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The Rat is Loose

Rob / 15.02.2004

Britain’s first urban adventure race, and the 3rd British Championships qualifier of the year, will be ‘The Rat Race’, and the race web site is now online.

With urban racing growing rapidly all over the world the UK will have it’s first race in Edinburgh on the 17/18th July. The race is being organised by Detail Events, and the man in the driving seat is Jim Mee, a former events specialist and ‘extreme party’ organiser for Red Bull. He was behind Red Bull Northern Exposure race in 2001, and has once again teamed up with Gary Tompsett.

Having also planned a Higland Adrenalin Rushe and last year’s Hebridean Challenge Gary now has a new, and very different, bit of Scotland for his imaginative planning skills to work on. Edinburgh’s streets (above and below ground), parks and surrounding hills, tall buildings and riverside are all likely to be food for ‘The Rat’.

The race is a little different to other BARC qualifiers, as it’s for teams of 3 (mixed or single sex), and is a one-day race. It’s open to all, from novice to elite, and was recently ‘launched’ at the Outdoor Adventure Show in London.

Describing what competitors could expect Jim Mee said, “There will be a prologue to the main action on the Saturday evening, followed by a city centre start on the Sunday and an 80km jamboree around the city. Core disciplines include biking, running, ropes, orienteering, kayaking and some special urban thrills. Afterwards Rat fans will return to their lair to feast and drink aplenty at the Sunday night party.”

(Those who were at Northern Exposure and entered a marquee on the edge of the snow covered Cairngorms to find a desert landscape with palm trees and many tons of sand should not underestimate Jim’s creative ‘party planning’ skills. A perfect match for Gary’s course planning flair!”)

The new web site has full information about the race, including a downloadable entry form, and SleepMonsters are hosting a race forum if you have any questions and want to get a team together. There are also going to be some great package deals (through a partnership with World Playground Travel), so you can make the most of your trip to Edinburgh.

Joining \'The Rat Race’ is going to be one of the highlights of 2004.