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Archive for the ‘adventure racing’ Category

Some time ago, we did an article on the Borneo Eco-Challenge adventure race. This was in the early days when we were just discovering adventure racing as an extreme sport. The Borneo eco-challenge was obviously a popular event as we have subsequently received many requests for further information.

This event has not had a recent re-run. However,  ESPN STAR Sport Event Management and associates have come up with a new event:  the Perak Amanjaya Eco Race 2009.

This is rather a last minute alert, but the whole race is a little bit last-minute anyway, which is why this year it is invitation only. However, the organisers intend this to be an annual event so bookmark it now for next year…

The race is due to begin on the 2nd December, completing by the 6th December, 2009 and promises to be an adventure race classic. It will include such disciplines as Trail Running, Kayaking, Mountain Biking, In-line Skating, Abseiling, Canyoning, Rapelling and Swimming… and the state government of Parak, Malaysia, will be hosting the event.

Location, location, location. Don’t we hear that so often? Well, this event is definitely in a beautiful location. It begins in the Royal Belum State Park (rainforest) which is the largest continuous forest complex in Peninsular Malaysia and which crosses into Southern Thailand. It is estimated to be as old as 130 million years, making it older than the jungle of the Amazon or Congo – sorry, I can never resist a little history! Needless to say, some areas of this magnificent forest are being plundered by loggers… when will we ever learn?

This region receives about 2,200 cm of rain per annum – so expect it to be wet! It also has its fair share of big cats, venomous snakes, elephant, Sumatran rhino’s plus a whole host of other bird and wildlife.

Banding Island as seen from Tower House

The race starts at Banding Bridge which is the gateway to Royal Belum Rainforest. A quick run across the bridge and then an abseil down to the lake sets the event off to an exciting start. You then swim to a pontoon, get a kayak and paddle across to the lake shore where you will have to carry your kayak along a jungle trail to the next stretch of water where you will kayak back to the island, leave the kayak and run back to the bridge. An in-line skate across the bridge will bring the first day to a close.

Day 2 starts at the foot hill of Taiping Hill where there will be a trail run to a waterfall. After canyoning down the waterfall competitors will run to Taiping Lake Garden (the first public garden established during the British rule in Malaysia), and in-line skate under the Golden Raintrees. From here there will be a mountain bike ride to the Kampung river mouth for another kayak to Kuala Sepetang and final run on the boardwalk to finish at the jetty of Kuala Sepetang.

Day 3 will be a rest day but also a transfer from Taiping to Pasir Salak where the race will continue.

Pasir Salak is the place where modern Malaysia took shape. It is where the independence movement against the British began and where the first British  resident of Perak, James W.W. Birch, was murdered on 2nd November, 1875. The rebellion of 1875 in Pasir Salak sowed the seeds of nationalism, which manifested itself in the form of opposition to colonialism, and to the formation of a Malayan Union, which ignited the flame of independence.

Today Pasir Salak is an historical site whose purpose is to remind the younger generation of the events there and the fight against colonialism in Perak, and also to remember the struggle and the sacrifice of the warriors to uphold the dignity of the race and country.

So, after yet another history lesson from me, I shall continue with the matter at hand – the eco-challenge adventure race:

Day 4 kicks off with a mountain bike ride up to the beautiful Ulu Geruntum, which is the raft starting point. From here you white water raft down to Kampung Jahang…

run to the cave entrance to start the caving section…

and finish with a run to the finish line at Kampung Tengah.

Day 5, the final day, starts at Pasir Salak with a mountain bike ride to Teluk Batik, kayak to Teluk Segadas at Pangkor Island, rapel down the rock, run to Teluk Dalam beach, swim in the sea in front of Teluk Dalam and finally finish at the beach of Teluk Dalam.

For 2009 this event is open to teams of 2 persons only – male, female or co-ed; only 20 teams are invited and again, for this year, it is an ‘invitation only’ event. Teams are coming from Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macao, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, USA and Finland.

