The Rat Race Volvo Urban Adventure
Urban Rocks
Rob / 15.07.2004
The idea, the catchy name, the slick cartoon-style promotion, the venue in Edinburgh and the promise of what the combined imaginations and talents of Jim Mee and Gary Tompsett might produce, have all combined to make the race one of the most anticipated of the year.
With 100 places available there are 110 confirmed teams of 3 making their way to Rat HQ now being assembled in West Prince’s Street Gardens. The prestigious city centre location, right under Edinburgh Castle is just one of the many ways Edinburgh city council have supported the race. It’s going to have a climbing wall, vehicle demonstrations by sponsors Volvo, lots of gear concessions, a Swedish massage tent, a bike workshop, beer tent, the Red Bull sound system and a big screen.
Joggers and dog walkers in the park won’t miss it, nor will the ‘pop fans’ on their way to the Cliff Richard concert being held in the Castle. The good residents of Edinburgh may be used to some strange sights, but this is one festival the like of which they’ve never seen before. This race is where adventure racing meets the public.
Mean Streets & Hard Surfaces
From HQ the Rat Pack will run riot on Saturday night, scampering around the city in packs in the ‘Mean Streets’ prologue, a 3 hour score run through the city centre, with obstacles to overcome, and some challenging map reading of a kind regular adventure racers may not be used to. They may also discover Edinburgh is hilly.
Teams will get what course planner Gary Tompsett calls, \'the city nights experience’ as well as going to some ‘dark and dodgy’ places. But they are in threes and able to run fast ...
SleepMonsters
