Hebridean Challenge

Some go this way, some go that ...

Felicity Martin/Rob / 08.05.2002

Sunburn and dehydration were real risks on Day 2, when teams covered eight islands and traveled the length of the Uists from the start on Barra to the finish on Berneray.

The paddlers crossed the Sound of Barra in record time, again led by Ian Torduff of Team Wales, who literally left the others in his wake. In near perfect conditions they headed between the isles of Hellisay and Gighay to arrive back on Eriskay, where they met the swimmers from their team at the ferry terminal. Then they accompanied them on a cold sea swim to a dazzling white sand beach nearby. After racing out of the water the swimmers tagged their runners who set off up Beinn Sciathan, the highest point on Eriskay, before the waiting cyclists crossed the causeway to South Uist and headed northwards. (By this time the team members who had been on Barra overnight had crossed back by ferry.)

So the teams members were briefly all in one place again, but not for long. On this first full day of the race the real complexities began! During the day there were 2 parallel run and bike sections, and to finish a parallel run/canoe section. And remember each team has only one vehicle and no support crew, they have to move their bikes, canoes and themselves along the course, and be in the right places at the right times.

Even finding a parking place can be difficult. The ‘main roads’ on the islands are often only single track with passing places, and the side tracks – we’ll leave those to your imagination. To help with this situation (and create more confusing options) the rules specifically allow for “cooperation with other teams to position runners, cyclists and paddlers at transition points that you have in common�, and even say that if instructed you have to give the marshals a lift as well!

Confused? You will be, we haven’t to the complicated bits yet! Throughout the race each team has to score 160 points, and these are earned by putting additional racers onto certain sections. Today for example, there were 22 points available for each extra competitor to reach the summit of Beinn Mhor, the highest point on South Uist, but only an extra 3 points for the much easier Ruabhal summit. Sometimes racers have to do the whole section together, other times they can move separately, and at the end of the race there is a 3 minute penalty for each point in deficit.

[If you are struggling with that we’d suggest you just look at the map to tick the islands off and browse the picture galleries. You might also wonder what sort of a warped imagination Race Director Martin Stone has!]