ARC Enduro Xtreme
Enduro Xtreme 10 -12 Hour Adventure Race
News Release / 19.10.2005
Sunshine and blue skies held the promise of perfect fall weather for the last races of the 2005 ARC season, although the forecast for intermittent gale winds was something that would effect the race later in the day. A tornado in mid August had also left many trees blown down adding an extra Halloween ambiance to the race course. With three races scheduled for race day and the attendance of a special guest, Robyn Benincasa of Team Merrell/Wigwam, race headquarters was a busy place.
Before the sun could even begin to light the sky members of the Enduro Xtreme teams were already packing last minute gear and watching their bikes get loaded into the moving van. Racing not only for first place, the fastest co-ed team would receive a free entry into the 2006 Canadian National Championship Race to be held in Timmins, Ontario.
A bus ride began by taking them far east of the home base at Belwood Lake and dropping them off at the Palgrave Conservation Area. From here teams have six CP\'s to find in any order. Once all CP\'s were found teams then made their way back to the drop off point to check in and get on their bikes.
Riding south from Palgrave Conservation Area teams then entered Albion Hills to begin the bike navigation section of the race. Four CP\'s were located on separate single track trails requiring teams to not only navigate using the Albion Hills map but ride the entire trail to find the CP.
Teams then got onto the rail trail and rode west to The Forks of the Credit where they would drop their bikes and head out on another navigation section. Once completed teams would once again get on their bikes, this time making their way over to a single track bike trail that would connect them to the rail trail.
To prevent teams from getting lost this trail had been marked from start to finish with the CP sign hanging somewhere in between. It was here that racers and organizers encountered unexpected and, unfortunately, major problem. Race staff heard complaints that signs were missing and upon investigation discovered that someone had removed all course marking signs and the CP sign leaving racers nothing to follow and nothing to find in the maze of single track. Each team was forced to make the decision to abandon the CP and once again find the rail trail and continue towards Belwood Lake Conservation Area.
At the start of the paddling section racers and organizers were dealt another unexpected situation. The weather, which had been windy and rainy for most of the day turned worse. The paddle section was changed from a long paddle across the length of the lake to a short paddle in the bay under watch of the safety boat and staff on shore.
When the weather turned even worse the paddling section was cancelled and all canoes were stewarded back to the shore by the safety boat. Racers on shore who had not yet set out were very thankful of the decision, especially after watching the wind pick up a canoe off the ground and toss it 10 feet downwind.
Due to both the removal of the CP sign and the cancellation of the paddling section rankings had to be taken from an earlier CP which showed Team Beowulf and Team EAS to be neck and neck for first. An agreement was reached that saw the two teams ranked in first place, and they split the grand prize of a free entry into the National Adventure Race Championship in Timmins in late May 2006 (each team getting a $1250 race credit), while the third place Team Runningfree.ca receiving a $500 credit for the race. Special mention was also given to Team Adventureheads who were the only all male team competing and had two members up from the USA to race.
For complete results please visit www.adventureracingcanada.com
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