DAR Challenge - Forest of Dean
A First Race at DAR Marlborough
Chris Mills & James Hoad / 19.04.2010
The 11th of April saw a horde of visitors descend on the small town of Lockeridge for their variant on the traditional Sunday walk - Dynamic Adventure Racing had set up for the weekend in the scenically located Kennet Valley Village hall. Following the more serious (and painful) 8-hour Endurance event on Saturday, the Challenge is normally held on Sunday: 5 hours split into 2 hours run, 3 hours bike, with an hour transition in between.This being our first event, my friend and I had decided to enter the pairs competition. We arrived around 9.00, and, having had a useful crash-course lecture in adventure racing from Nicky, we found a table, sorted our kit and chose our route for the run.
We started with the first group, and at 10.00am quickly set off down the quiet country lanes in and around Lockeridge. It was a quick, on-road 2km to where the bridleway and serious navigation started. Having picked up the first checkpoint on the way, we arrived at where the checkpoint should be, only to be somewhat bemused by the lack of a friendly orange clipper. Eventually, we found the CP (“hidden� on the most logical and obvious signpost!) and started up the first of the day’s many hills.
The rest of the run proceeded in a similar manner – stunning countryside, great weather and a fantastic route, with a mild smattering of competition and lots of gradient to keep it interesting. Apart from some confusion over two rather similar looking forest junctions the navigation went well, and fortunately our route ended with some nice downhills through the forest (unlike the end of the cycle later in the day...). Ultimately, we finished the run with around 30 minutes to spare, having cleared the course. Feeling admittedly smug, we refuelled and rehydrated, and started to plan out the route for the bike.
Whereas our choice of route for the run was relatively easy, with only one real decision to make, the bike posed all sorts of issues, from literally the very beginning. After stealing a few pieces of advice from the day’s ultimate winner, Simon Liebling, we came up with an ambitious 50km route that took in all the CPs, but with bail-out options for when we got tired. inevitably would... Still, as 1.00pm loomed, after attaching the maps with a combination of bulldog clips, gaffer tape and cable ties, we walked out with the bikes, calves twinging from the effort of the morning’s run.
See All Event Posts
