The SleepMonsters Inspiration & UK AR Awards
Rob Howard / 23.01.2013
February is the annual date for Adventure Racing Ball put on by the UK Adventure Racing Club. It is a chance to cast aside the sports kit, dress up and get together, and also to recognise those who are nominated in the UK Adventure Racing Awards.
The Awards are voted for annually by racers, and include The SleepMonsters Inspiration Award, for those who have inspired others to race or through their achievements, whether competing or helping to organise events. The award is a hand cut wooden ‘SleepMonster’, and appropriately was carved in Costa Rica, the host nation for this year’s AR World Championships. Past winners have included Tom Gibbs, Kim Collinson, and Joe Faulkner, and the last two are both on this year’s short list again for their inspirational racing performances.
The full short list is as follows;
- Joe Faulkner for competing in the Sting followed only a few weeks later by the Dragons Back race and finishing both
- Kim Collinson for competing at the sharp end of two sports; English fell running and adventure racing
- Sally Ozanne for always smiling and being encouraging to all
- Tom Needham for competing in all seven Open 5's last year
- Tom Davies for winning the Questars series 2-years running
- James Thurlow for working while sorting out his diabetes and his plans with HowFast
- Sam Noble for coming out of retirement and racing her guts out at Swift - literally!
The other awards are ‘Performance of the Year’, The ‘Go Balls Deep Endurance Award’, Best Newcomer and Course Planner, and Unsung Hero.
Voting is now open online for all the awards here.
The awards will all be given at the Adventure Racing Ball, which takes place over the weekend of Feb 22nd-24th at the Thurston Activity Centre, Coniston, and includes a programme of social activities as well as Saturday night’s ball. Details and tickets can be found here.
