Adventure racing

biker41

just wondering, with the great interest there is in multi sport events,how many people would have an interest in a race that would be closer to an adventure race.I am thinking of maybe a two day event with a night stage,

former

I'd say there's lots of interest out there - depends on the details

biker41

I was thinking of something like 150k over two days with at least 5k kayak some mtb and a night run. the race could be broken up into 3 or 4 stages,this would make it achievable for people who do gaelforce, WAR and Achill but who shy away longer events

woody1

like the sound of it,
sounds a bit similar to the coast to coast, but shorter
which is no harm, as you say there would be a lot of people
that would be wary of entering the proper long adventure
races from lack of experience or whatever, myself included..
so a race like your suggesting would bridge the gap and
probably bring people on to the longer ones..
but would you need the dreaded navigation skills ??

ocnoc

biker41 wrote: »

just wondering, with the great interest there is in multi sport events,how many people would have an interest in a race that would be closer to an adventure race.I am thinking of maybe a two day event with a night stage,

Adventure race = Nav + Night Nav
Multi sport race = No nav

former

biker41 wrote: »

I was thinking of something like 150k over two days with at least 5k kayak some mtb and a night run. the race could be broken up into 3 or 4 stages,this would make it achievable for people who do gaelforce, WAR and Achill but who shy away longer events

Sounds great. What time of year are you thinking of? Something to aim towards. Solo or team?

biker41

former wrote: »

Sounds great. What time of year are you thinking of? Something to aim towards. Solo or team?

I think it would take the gaelforce team or roar team to run this type of event,a team only race would take it closer to real adventure race.Maybe our top racers could come in on this.

ocnoc

If you make it team based (minimum one girl), with a descent kayak section (or more than one), lots of technical MTB, with it completely unsupported, you have to nav the entire thing, then, sadly you will get a handful of elite teams.

Then again, you might be surprised! There might be more interest in that stuff now.

jeffontour

biker41 wrote: »

I think it would take the gaelforce team or roar team to run this type of event

I'm not so sure about that! Whilst the roar and gaelforce people would be more than capable of it there are several other individuals and groups in the country equally experienced at putting this kind of event together.

dapope

biker41 wrote: »

just wondering, with the great interest there is in multi sport events,how many people would have an interest in a race that would be closer to an adventure race.I am thinking of maybe a two day event with a night stage,

The Coast to Coast is exactly this type of race and having taken part this year I can highly recommend it.

But enough of this half baked Multi Sport talk and back to proper Adventure Racing! The Beast of Ballyhoura and the Cooley Raid are perfect for those people looking to test themselves above and beyond the likes of GF, Roar etc. The Causeway Coast Adventure Race series are an excellent introduction to Adventure Racing and provide the perfect stepping stone to the longer stuff. This series is getting more popular as each event passes which is great to see.

Two of the biggest problems with the longer Adventure Races are navigation and getting teams of 4 including one female.If anyone has a problem with navigation why not join an Orienteering club? I did my first proper adventure race with no navigation experience and proceeded to get lost... but I had a hell of a time doing it. I've since joined an Orienteering club and i've being getting lost less and less these days. I've been Orienteering two years now and have to say it is one of my favoutite sports. Putting a team together is difficult and I would like to see the likes of the Cooley Raid and the Beast of Ballyhoura include a category for 2 person teams. I think it would encourage more people into the sport and who knows they may join up to create 4 person teams that go on to do expedition races which simply ROCK!

superchip

sounds like a great idea.i would agree that it is important not to alienate your average competitor by making it too difficult

RacoonQueen

ocnoc wrote: »

If you make it team based (minimum one girl), with a descent kayak section (or more than one), lots of technical MTB, with it completely unsupported, you have to nav the entire thing, then, sadly you will get a handful of elite teams.

Then again, you might be surprised! There might be more interest in that stuff now.

One like this? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eco-Challenge

Think it was in survival of the fittest I read about that. Seemed like a lot of fun, serious team work needed.

Enduro

The CCAR are getting more and more successful. I think they have 60 teams signed up for the battle of Antrim. The Total Experience crew are going to put on a 24 hour race next year (current plan is for the end of July), with a non-stop event, along with a staged event designed to be an easier intro to proper adventure racing.

biker41, if you're thinking about organising something, do try out one of the existing races first. They're quite a big undertaking to organise and plan. Taking part in one first will get you a much better feel for it. But the more races the better, so go for it!

carkulture

I especially would like to see the heathen bog

biker41

Enduro wrote: »

The CCAR are getting more and more successful. I think they have 60 teams signed up for the battle of Antrim. The Total Experience crew are going to put on a 24 hour race next year (current plan is for the end of July), with a non-stop event, along with a staged event designed to be an easier intro to proper adventure racing.

biker41, if you're thinking about organising something, do try out one of the existing races first. They're quite a big undertaking to organise and plan. Taking part in one first will get you a much better feel for it. But the more races the better, so go for it!

any details of the 24 hour race yet, a small group of us are looking for a race to take us closer to adventure racing, we have a few ideas were working on, so wait and see what happens.

Enduro

Not many details yet... they're at the early stages of planning. Befriend Total Experience on Facebook. You should get more details there. It's a shame that the Raid is full, as this would have been a good one for you to do. I'd still strongly recommend you give the CCAR races a go, as they are a perfect "next step" towards the longer ARs.

biker41

thanks Enduro,will have a look at ccar races

Sportsmad_Mick

Any word on this race? Is it going ahead? Could be just what I need to keep myself motivated for a big challenge in 2012

biker41

This idea has been put on hold,planing on doing the kielder 100 mtb in sept and some 24hr mtb instead.

Enduro

Have a look at the Shamrock AR. Its pretty much exactly what was being talked about. And it on quite soon too.

dapope

Blackstairs wrote: »

Guys Blackstairs Adventure Race on this Sat 2nd June in Wexford great value at 55 Euro www.blackstairsadventurerace.com

Looks very much like a Multi Sport race and NOT an Adventure Race.

From race website:

MARKED ROUTES

Each route will be marked out, measured and marshalled on the day.

dapope

Blackstairs wrote: »

When you get on the mountain feel free to enjoy the Adventure .. anyway guys just giving you a heads up !

Sorry, you had me excited for a second when I taught it was a proper Adventure Race and NOT a Multisport race.

Best of luck with the event.

Enduro

Blackstairs wrote: »

MARKED ROUTES

Each route will be marked out, measured and marshalled on the day.

Yes the route has some markings on the road for cycle , and yes marshals are out as required by any adventure race for insurance purposes.

An adventure race BY DEFINITION does not have a marked or mashalled route. Navigation is the anchor element of an AR. It also has moutain biking in it. Have a look at the beast of ballyhoura for an example of a real adventure race in Ireland (which has insurance).