The excitement builds as The Turas is developed for June 2008

Greg Clarke / 07.05.2008

The excitement is building as The Turas is progressing for 14-21st June 2008. In 2000 the first expedition adventure race hit Ireland in the form of the Adrenalin Rush. Having competed in this and all the Adrenalin Rush races it is amazing how an event like this can influence ones life. Although I don’t race anymore I can’t quite let go as I run the Irish Adventure Race Series and more recently have become an editor on sleepmonsters. But it is not just the excitement of taking part that the racing creates that makes Adventure Racing so special. Three of the main marshals from the Adrenalin Rush help out at almost all my races (Derek, Stevie D and Stevie R) and have become very good friends. I have been to several wedding functions for marshals from the Adrenalin Rush and regularly visit Brian Elliott (who organised the event) for coffee. I even have a prise photograph up on my Kitchen wall taken by Rob Howard (sleepmonsters creator) at the first race for eight years. One of Irelands well known adventure racers and someone I have raced with on several occasions Paul McArthur was a marshal at the second Adrenalin Rush and hung up his rock climbing shoes to get into the sport having sampled the excitement and is still going strong.

I have races against Noel Hanna (and regularly meet up with him for coffee) and also against some of the other worlds top adventure racers. Eoin Keith is someone well known in the Irish AR scene and although we raced against each other in the Adrenalin Rush I always wished I could have raced with him.

In the first race I can remember battling for hours on Lough Neagh in Canadian canoes with Fraser and John in some dreadful conditions and forming a bond with the two of them that can not be broken and crossing the finish line in third place is unforgettable. Although it may have been the toughest bit of canoeing I have very fond memories of a sixteen hour kayak that took in the length of Lough Ness in the last Adrenalin Rush. There are things like climbing up the face of Ben Crom Reservoir that I would never do outside an adventure race and The Turas will provide a few of those.

These events are organised by dedicated people who could be doing something more profitable with their time but you don’t have to be a competitor to sample the excitement. Why not make a point of coming along to follow part of the race and take part in some of the festival activities planned for the week (see the official website for information www.theturas.com) or better still become part of the event and join the marshalling team. There will be a volunteer button on the website, with a downloadable form soon but if you want some more information in the meantime contact darragh@theturas.com.

You can keep up to date from home on sleepmonsters of course but you can’t beat getting the dirt under your nails.