Tri-Adventure Open5

The Open5  Returns – Delivered by Tri-Adventure

Rob Howard / 09.02.2022

When this much-loved and important race in the UK adventure racing calendar needed to find a new owner (with the gradual closing down of Open Adventure), who better to take it on than a racer who has competed in the race over 15 years, and has his own events company?

That’s how Adam Marcinowicz came to be out placing checkpoints in the Northern Lake District this week, and he will be delivering the 2022 Open5 next Sunday, under the Tri-Adventure name.

The race is due to take place from Braithwaite, near Keswick, with over 100 racers keen to meet up again for another Open5.   There is more anticipation than usual after the ‘covid cancellation’ last year and as this race has always been a gathering of the UK adventure racing clans.  Its continuation is all the more welcome for that. Those taking part know they’ll see familiar faces, will know what to expect from the race, and that Joe Faulkner of Nav4 will be there serving gallons of tea and big slices of cake (and other goodies).

The guiding hands of James and Lisa Thurlow will be missing, but Adam does not want to change anything.  “Having raced Open5’s since 2007 I know the enjoyment and satisfaction of competing in the race,” he said. “I want to keep it that way, keep the community side of things, and ensure everyone has a good day out.”

So, the format will be the same as it’s always been, with pairs or solos having 5 hours to collect as many mountain bike or run/trek checkpoints as they can.  As long as one run or bike CP is claimed, racers can navigate their way around their own course and complete as much of each discipline as they choose.  Each CP will have a different points value and there will be penalty points for each minute late back to base.

The event venue was originally set up for last year and Marcinowicz said, “I think that’s made the transition easier and that’s a good thing.  It’s harder to place the checkpoints here than at Tri-Adventure races in Southern England, and the course has to cater for all abilities on a single map.  You need to challenge the elite racers, and at the same time appeal to novices and give them the chance to see the best bits of the course.”

The only change he made this year was to ask in the entry information that racers declare if they were riding an e-bike, just so they could be classified separately.  As it turned out, none did.

He says he will look at next steps for the event after this weekend’s first outing, and he’s expecting feedback from the regular racers who have competed for so many years!  If all goes well, there may be room on the calendar for more Open5’s delivered by Tri-Adventure.

If you want to take part there are entries on the day, and you can find out all about the race at https://www.triadventure.co.uk/Open5-2022/