Open Adventure Two Day Staged Adventure Race
Back to the Future - The Open Adventure 2 Day Race
Rob Howard / 02.05.2012
There are not many music tracks associates with endurance events ... but for those involved in the early days of UK adventure racing a compilation including Tina Turner belting out ‘Simply the Best’ and ‘The Final Countdown’ will always be associated with ACE Races.
So it was no surprise to hear them again at the inaugural Open Adventure 2-day race which was unashamedly reviving the weekend, stage race, format which for many years was the mainstay of UK racing.
The format for the new Open Adventure event was as close as possible to the original 2 day format developed by Phil Humphreys and first run in the late 1990’s. The plan for the weekend was a navigational run and MTB stages on Saturday, followed by night navigation on foot and then a paddle stage and trail run on Sunday, making 5 stages in all. The majority of competitors were camped out at the venue at the Coniston Sports and Social Club in the Lakes, and the categories included solos, pairs and teams of 4.
Some of those taking part had their first taste of Adventure Racing at the original ACE races and were on something of a nostalgia trip, wearing old ACE Race T-shirts and Buffs, and happy to see Phil Humphreys and his neighbour and assistant Jim Rounsley there racing as well. Others were Open Adventure regulars who’d never heard of ACE Races, and some were newcomers to the sport attracted by a varied weekend of racing and the chance of a sociable get together at the event centre.
Two day racing fell out of the UK calendar some time ago (though Questars have revived a similar format for their Q2 events) – so this was a rare chance to try out a 2-day race.
Somehow, in the wettest April ever recorded, the race managed to take place in a period of dry weather (till Sunday lunchtime anyway), and Saturday was a perfect day for racing, if a bit cold for the time of year. First up was the 2 hour foot navigation stage from a remote start above Elterwater in Langdale, with the course set out on Loughrigg Fell and surrounds, and this was followed by the 4.5 hour MTB navigation stage around Grizedale and back to base.
Regular Open Adventure racers were not too far out of their comfort zone on Saturday, being used to the score format, where checkpoints are given a points value and you have to get as many points as possible in the time available (with points deducted for every minute you are late). On the run the 3 best teams all cleared the course getting the maximum 500 points and set up the contest for the weekend between teams adidas TERREX, For Goodness Shakes and Mountain Hardwear. Local mixed pair Chris Heppenstall and Heather Burrows also cleared the course and were going to be hard to beat in their category.
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