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The Monster Wakes

Kaj Glännestrand & Malin Andersson / 11.07.2010

The teams taking part in Explore Sweden Monster have arrived in Lofoten and now there are just a few hours left until the start their impressive journey of 815 kilometers of biking, trekking, kayaking and mountaineering. The course takes the competitors from Å at Lofoten by the Atlantic Ocean, through tough and beautiful terrain in the north of Norway. The teams will then enter Sweden and carry on right across the whole country to Piteå by the Baltic Sea.

This year's edition of Explore Sweden Monster - Atlantic 2 Baltic has a broad international starting field. The participants represent nine nations and two continents. Most teams are from Europe but the United States are also among the flags. Sweden has the most teams, five, and France and Estonia have two each.

The registration has now been completed and the teams have received their maps for the race. Now they have some time to decide how to navigate and plan practical things with their assistance team.
Race Director and course setter Mikael Lindnord is optimistic about the course;

“It will be the most scenic course we have ever done - even if you include the course in the World Championship in 2006. It is a real beauty - but an unreliable one and the participants have to be alert. The course may attract teams to move faster than they can sustain, it’s easy to do when you constantly get new energy from the environment.�

This year's "monster" is also a step back to the original idea of adventure racing.
Almost all organizers are moving towards shorter and faster races, but we are going against the tide. It is a competition, but it will also be an experience�, says Mikael.

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