HQrecon: Where The Smart Can Outcompete The Fast
News Release / 05.06.2014
HQrecon, a military inspired endurance event, is launching to the mainstream following several successful ‘secret’ events, with the first two events due to take place at Charlton Park, Wiltshire, and Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire, in September this year.
The unique events are designed to test both physical fitness and mental agility, with skill and a sensible strategy just as important to your success, if not more so, than physical fitness.
The aim of the game is to infiltrate as many ‘zones’ as possible within a 3.5 hour time limit, to collect intelligence codes located within each zone. Each code collected equals points, however, ‘the hunters’ – professionally trained security personnel – are out to get you … get caught in a zone and you lose your points and are sentenced to a time penalty in the form of an energy-sapping 15 minute military-style circuit training session lead by an ex Royal Marine.
If a code is successfully collected, competitors can then choose to go straight on to their next zone (automatically allocated via a keypad at the zone entry point), or go back to base to bank the points. Going back to base takes time and energy, but if the hunters track you down before you bank, then all the points earned so far will be lost.
Participants therefore must pick their strategy; visit more zones in quick succession to collect more codes, or head back to base to protect the hard won points already accumulated. Base camp is located roughly 1.5km – 2km away from each zone, so safety versus time is a significant consideration to take.
On average, each competitor will cover in the region of 10 – 12kms during a HQrecon, or up to 20kms in the HQrecon + (a longer version of the game, with more zones to infiltrate, points to collect and money to be won).
And it’s not just pride at stake. Players at each event are competing for the cash prizes awarded to first, second and third place, which could be up to £4000 for the winner.
HQrecon events can be entered as a team or an individual. Enter as a team, and you can strategise and earn points together, however zones will be allocated individually. Stealth is an important skill in HQrecon and groups entering zones will be immediately caught.
HQrecon was founded by Will Bayley, a professional bodyguard and instructor with the British Krav Maga Association. Krav Maga is an elite hand to hand combat system used by military and intelligence services worldwide.
Will said; “The popularity of fitness and endurance events that offer something in addition to just running or cycling, or following a linear path, has grown hugely in recent years, however, I believed there was a gap in the market for a fitness event that truly combined both a physical and mental challenge, and that offered a competitive element.
“HQrecon offers all of those things and more, and the ‘secret’, small scale events we have held in the past have been hugely successful. We are therefore very excited about hosting our first public events later this year.”
The first HQrecon will take place at Charlton Park in Wiltshire, across three dates; Friday 5th, Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th September. The second event will be held at Cornbury Park in Oxfordshire on Friday 26th, Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th September. Both locations offer stunning scenery, breath-taking woodland and extensive acreage… perfect settings in which to run.
Tickets start from £79 per person. To find out more, to watch the trailer, or to book tickets, go to www.HQrecon.com
