International Raid Temiscamingue

Across the line at Raid Temiscamingue

Carrick Armer / 10.09.2023

While the morning mists had hung around from yesterday, golden light also bathed the Raid Temiscamingue competitors as they lined their canoes up for an on-water start near the Ile des Rapides on the Ottawa River. A warmer morning than yesterday, but still the same race mission for the day: For those teams fighting for the podium, the only way would be full gas and no mistakes; for those just aiming to complete - well, full gas still isn't a bad way to go about it.

The first paddle split teams into two groups, as the two checkpoints could be taken in any order. At the front of the 'right-hand-first' group, Una Hall from Team Puke was heard shouting "leading kinda sucks..." to her teammate at one point, as working to stay ahead meant it was harder to take a moment to navigate and home in on the checkpoint. 

After a short bike loop to the north of the river, the teams then crossed back south over a hydro-electric dam before a short free-order orienteering section on a small wooded promontory, with essentially clockwise or anti-clockwise route options. Uruguay Ultra Sports were the first to arrive at the highest checkpoint (the first on a clockwise route) with Def Leoppard hot on their heels, but then had the longer section to return to transition. Northern Adventure Team and Brou Aventuras had both opted for the anti-clockwise option, and were first back to the transition point as the young Finns sought to make up for yesterdays mistake and get back onto the podium. 

The longest foot leg of the race followed, trekking paths along side the Ottawa river, before a short linking bike to the main ropes section, a huge zipline high above the river channel. While those who hit the perfect speed - by means of mass or aerodynamics - got a soft landing, those above or below that speed either got whipped round by the brake lines or, in at least one case, stopped too early and had to pull themselves the remainder of the way on the line. The ropes staff at the landing end were doing a great job of catching the racers.

After a long ride on good snowmobile trails, teams hit the finish town of Angliers, but weren't actually set to cross the line yet. The course had been designed so the remaining stages were loops from close to the town itself, with cutoffs so any later runners would be short coursed off one loop onto another, the first being a canoe/trek leg, paddling around the island group to the north-east of town with checkpoints on islands or rock outcrops. 

After that, a short run to the historic tugboat T.E. Draper which plied its trade on the lake from 1929 to 1972, assisting with the floating of tree trunks down the river for timber, then a bike around town on the Moccassin Trail, visiting railroad cars and a massive debarking cylinder, signs of the town and the region's industrial past.

The final long loop was a bike out and canoe return, with a couple of short portages and a platform jump for one of the team members, before a short run to the finish. Northern Adventure Team were the first to cross the line having lead for the majority of day, but their hard work was only enough to net them second place, Def Leoppard having run a near-perfect race to keep themselves on the top step of the podium.

As the teams continued to pour in through the day, there were huge smiles and overwhelmingly positive commentary about the race, the area, the terrain and the organisation. Dan Mallory asked exactly who race organisers Endurance Aventure had contacts with who'd ensured such amazing paddling conditions, since every canoe leg had been almost mill-pond flat. And the final emotional moment of the day came with the final team, Mexico's La Ruta Madre. They crossed the line, received their medals and dropped their packs, then Javier Barreda dropped to one knee and proposed to his girlfriend and teammate Melissa Lambert. To the crowds delight (and probably Javier's relief as well), she said yes, proudly showing off the ring in their official finish photo. 

And so, the final results!

Men:
1st - Def Leoppard
2nd - Northern Adventure Team
3rd - Brou Aventuras

Women
1st - Les Pauloises
2nd - Team G

Mixed
1st - Team Puke
2nd - Raid Jack Wolfskin
3rd - Les Conquérants

We'll post a wrap-up report tomorrow, but for now, thanks and good night to all the racers!