A Brilliant Burn Series Race, but more participants are needed

Maria Leigerstam / Burn Series / 01.11.2024

The most recent Burn Series Adventure Race took place at Margam Country Park, our longest-standing venue. Over 200 competitors took part, split between the Burn 6-Hour Race (for fit, fast, and experienced athletes aged 15 and up) and the Mini Burn Family Adventure Race (for adventurous families of all kinds!).

For the first time in Burn Series history, the Mini Burn featured a caving section—a 30-meter-long cave that was a tight squeeze for everyone, but for the smallest children! The adults seemed more panicked than the kids, but with escape hatches every 2.5 meters and cameras monitoring every move, it became an exhilarating addition to the race.

As for the Burn 6-Hour Race, we might have pushed our competitors a bit too far this time, as no one managed to clear the course within the time limit. The navigation was tricky, and the hills were steep! However, since it’s a points-based race, our winners emerged: Campbell Walsh, Bonnie Van Wildenburg, and Chris & Alex Betts each topped their respective categories, with Bonnie impressively coming second overall!

In the Mini Burn, some fantastic times were recorded. The winners in the under-7 category were the Northlings—Nanette, Oliver, Alastair, and Madeleine. The 7-11 category was the most competitive, with 49 teams battling it out. Team Jolly Dogs—John and Joshua Davies—came out on top with an incredible time of 1 hour and 39 minutes. In the 12-17 category, Simon and Eloise Neenan of Team Neenan set a new course record, completing it in 1 hour and 35 minutes.

We received some amazing feedback on our Facebook page post-race:

• "Thanks for organising such a fantastic event! We all had a brilliant time—my first Burn and the boys' second Mini Burn."
• "Our first one and we thought it was brilliant! Thank you."
• "This was our first Mini Burn. The course was challenging, the scenery was beautiful, and the smiles all around reflected the incredible vibe that Maria and her team brought to family adventure racing."
• "Another amazing day. Please do more of these—they are amazing!"
• "Great event. The kids loved it."
• "Such a brilliant day, we loved it! Thank you so much."
• "Such a unique and fantastic event. We loved it!"
• "It was brilliant, loved it, thank you!

As much as I love organizing the Burn Series Adventure Races, the future of the events depends on growing participation. We need around 400 competitors to make the event sustainable. Believe it or not, the cost, time, and effort involved in these races are immense, stretching from many months before the event to weeks afterwards.

As I write this, I just received a call from a father asking about dates for 2025. Could this be a sign to keep going? I want to continue, but it’s all about numbers. I don’t feel that raising the prices is the right solution, so I’m asking every family to bring one more family along next time.

For information on the Burn Series see https://www.burnseries.co.uk/