Archive for the ‘Adventure Racing,’ Category

Want to do it but not sure whether your application will ever rise to the top of the pile? Well, if you’re quick you can submit your application HERE to become a Marshall for one day in either London, Barcelona or Milan this year and it will guarantee you a place in the 2011 rally.

Instead of hitching a ride you, too, could be the driver on your very own quest to get to Mongolia in an under-powered car with a bunch of other crazy people…

The Mongol Rally – an extreme adventure. There is no route – the choice is yours as to how you get from either England, Spain or Italy to the capital of Mongolia,  Ulaan Baatar. Several routes have been tried in the past and you can check them out here.

The trip will take you a third of the way around the earth in a  car with no bigger engine than 1 litre. If your car is LESS than 10 years old it can be donated to charity when you arrive in Mongolia.

The 8 – 10,000 miles will take you about 4 weeks – MUST take you about 4 weeks otherwise you’ll miss the party in Ulaan Baatar.

Obstacles in your way will include deserts, mountains, bandits and wilderness. This is, after all, meant to be the adventure of all adventures… and if there is no adventure then The Adventurists, organisers of this event and others rather like it, will have failed in their endeavour to bring spice into your lives.

In a normal year just over half the teams make the finish line in one piece and if your car really won’t go another foot then you can always try cadging a lift with another car.

So, what’s this about becoming a Marshall and what does it entail?

30 places will be available to marshal at Goodwood, 5 places in Barcelona, 5 in Milan and 6 at Czechout.

Marshals will be required to arrive at different times depending on which location they have signed up to. These details will be emailed out to the successful applicants but all marshals must be available all day (from approximately 8am – 6pm for Goodwood, Barcelona and Milan and approximately 11am – 8pm for Czechout).

Czechout – what’s czechout I hear you mutter in bemusement? Haven’t I clearly specified that there are only 3 departure points for the rally?

Yes, you’re right, but Czechout is the party that is to be held in the Czech Republic on the 26th July, 2010.

The Marshalls for London, Barcelona and Milan will be required for the 24th July.

Based on relevant experience stated in your application, some applications will be offered Head Marshal positions which on the day will involve leading a group of marshals in tasks ranging from traffic control and parking, crowd management, litter picking, helping put up and break down the stage and other aspects of the event and anything else the day throws at us!

Places will be allocated mostly on a first come first served basis, however if you have relevant experience (traffic cops, first aid trained, etc.) then please let The Adventurists know when submitting your application as there will be a number of places which will be given priority in this case.

Submit your application FAST – HERE

Here’s another teaser from the 2009 Rally:

It’s that time of year again. Summer. The silly season. Time to shrug off those extra kgs and while doing  that perhaps planning some extreme target for yourself? Funny, I have two friends who have done just that. Both started training in November and one has already completed, with panache, an iron man type competition in South Africa. The other is planning his debut at a cooler venue – Norway in August.

But for really extreme look no further than the Badwater Ultramarathon which starts in Furnace Creek – the lowest spot in America. Yesterday we did the lowest spot in China – perhaps I should look at all the other lowest spots in the world, apart of course for the Dead Sea which, as we all know, is the lowest of the lowest.

I digress…

The Badwater Ultra-Marathon. What is it?   This might be a 1999 video, but it’s good (AdventureCORPS):

If you’ve been reading our blogs for a while you will have come across this race of all races before. But if you have not – well, here’s some more info:

The event is organised by AdventureCORPS . Runners in this extreme competition will tackle a 135 mile run (217 km) from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, CA in temperatures up to 130F (55c). This will be the 33rd Anniversary of the Badwater Ultramarathon and is to be held between 12th – 14th  July, 2010. Recognized globally as “the world’s toughest foot race,” this legendary event pits up to 90 of the world’s toughest athletes – runners, triathletes, adventure racers, and mountaineers – against one another and the elements.

It is the most demanding and extreme running race offered anywhere on the planet.

The fact that it takes place in July, when the weather conditions are most extreme and temperatures over 120 °F (49 °C), even in the shade, are not uncommon makes this a particularly gruelling race. Consequently, very few people—even among ultramarathoners—are capable of finishing it. The créme de la créme  take part in this event.

“Yeah, man, it’s Badwater. You don’t turn down a chance to be at Badwater,”  – Mark Paterson.

The field is invitation-only and limited in size. Demand to participate in the race usually far exceeds available spots. Rules have changed somewhat over the years, for example afternoon starts have been discontinued and the use of intravenous fluids now disqualifies a runner.

