into the same challenge… just with very different outcomes.

From a high-energy Sydney Amazing Race through to a strategic Melbourne Amazing Race, plus coastal curves in Queensland and a few surprises in South Australia, this was team building for large teams done properly.

Each city had its own course, its own challenges, and its own personality. Nothing was copy and pasted. Every race was built to suit the location, the team dynamic, and the kind of chaos that naturally unfolds when competitive people are given clues and a time limit.

Some teams planned every move. Others made it up as they went. Both approaches had moments of brilliance… and moments they’d probably like to forget.

Across all six locations, teams were solving clues, tackling challenges, and trying to outplay each other on the leaderboard. The pressure was real, but so were the laughs.

Six Cities, Six Very Different Races

Sydney Amazing Race

Fast, competitive, and switched on from the start. Sydney teams didn’t waste time easing into it. The leaderboard kept shifting, and no one felt safe until the final checkpoint.

Brisbane Amazing Race

Brisbane brought the heat, and not just from the weather. Teams quickly realised that pace alone wouldn’t win it. Strategy started to matter… especially once fatigue kicked in.

Gold Coast Amazing Race

Relaxed on the surface, but unpredictable underneath. The Gold Coast race had a way of catching teams off guard, turning cruisy confidence into last-minute scrambles.

Melbourne Amazing Race

Clever, calculated, and just a little bit competitive. Melbourne teams played smart, navigating laneways like pros. A few “quick detours” may have cost some teams more than they’d admit.

Adelaide Amazing Race

Started steady, then quietly turned competitive. Adelaide teams built momentum as the race went on, with some late surges shaking up the final standings.

Coolangatta Amazing Race

Looked simple. Was not. The coastal course had just enough twists to keep teams guessing, and more than a few realised too late that they’d underestimated it.

Winners, Losses & A Few Tough Lessons

Every city crowned a winning team, but just as importantly, every city had a team that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. The kind of team that took a confident wrong turn and stuck with it, or overthought a clue to the point of no return. And then there were those strategies that felt like pure genius at the time… until they very quickly weren’t.

That’s the magic of a Corporate Amazing Race. It’s never just about who finishes first. It’s about the decisions, the detours, and the moments in between that teams are still talking about long after the race is over.

Leadership Check-In

The CEO and manager joined three of the races, which definitely added an extra layer of competition across the board. Naturally, a few teams had their eyes on them from the start.

They managed to secure one win, which we’ll politely describe as a solid effort. The rest of the results, however, gave everyone else just enough confidence to keep things interesting.

Why It Worked

What made this event stand out wasn’t just the scale, but how connected it felt across all six cities. Even though each race was completely different, there was still a shared experience running through all of them.

Teams swapped stories, compared results, and built genuine connections along the way. It wasn’t just a one-off activity in each location. Instead, it became something bigger, team bonding that carried across offices, cities, and teams who might not usually interact.

The Wrap-Up

Six cities, six completely different races, and one seamless experience that brought everyone together. There were big wins, a few tough losses, and plenty of moments that will no doubt be retold (and slightly exaggerated) back in the office.

All up, it delivered exactly what great fun corporate team building should, energy, connection, and a shared experience that sticks well beyond the finish line.