The Helly Hansen Adventure Challenge Series
An Explosive Helly Hansen Challenge
Rob Howard / 19.10.2006
It was the biggest ever field for a Trailplus organised adventure race when 159 teams of 3 lined up for the second Helly Hansen Adventure Challenge of the year. They were gathered on a warm October morning at the edge of a large area of sand dunes beside Longmoor army barracks, ready to start the race with a 3km run through the surrounding woods.The area is used for live weapons and tank training, and spent shells littered the sand. Race Director Paul Magner got a laugh when he said there was no live firing happening on the day … but it was sound advice not to pick up anything that looked ‘unexploded’!
The competitors came from gyms, running and orienteering clubs, triathlon, … and on this occasion from Formula One and Round the World Sailing. Racing driver Mark Webber was in a team with sports training specialists Votwo, preparing for the Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge next month. That’s a 6-day expedition style, stage race across the Tasmanian outback, but on this occasion he faced a 3 to 5 hour race round the woods, hills and valleys of Hampshire.
Dee Caffari was the first woman in history to sail single-handed, non-stop around the world against the prevailing winds and currents and her team were also preparing for the event in Tasmania. The all female team included Helen Reeves, the first British female canoeist to win an Olympic medal and Rachael Cadman who has raced with the Lloyds TSB team in the Microsoft Challenge. They were looking forward to getting on the water in the kayaking, but that came late in the race and there was a lot of running and biking to do first.
Paul Magner gave the broad start line a wide berth and set the teams off, some settled into an easy jog and others raced away, keen to get ahead on the narrow trails.See All Event Posts
