WENGER CZECH ADVENTURE RACE
Coasteering and Castles at the Czech Adventure Race
Press Release / 30.08.2019
The start of the 16th edition of Wenger Czech Adventure Race looked like a funny beach party. The racers dressed in green race bibs and wearing swimming goggles, flippers and holding swimming rings and beach mats did not look like sportspeople determined to spend three days and nights in motion.
At 9:00 a.m. all 14 teams ran into the water of Slapy reservoir and swam towards their first CP. The initial stage, Coasteering, took the fastest teams less then two hours. When the teams reached the race centre they grabbed their bikes and rode to TA2. There they changed bicycles for canoes. The paddling was spiced with a special CP in an old quarry with rope disciplines: climbing, ascend and abseil.
From the beginning two teams separated and took the lead: Swedish Kolmården Adventures and Czech Salomon-Suunto CZ AR. The Swedish team was the first one after the Coasteering and the MTB stage but the home team was faster at paddling.
Nevertheless, the race is still at its beginning and we can only speculate who will be the winner on the finish line. In third place at the end of the paddling stage was the AR team from Ukraine and not far behind were HSK Benecko/ Sport nás baví from the Czech Republic.
After a very hot, muggy day it turned into a cold stormy afternoon with hail, windstorm and heavy rain at some places. Some of the teams were affected during the paddling stage, but it didn't slow them down and over half of the teams got off their canoes before sunset.
During the first night teams will walk back to the TA2. On their way they will pass the most famous castle in the Czech Republic: Karlštejn (which will be illuminated). Then they ride to the race centre for other stages with a quite a difficult special orienteering run on the way.
One of the cool things about this race is Czech Adventure Race Routebook. Teams can get to know all interesting historical information about CPs and the racing area – and even Karlštejn castle. You can read it online at https://adventurerace.cz/?page_id=1516&lang=en
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