Endurancelife Classic IV

---

Kiwis Come Out on Top on Exmoor

Barry Matthews (endurancelife) / 21.10.2004

Over 80 multi-sport enthusiasts weathered the wet and windy conditions on Exmoor last weekend, for the final races in endurancelife's 2004 multi-sport series. There were 2 races over the weekend, The Classic Lite on Saturday and the Classic IV on Sunday.

The inaugural "Lite" event was the first of endurancelife's shorter distance events encompassing a 2 mile kayak, 6 mile run and 10 mile bike section. The shorter distance attracted many first timers to the sport as well as many people who'd previously watched from the sidelines and felt that over these shorter distances they could now give it a go.

The Classic event on the Sunday comprised endurancelife's traditional distances of 4.5 mile kayak, 12 mile run and 20 mile mountain bike. Both events were well attended with a mixture of solo, team and relay competitors taking part.

The courses were excellent, a great mixture of off-road running and mountain biking, with some steep, fast, technical sections mixed in with gruelling up-hill climbs and fast road sections. The kayaking took place on Wimbleball Lake, a spectacular setting, surrounded by woodland and rolling Somerset hills.

On both days the sun shone between the showers and the competitors avoided the torrential rain that fell both before and after each day's races, making for a wet, muddy and slippy course.

Many competitors braved the elements and camped at race HQ prior to each day’s race. endurancelife provided a warming breakfast and after an 8:30 race and safety briefing, competitors had a final 60 minutes, to prepare their bikes, their kit and themselves for the challenge that lay ahead.

The format for both events was the same - At 10am all competitors ran from the start line down the 300m track to the water’s edge and, already wearing lifejackets, they were helped on to one of endurancelife's sit-on-top kayaks, handed a paddle and followed the pre-marked course and the safety boat around the lake. At the end of the kayak leg they were helped off the boats, ran back up the track to the Transition Zone - gave their number to the timing desk and commenced stage 2 - the running leg.

The run was predominantly off road on both days, through fields, tracks, mud and water - a tough course for everyone following a circular route back to race HQ to the same transition zone where trainers were swapped for SPDs and the final bike leg commenced.See All Event Posts