Irish Racing off to an Early Start

Rob / 24.02.2004

The Irish racing season gets going early with the launch of the new one day Irish Championship series this coming weekend (Sat. 28th) at Cushendall.

After the introduction of the 2 day series in 2003 organisers Greg Clarke and Brian Elliott have introduced the new one day format to encourage newcomers to the sport. The races will be similar to the 2 day format, but without the need for kayaking and rope skills. Clarke commented, “We had some comments last year that Adventure Racing seemed to be for the elite, so the format is designed so anyone who can walk up a hill and ride a bike can have a go.”

To keep the adrenalin pumping there will be a Tyrolean traverse over a waterfall and equipment will be supplied for this. The total bike section will be approximately 40k (with a maximum individual section of 14k) and the trekking will cover 20k (with a maximum section of 11k).

The course currently has 42 checkpoints so there is plenty of variation and any section can be cut out at a cost of time penalties, so all abilities can have a go. There will be a long section on open mountain with bikes, so good off road tyres are recommended and Clarke promises the orienteering aspect of the course will not be too technical.

The race is open to two or four person teams. The four person teams will be the overall winners but will have to consist of at least one female. Anyone interested in taking part can get all the relevant information from www.irishchamps.com and the last day for entries is Friday 27th to allow the organisers to arrange insurance.

There is only a couple of weeks more to the first of the Irish Champs 2 day events, which takes place on March 13/14th in the Sperrins, a rugged area little used for events due to previous access difficulties. This race will be a little tougher, and will include day and night navigation, kayaking and rope work. Details are also on the Irish Champs web site.