Heb Challenge, New Race Director and New Pairs Category
John Laughlin / 11.11.2005
As always the event will be a relay style, allowing teams of four or five, and pairs, to complete the 700km course in five days, with overnight stops at community halls along the island chain.
The route will involve hill running, mountain biking, road biking, swimming and sea kayaking, although as it’s a relay, teams choose which member completes each activity and normally teams have specialists at each sport.
Not Just For Superfit Atheletes
The Hebridean Challenge is not just an event for super-fit athletes (though we normally have a few in the race) but is aimed at people who consider themselves to be fit and are competent at navigating in the outdoors- possibly in poor visibility.
As one recent competitor put it: “the best qualification for this event is a love of wild placesâ€. Not only are the islands wild, remote and beautiful, they also provide unique physical and logistical challenges due to the varied terrain, ranging from rocky hills, rough grass and heather, huge white beaches and myriad small, and not so small, lochs and lochans.
New ‘Heb’ Race Director and familiar Scottish racer, John Laughlin said: “The Outer Hebrides are a truly stunning part of the British Isles and this race is often an eye-opening experience to the beauty of this quiet part of the British Isles. We have racers return year after year to challenge themselves, but also to experience the warm hospitality of the locals, the camaraderie of team racing, the humour and good spirits with other teams, the magnificent landscapes and occasionally some fabulous weather!â€
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