Thunder Rolls
The Thunder Rolls
Gerry Voelliger / 13.10.2005
The Thunder Rolls Adventure Race, the nations premier two day stage race and a USARA regional qualifying race, took place over the weekend of October 8 - 9, 2005. The course covered over 400 square miles in the beautiful Mississippi River region of the Iowa and Illinois Quad Cities. Coed, masters, and all male teams of three paddled, mountain biked, trail ran, ascended, rappelled, zip lined, and bushwhacked over 104 miles during the two day event. The race started at 0500 on Saturday with a three mile trail run over Native American trails in the Illiniwek Forest Preserve located near Hampton, Illinois. Into canoes, the teams paddled eight miles down the Mississippi River to a quarter mile island portage. Back in the canoes, teams continued to the Mark Twain Wildlife and Fish Refuge for a nasty four mile bushwhack through thick timber, high grasses and marshy swamp lands. It was back to the canoes and downriver to the transition area in Andalusia, Illinois. The total paddle distance was twenty one miles.Â
The adventure racing weather god\'s were smiling on the paddlers this year with a steady breeze to their backs, fast moving, high, smooth water conditions. Leaving the transition on mountain bikes, teams rode for seventeen miles over hilly back country roads to a 300\' zip line over a deep ravine. The teams continued for three miles over single track trails to the finish at Loud Thunder Forest Preserve near Illinois City, Illinois.Â
Stage 1 results had Wedali in at 7:18, CITGO/Gray Goat at 7:46 and Fever River at 8:08 in the Coed Division. Team One Inch finished in 7:45 in the All-Male Division and Team Comfortably Numb at 9:07 to lead the Masters Division.
Prior to the Stage 2 briefing, racers, volunteers, sponsors, and their families were treated to a delicious meal served by the youth ministry of the 150 year old Methodist Church in Illinois City and loads of schwag from the Adventure Sports Magazine Mobile Tour. See All Event Posts
