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Last ACE Race of the Year at Lowther

Anna Gracie / 24.08.2007

The final Ace Race of the 2007 season took competitors to the spectacular scenery of the Eastern Lakes and the beautiful country estate of Lowther. The event village was positioned on the banks of the river Lowther and the impressive Fat Face and Buff shops, combined with the array of sponsor’s banners fluttering in the wind made for a great set up, especially with the smell of hot food from Wilfs drifting over the site.

Event Director Nicky French Blake had spent several months preparing the course and gaining the permissions for what turned out to be a fantastic course. Saturday was to be a non-stop multi disciplined adventure, sending teams out to the kayak stage at Ullswater by bike and then returning on foot with a fantastic fell run home.

The first score course bike section was set at 2 hours and it allowed teams to make their way west over the hills to the transition area at Howtown on the eastern shores of Ullswater. There were plenty of options and with only 2 hours to get there it was a hard and fast ride across fantastic singletrack and technical bridleways. Peter Rostron and Ian Mulvey made the most of the time with the top score for the section of 436 points.

The transition area was a large field where competitors dropped their bikes, necked a few ‘For Goodness Shakes’ and set off for a kayak around the lake. The stormy weather made for a dramatic paddle and the teams certainly felt like they were heading out into an adventure on the stunning lake. Nicky had positioned a series of checkpoints around the lake and teams were given two and half hours to get as many as they could.

The stronger competitors went for all of them with one high scoring checkpoint being positioned on a boathouse at the southern tip of the lake. Nicky had timed it perfectly with two teams clearing the full course in bang on the 2 and half hours and scoring the maximum of 500 points – in fact Anna Sloan and Chris Morgan came in with 1 minute to spare and gained themselves 1 extra bonus point.

After a quick transition teams set off for the long two and half hour run home. There was plenty of route choice and the navigation was challenging. The first challenge was a stiff climb up unto the fells where everyone could see the real beauty of the Lakes even in the overcast conditions. Teams spread across the fell with everyone selecting different route choices and visiting the checkpoints in a different order. Tom Gibbs awesome navigational skills gave Team Aberdeen Asset Management the top score for the section with 366 points.

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