The start line is at Badwater, Death Valley, which marks the lowest elevation in North America at 280′ (85m) below sea level. The race finishes at Mt. Whitney Portal at 8360′ (2533m). The Badwater course covers three mountain ranges for a total of 13,000′ (3962m) of cumulative vertical ascent and 4,700′ (1433m) of cumulative descent. Whitney Portal is the trailhead to the Mt. Whitney summit, the highest point in the contiguous United States. Competitors travel through places and landmarks including Mushroom Rock, Furnace Creek, Salt Creek, Devil’s Cornfield, Devil’s Golf Course, Stovepipe Wells, Keeler, and Lone Pine.

16 countries will be represented at this event and they include 45 Badwater veterans and 42 rookies.  There are 16 women and 71 men. The youngest runner is 20 (Nickademus Hollon of San Diego, CA, a 2009 finisher) while the oldest is 75 (Jack Denness of the UK, an eleven-time finisher who last completed Badwater at age 70). The average age of the race is 44.

Each runner must arrange for his or her own support crew and vehicle. The crew provides their runner with his or her needs, including water, ice, food, gear, pacing, and first aid. However, because this event is run under such extreme conditions, AdventureCORPS have a 50-person race staff, including a ten-person medical team (doctors, nurses, EMTs, and an ambulance), a three-person foot care team, another ten people producing the live webcast, plus roving race officials, and race staff at six timing checkpoints along the route.

It is a race where you can be sure you will be taken good care of…

The men’s course record is held by Valmir Nunez of Brazil with a time of 22:51:29 set in 2007, while the women’s course record of 26:51:33 was set in 2008 by Jamie Donaldson of Littleton, CO. It is expected that the winner of the 2010 AdventureCORPS Badwater Ultramarathon will finish in 22 to 26 hours. The average finishing time is approximately 40-48 hours, while the overall time limit is 60 hours. 20–40% will fail to reach the finish line as in previous years. That’s no detriment to them… most of us wouldn’t get past the start line!

As Ashleigh Fantz says, “For all the nonsweaters out there — consider how long it takes to drive from Baltimore to New York. Now imagine running that distance…without sleep…with 10,000 blow dryers pointed at you the entire time.”

And don’t think these competitors are only doing it for the prize money. There is none. Runners who complete the course in sixty hours receive a commemorative medal. Runners who complete the course in forty-eight hours receive a belt buckle. And that’s good enough for all.

In 1977 Al Arnold, an ultra-running pioneer and human potential guru, originally competed, in a solo effort, the trek from Badwater to Mt. Whitney in 80 hours. Arnold had a support crew, but it was just them against the elements and the clock. The official head-to-head race began ten years after Arnold’s pioneer trek, in 1987.

This is the eleventh year that AdventureCORPS have organised and managed the race.

It’s other name is “The Oven”, and who but RacingThePlanet would have thought of staging an ultra-marathon self-supported event here? But this is not the first time that they have held this contest-amongst-contests in the Gobi Desert and I am sure it won’t be the last.

From the 27th June to the 3rd July, the Gobi March 2010 will take place in the Turpan Depression in China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Region, the first time RacingThePlanet has hosted the renowned 4 Deserts race in this location since 2005. Five years ago, temperatures reached as high as 50 degrees Celsius (in the shade) and with this year’s race taking place in June instead of April, competitors could be racing in similar if not hotter temperatures.

Mary Gadams, founder of RacingThePlanet, says “The competitors are going to find the heat in the Gobi Desert oppressive. It’s not humid, but below sea-level it can be stifling when there’s no breeze. They will also have to prepare for the worst as the weather is so unpredictable in the Gobi, storms can blow up from nowhere and temperatures can vary wildly between night and day and in different areas along the 250 kilometre course. Couple this with the changing terrains the competitors will face and the race will be a stern test of good preparation and adaptability.”

The race will be run in series taking place over seven days, with six stages totaling 250 kilometres. Competitors are self-supporting and, with the exception of water and a tent, carry all of their required equipment and food for the duration of the race.

This grueling yet rewarding challenge sees competitors of all ages, nationalities and racing abilities compete. In 2010 a record 17 Chinese competitors will take part in their “home” race, with a total of 51 participants who are resident in Greater China.

Top contenders in the race include Peter Osterwalder, 45, from Switzerland who finished second in the Atacama Crossing (Chile) 2009. 57-year old Johan Petersen from New Zealand is also expected to put in a strong showing, after his sixth-placed finish in RacingThePlanet: Namibia 2009, the annual roving race outside of the 4 Deserts series. Josep Maria Romero Parra, 43, from Spain is another athlete to watch, having finished eighth among an extremely strong field in the Atacama Crossing (Chile) 2009.

