Red Bull Northern Exposure
The course is still a secret
Rob / 13.04.2002
Well, partly. The organisers are letting information out slowly, and plan to keep the surprises coming.
The first briefing was very general, a few quick introductions to the organising team and a run over the timetable, and then up stepped course planner Gary Tompsett – the man with the answers, some of which he was prepared to give the racers!
“We’re going to give you some course maps, with a Matrix of control points on, and the sequence of disciplines. You won’t be using all of the marked controls and we may well change what you do during the race itself, it could be affected by your speed over the ground, the weather or avalanche conditions. We are telling you now so you can plan food and fill your gear boxes. One thing I will say, and won’t repeat, is that battery power is most significant.�
You’ll be told after you’ve started.
“About 10 minutes after the start there will be a give out point – and only then will you be told the route, and only so much of it. We are giving you 2 maps, one to laminate and use and the other to pack away safely. It’s very easy to lose maps in the wind up there and you need a spare for safety.�
“The list of disciplines might be something of a shock. How much can you do in 72 hours? Remember there are no day/night barriers in this race, no day 1,2, and 3. You’ll be using canoes not kayaks and there will be up to 8 secret disciplines, which might seem rather ambitious.�
“I hope some of them will be moral boosting, some marginally entertaining. You’ll have to enter into the spirit of things. They won’t be trivial, all will have a point and I know you’ll enjoy a lot of them, and be infuriated by a couple. All I will add is that I wish I was doing this course.�
And apart from one other major announcement that was it, everyone disappeared off to mark up the maps and try to second guess exactly what will happen. And because they won’t know what they have to do until they arrive at the secret disciplines or the course may change, we can’t tell you what’s going to happen either. So keep looking in to find out !
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