For those of you who would like to enter but wonder what on earth your better half (!) is going to do whilst you’re battling your way through the jungle (if your better half isn’t battling through it with you) … remember that glancing reference I made above to the type of fauna to be found in the Royal Belum National Park?  Well, I then came across this little list – and please bear in mind it is not a final list, of what sort of flora and fauna can be seen and enjoyed in the Royal Belum Rainforest:

247 species of birds
100 species of mammals
170 species of butterflies
251 species of moths
51 species of land snails
36 species of aquatic and semi aquatic bugs
25 species of cicadas
24 species of amphibians
21 species of lizards
23 species of snakes
23 speices of freshwater fish
7 species of freshwater and land turtles
62 species of moss
64 species of ferns
46 species of palms
30 species of gingers
3000 species of flower plants
3 species of freshwater decapod
44 species of wild fruit trees

Apart from that there is the Taiping Lake Garden which, at 222 acres, is the biggest urban parkland in Malaysia, designed and built about 130 years ago in the remains of an old tin mine. It has beautifully laid out ponds, lakes, and reputably, the best zoological gardens in the whole region. And then there’s the spectacular beach of Teluk Dalam and the beautiful island of Pangkor. Just a few of things one might see and do out there. No-one could possibly be bored…

So popular is this extreme sport becoming that it’s getting tough for endurance athletes to find a race.  The Marathon des Sables, for example, is fully booked until 2011.

Enter Across the Divide. They organise 4 ultra-marathons a year, kicking off  with The Namib on 19-21 February, 2010 – this race is rapidly making its name as the ultimate endurance race for long distance runners.

It is a race that will test each athletes physical and mental strength to the limit.

“Across the Divide have captured the spirit of adventure racing in this event for me!“ Andy McMenemy, Namibia ultra marathon participant 2008.

This race, along with the Iceland Laugavegur Ultra Marathon, the Spanish 24hour Ultra Marathon and the Grand Canyon Ultra are all events organised and run by the founding directors of  ‘Across the Divide’ , Mark and Karen Hannaford and their team.

Mark has been involved with charity challenges and expeditions for over 22 years and has led expeditions all over the world as well as taking part in extreme endurance events. Karen, a keen runner, has been involved for over 17 years in expeditions, event management and charity work.

The extreme series for Across the Divide has actually been developed by Steve Clark who, having completed both the London and Edinburgh marathons, was looking for a new challenge. In April 2005 he completed the Marathon des Sables in Morocco and was  well and truly smitten by the ultra distance race bug.

Tony Ford completes the team with a broad range of event organisational skills. He himself has completed some of the worlds strangest races, from Tough Guy to Lions Head, and The Beast to Bibbulmun Trail. After 15 years of marathons and trail races, Tony still has the bug…

Which brings me back to the Namibia 24 Hour Ultra Marathon (charityatd).

This race was first run in 2008 and in the words of competitor Peter Holdgate, “It was hot!  It was hard! It was awesome! – A true adventure.     This race is a must for individuals who wish to test their limits of physical and mental endurance.”

The route has increased in length slightly for 2010 – it will be 126kms in total which is the same as 3 full marathons. Each of the 6 stages of the route will be 21kms in length.

the route is mainly flat or undulating, firm under foot, but stony with occasional patches of sand and short grass cover. The most difficult part of the route will be traversed at night and it will be important to take care as  rough tracks and loose stones will be difficult to navigate in the dark – even with a full moon.

When dawn breaks and you begin to think that the worst must be behind you, the race finishes with a punishing up-hill section before turning off down to the beach, the infamous Skeleton Coast, and the finish line. Jayne Freer, also an original competitor, says of this final section: “The last leg is truly horrific – punishing on the mind, body and soul. Eighteen kilometres down a road that never ends, followed by a further two down to the sea at the Mile 72 campsite. Each and every step is punishing, painstaking and pure hell.”

Runners have to be self-sufficient throughout, carrying all their food, water, energy bars and change of clothing in backpacks – everything they will need for temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius (46 C was clocked one day) and plummeting to two degrees at night.

Steve Tidball, a competent runner regularly doing 30-40 miles with no problem, was defeated by heatstroke within the first 2 hours of the 2009 race – it is worth noting that he came to this race fully prepared having even done heat training in preparation for the desert temperatures. However, he was allowed to complete the race, and had this to say about it: “Of course once I’d started to recover the magnitude of what we’d been through began to kick in. We met people out there who’ll undoubtedly be friends for life. I learnt that the desert is not to be underestimated; it is an awesomely intimidating place capable of destroying you. I loved every minute of the camp, and the opportunity of being surrounded by people who are just like you and like a bit of pain with their running. And finally I feel unbelievably grateful to the doctors at Across the Divide, first for saving me from doing anything reckless with my health, then secondly for letting me rejoin the race. It allowed me to take away invaluable experiences that will last with me forever.”

