British Adventure Racing Championship Final
The Final Push
Rob / 01.10.2003
Both Emma Linford and Graeme Hobson are struggling to walk downhill, and yesterday North Downs Mountain Rescue even took it turns to piggyback Emma on the run back from the abseil to the finish. As the teams arrived at the bike transition at dawn North Downs Mountain Rescue were moving better, and came in third, ahead of Sealskinz High 5 who were encouraging Hobson, though he was obviously in a lot of pain. That’s true for most of the competitors to some degree as the gradual build up of challenges and distance in the race takes it’s toll. Now they have to survive the final push to the finish.
James Thurlow has been increasingly exhausted and at the end of trek he was ill and sat shivering in the van as the team tried to get him to eat some food. It was a long transition while he recovered enough to continue on the next cycling stage. By now it was glorious sunny day, but extremely windy which made cycling down the national cycle way hard in places, particularly the climb up to the second transition of the day which was steep and straight into the wind.
Saab Salomon arrived at 08.22 and took just 4 minutes to pass through, before running up the track to cross the wind blasted summit of Diffwys. Thorlo One arrived at 09.10 saying CP6 was missing and the next team in, North Downs Mountain Rescue (10.05) confirm it had been stolen. Emma Linford set off with trekking poles this time and the team even took a climbing harness in case they needed to use it to carry her down the hills – the descent off Diffwys is very steep and won’t be easy for them.
North Downs moved through transition quickly, still feeling there is an outside chance of taking 3rd place off Sealskinz High 5. They had lost their way for a while on the ride, and came in to the transition at 10.40. No Worries were not expected until midday, by which time the winners may have finished the whole course.
After running down off Diffwys Saab Salomon followed minor roads to the toll bridge over the Mawddach estuary and put their kayaks into the water just before 11.00am. The tide was high and running with them in the broad estuary, and even the wind is helpful today, a North Easterly which will be perfect for teams with sails.
Unfortunately, the later teams may find the tide will turn against them and at low water it can be hard to follow the channel through all the shallows and sand bars. For Saab Salomon however, it looks like it will be plain sailing to the finish, where they are expected in the early afternoon.
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