But ‘ware the newcomers. There’s a strong field there too…

The race I reported on that was recently held in Namibia was enlivened by a light sprinkling of rain – this is unlikely to happen in the Gobi as it is a rain shadow desert formed by the Himalayas blocking rain-carrying clouds from reaching it. Hope is not entirely lost though as the highest rainfall in the Turpan Depression is  June when an average rainfall of 3.3mm might be expected! The climate of the Gobi is one of great extremes, combined with rapid changes of temperature, not only through the year, but even within 24 hours (by as much as 35 °C or 61 °F).

The Turpan Depression within the Gobi is the second lowest exposed point on the Earth’s surface (after the Dead Sea) with dry Lake Ayding (Moonlight Lake) lying at -154m. It is entirely below sea level and by some measures is also the hottest and driest area in China and so is also known as one of the Furnaces of China. It covers an area of 50,000 km².

This is one of the toughest endurance races you will ever encounter. As extreme as they come… Good luck to everyone.

XTERRA are renowned for the Adventure Races they hold and rank high amongst these adrenaline charged and sleep deprived events.

They have just successfully completed their first Amazon challenge and although I’m bringing this news to you belatedly, I’m bringing it anyway because you may well want to think about joining the rush for next year’s event.

A 1.5km swim, 30km mountain bike, and 9km trail run was the challenge for this first ever event held on 5th June, 2010 outside the city of Manaus in Northern Brazil – deep in the Amazon rainforest.

That was just a very brief glimpse of what the race was all about with thanks to xterrabrazil. No-one got eaten by a Jaguar I hasten to add! However, reports on this first ever event are loud in their applause at the well run and hugely enjoyable challenge.

The race was held at a Brazilian Army base called CIGS: the Center for Instruction in Jungle Warfare. Bikes and packet pickup were held at the Manaus headquarters of CIGS. The bikes were entrusted to the tender care of the army who took them out to the race site. Nobody saw the course, swim, transition – nothing until the day of the race.

At 4 a.m. on the morning of the 5th, the army, with the help of 6 spider boats (the boats they use to chase down drug smugglers), transported all the contestants to the start of the race – about an hour up the Rio Negro.

The swim was in the river. I wonder how many swimmers were remembering all those gory movies they’d watched in their youth about piranhas?!

The bike course was a long dirt road that resembled a full roller coaster – very steep climbs and descents with cut offs into the jungle that would loop back onto the road. Of course it rained – as tends to happen in a rainforest, and so the course was gloriously slippery and inside the jungle it became a positive morass of mud.

All this in temperatures around the 32 C / 90 F mark with very high humidity thrown in.

There was so much mud by the end of the jungle stage that competitors had to stop and drag handfuls of the stuff off their bikes and out of the brakes and frames.

There was, by necessity, a cut-off time for bikers as night comes early 250 kms south of the equator. Everything was loaded back onto the boats and returned to Manaus for the 9km run on the Ponte Negro.

This section of the event was supported by thousands of colourful spectators.

XTERRA Amazon was run by X3M, the producers of the XTERRA Brazil Series, and ably assisted by the army. As one competitor put it:

“A fabulous race, wonderful organization by Bernardo Fonseca’s X3m group, unbelievable logistical work by the Brazil Army and the city of Manaus. Truly a once-in-a lifetime experience that must be seriously considered by anyone who ever wondered what that part of the world is like. The race is on Sunday, there are loads of tours to take you up the Amazon where the Rio Negro collides and the Meeting of the Waters (one river is brown the other black) happens. Swimming with pink fresh water dolphins, wildlife galore and food that is diverse and tasty. Put this one on the list.”

With their reputation for holding Grade A events, XTERRA have now entered the market for quality fitness equipment for your home and this fold-away treadmill might be exactly what you need:

To all you in the northern hemisphere who have packed away your skis and snowboards in mothballs for the next few months… well unearth them, blow off the dust, and prepare for the North Face Peak 2 Peak Southern Traverse event in July…. the event where individuals and/or teams of two to five people race by ski/ snowboard, mountain bike, kayak, foot and road bike from the top of the Remarkables Ski Area to the top of Coronet Peak.

We are, of course, talking about New Zealand here… and hey, July is summertime in the northern hemisphere and this event is MUCH more fun than lying comatose on a beach somewhere!!!

The course lies between two snow covered mountains, with steep gravelled and tarmac access roads – linking the ski areas, State Highways and tarmac rural roads, QLDC Reserve, public walking/cycling tracks, and the Lakes Wakatipu and Hayes and its aim is to link the two mountains – from the top of the Remarkables to the top of Coronet Peak.

This is the 17th consecutive year that the event has been held and it is open to individuals either man or woman, veterans or juniors and also to teams either open, business, schools or veterans.

