How hard will the race be?

by Craig Bycroft, Race Organiser/Director

24 hours of non-stop activity is hard work in anyone’s book, period. However, finishing the race should be achievable for teams who start with a reasonable fitness base, and then complete a specific endurance-training program prior to the race. Not all teams will race for 24 hours straight without sleep. Some teams may decide to catch a power nap when they need it most, or spend more time in the transitions. Whatever the strategy you choose, the successful teams will know their strengths and weaknesses, and plan their race accordingly.

Once again, we haven’t designed to course to be too technical. It is our aim to push you physically and mentally, not technically.

You should also consider that a lot of teams wont be in the race to compete for first place, their aim will be to simply finish. They enter because they want to push themselves and their teams harder than they think is possible, and for longer than they believe they can. They want to challenge their perceived limits and go past them! However, a tough race like this has a high attrition rate. The reality is a lot of teams won’t finish. However teams should remember that they are firstly competing against themselves, and we encourage them to see if they can stay on the course for the 24 hours.

TEAMWORK

What makes adventure racing so different from any other form of multisport is teamwork. Without it your team may fall apart at the first sign of stress. It is THE major element in successful teams. Teamwork is thinking about your team mates first and yourself second.

Remember: a team is only as strong as the weakest member, and at some time in the race YOU will be the weakest member. Yes, team work means carrying each others packs. It means singing to each other to keep each other awake. It is sharing the highs and lows. A good team says all equipment is ours, all problems are ours, all mistakes are ours, and all successes are ours. A good team will turn a 24 hour torture into a 24 hour life enhancing experience.