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Chasing Checkpoints and Challenges

Rob Howard / 06.09.2006

Heavy raindrops were pattering down on the mud and woodchips in the car park at the Birches Valley Visitor centre as competing teams and pairs listened to the race briefing. They’d come to Cannock Chase, a now familiar ACE Races venue and the setting for the final one day ACE Race of the year, and the series decider.

Phil Humphreys warned everyone to pay close attention to his race briefing, which usually includes some tips on what is to come, He then heavily emphasised the requirement for bike tools in the mandatory kit … no surprise then that the first challenge teams were asked to complete was to remove and replace an inner tube!

On the start line, with dark clouds overhead and the rain pelting down again, no one knew what was to come. The marked race map, with instructions on the back, was only issued after an initial 3 mile run through the surrounding woodland and though they were following a marshalled route newcomers to Cannock won’t have failed to notice the huge number of tracks in this popular Midlands visitor area. That was another warning from the briefing – there are hundreds of unmarked tracks!

The run quickly spread out the teams and Stephen Lang and Chris Heys, the male pair ‘Team Fujitsu 1’ raced ahead, getting to the map hand out ahead of CompassPoint, SleepMonsters and team Quest. (They subsequently finished 66th from 70 teams but had their moment of glory!)

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