The Race:

Stage 1: Ski/Board 2km
High on the Remarkables Ski Area. A mass start – run down to skis. Actual start determined by snow cover

Stage 2: Mtn Bike 17km
Down Remarkables road to Frankton Beach

Stage 3: Paddle 7km
Frankton Beach to Queenstown Bay

Stage 4: Run 9km
From Queenstown Beach, through town and out to Coronet Alpine Hotel

Stage 5: Bike 9km
From Coronet Alpine Hotel to the finish at the Coronet Peak Ski Area base

There are a few rules and regulations:

Ski: Competitors must be wearing a helmet (a normal snow helmet,bike helmets also accepted). Competitors must arrange for ski equipment to be brought down off the Remarkables. Note: competitors must go on the chairlift immediately after the briefing, before 11.45am.
Kayak: Kayaks may be dropped at Frankton Beach, with security from 9.30am. Life jackets must be worn on paddle section. Boats must have buoyancy installed. Helmets not required
Bike: Any bike may be used for Stage 5 up to Coronet Peak
Bibs: Non return of bibs will incur a $30 charge
Support Crew: Limited to 2 cars per individual/team. Snow chains recommended. NO Stopping on highways to assist/watch competitors, and restricted stopping (only in Chain Bays) on Coronet Peak access road. Please drive with care and safety at all times.

You can download the full briefing sheet here: Competitors briefing sheet

If you wanna do it and need to register, follow this link:  try Form

Last year the event attracted 50 individual competitors and 67 teams and was held in cold but sunny, clear conditions. Race Director Geoff Hunt said a highly talented field competed and there were some excellent individual results. “Dougal Allen was going to be hard to beat after taking the lead on the run. As the winner in 2007 he knew what was expected of him if he wanted to take the title again.”

Allan won again and was pleased with his win. “Conditions were perfect but skiing for me was definitely the hardest leg…”

The goal this year is going to be…. to beat Dougal Allen!

The event will be held regardless of the weather conditions:  come snow or shine, hell or highwater…

However, if severe weather conditions are predicted for the big day, then Southern Traverse, the organisers, will delay it until the following day. In case of a postponement, all race timings will remain the same.

I received this link in the comments section and have added it to my article for those of you wondering where to stay for this event: http://www.cardronavalleyvillas.co.nz I hope that helps…

If you’re interested in ultra-marathons, adventure racing, extreme endurance races or events along those lines you will be interested to hear about Across The Divide’s (ATD) forthcoming Namibian event.

The Namib is the oldest desert in the world, somewhere around 55 million years old, and is the largest and most remote National Park in Africa. It is 31,200 square miles (80,900 square kilometers) – about the size of South Carolina and Rhode Island combined, and is completely devoid of surface water but is disected, in the northern desert, by several dry riverbeds.

A major threat to the Namib Desert is the impact of off-road driving. The impact is the greatest on the gravel plains where depressions left by vehicles remain for more than 40 years because the rainfall is too episodic and sparse to erase them. Across The Divide will take every precaution not to leave their imprint on this fragile eco-system.

Adventure Race Namibia 24-hr Ultra Marathon starts on 24th May. The event, which is fast becoming known as the ultimate test for long distance endurance runners, will be run in the northern Namib, an extremely arid eco-region made up of shifting sand dunes, gravel plains and rugged mountains.

The race is 126 km (78 miles) long – the equivalent of 3 marathons and must be completed in 24 hours. Intense training is required to get you fit enough for this race because, as well as the length and duration, the extreme heat of the Namib and the difficult terrain add to the difficulties that you will encounter.

The route mainly follows gravel plains framed by distant ridges and mountains and passed dramatic upheavals of isolated granite hills. The temperatures are expected to be in the region of min 5ºc / max 36 ºc but could be more extreme. Clear blue skies during the day and brilliant moonlight through the night should be a guaranteed but rainfall in the Namib, although sparse, is completely unpredictable so there could be a pleasant surprise in store.

Thank you to dazzaroberts for this evocative video:

The runners will be completely self reliant from the start of the marathon until the end, and will need to carry their food and equipment on their backs. Water stations and medical tents will be provided at 21km intervals along the route.

This is an extreme race which is held on a yearly basis. Training for it is not an overnight event – you could start now to be ready for next year’s race!

As with other companies that we profile, Across The Divide use their events to raise money for various charities. To date they have raised £43,010,171. The company was inaugurated in 1996 – that’s a very impressive sum I’d say!

If you wish to take part in an Across The Divide event please go directly to their website: ATD

… and good luck to all those intrepid souls about to depart for Windhoek…