An ACE 2005

Rob Howard / 21.12.2004

ACE Races has a full line of events for the coming year, from one-day sprints to the new Wilderness ARC expedition race in Scotland. The training weekend is back, and there will be a new look website early in the new year.

The season kicks off with the Winter XXX Challenge on February 5/6th in the Lake District, and it’s filling up fast. The race will be 30 hours non-stop and include some adrenalin pumping rope stages, but there will be plenty of short course options and lots of transitions where teams can get dry clothes and warm food from their support crews. Teams planning on racing the Wilderness ARC will find the race a perfect early season ‘tune up’.

In contrast the winter conditions of the XXX, the Training Camp in Spain later in the month (Feb. 19-26th), is a chance to get some winter sunshine. The week is an ideal pre-season warm up in relaxed surroundings, with lots of training options including practice on a Tyrolean traverse, canoeing, cycling and bike maintenance, navigation and the chance to run many local mountain trails. Places are limited to 25 and the cost is £310 not including flights. And for those who just want a couple of days training and instruction the Training Weekend in Shropshire is also back on the programme over the weekend of April 2/3rd.

For 2005 one day series will once again run through the summer (7 May, 18 June, 23 July), and the two day series will now be 3 races rather than 4 (16-17 April, 4-5 June, 17-18 September), to allow for the introduction of the new Wilderness ARC in August. This is the big one – a 5 day expedition style race, unsupported over 500km. It will be the 2005 British Championship, and is also part of the World Series, so there will be some top class international competition as well.

It’s a racing calendar with something for everyone, and more details will be on the new look ACE Races and Wilderness ARC websites from January 10th.