As with all the ultra-marathon endurance races we talk about on this site, whether it be AdventureCORPS’ Death Valley Badwater Marathon, or RacingThePlanet’s 4 Deserts (the Sahara Race is underway as we speak), or Across the Divide’s, what strikes me most about the event is the amazing depth of camaraderie and alliance amongst the competitors and organisers – one and the same in some cases. And the friendships that are born out of adversity… There seems to be a unique bond which is tangible but hard to explain.

Well worth witnessing first hand I think.

A normal length marathon is run in the Namib at the same time and will finish after stage 2.

There are still 98 places available for the extreme  Namibia 24 Hour Ultra Marathon and if you wish to enter please click here

The Sahara Race, a seriously extreme endurance race, has got off to an excellent start…

At the start of the race special recognition was given to Alasdair Morrison of Scotland and Ji Sung Yoo of South Korea, the only competitors in the race who have completed the 4 Deserts. However five more competitors will join the 4 Deserts Club, if they complete this current Sahara Race.

The oldest competitor, 74-year-old Jack Denness of the UK, said: “It is fantastic to be here. I love it. It is great for my ego as even the front runners give me lots of respect because of my age.”

Whilst we wined and dined most of a blissful sunny Sunday away, 130 intrepid adventurers set off under clear blue Sahara skies on a sandy, rocky route that had been classified as moderate.

“The magic of the famous White Desert will be only the beginning of many memorable moments in the Sahara Race.” – said course director, Carlos Garcia Prieto of Spain, and indeed it was. Special permission was needed to be allowed to camp in this very special place.

Canada’s Trailwinders team member Lara Rintoul said: “Its so beautiful out there I’m happy not to run, as powering along head down would mean I wouldn’t see it. We’ll never be back here so we have to ensure we take it all in and enjoy it.”

The winner of the Atacama Crossing 2009, Canada’s Mehmet Danis, led the field on the first day clearly determined to make his mark early on in this event. Crossing the finish line he said: “It was a nice first half but after the third checkpoint the soft sand and heat really got to me and I slowed.”

Tobias Frenz of Germany has taken second place. He said: “The first 10km was easy then you hit the sand. I really went for it in the last 5km.” Christian Schiester of Austria is the third man across the line.

Erica Terblanche of South Africa was the first woman to complete the first stage after a very strong first day performance. Erica is a former world class adventure racer with an impressive track record in endurance running as well. She now works in the financial sector in London and when asked what her colleagues think of her unusual passion for endurance sports (she recently completed a 10,000km cycle expedition across South East Asia) she said,  “People at work have been trying to reconcile what I’m like for 20 years. I have a briefcase in one hand and a surf board in the other!”

Team Trifecta were the first team to finish.

Some competitors lost time earlier in the day because of navigational errors and the harshness of the race, the environment, and the conditions took their toll on some of the entrants and Alain Wehbi of France, Erik de Haart of Australia and  Patrick Griggs of the USA withdrew.

As night fell at the end of the first day, glow sticks were placed on the course to guide the last competitors in.

Last to come in were Jack Denness and Karen Dockwray of the UK in high spirits. As they crossed the line, 74-year-old Jack joked: “Sorry we were so long, we stopped off for a honeymoon.”

Many competitors found the first day very tough and the medical tent was busier than normal. Several people needed treatment with IV drips… Everyone was happy to sit, relax, draw breath and enjoy the excellent cuisine:

Tongue in cheek I have to admit!!!

Stage 2 has got off to a good start with Austria’s Christian Schiester leading at the first checkpoint of the day, though he’s only seconds ahead of Canada’s Mehmet Danis and Tobias Frenz of Germany…

And whilst the competitors are slogging it through the sand, the event organisers are having a little fun:

With thanks to racingtheplanet for the videos and the photograph. If you have taken the time to watch the 3 videos you will have got a very good impression of the atmosphere out there: the joie de vivre, the camaraderie, the mood of this singular event…

I know this is a 9-minute video that I am asking you to watch (racingtheplanet), but please do, or at least give it a brief viewing. The scenery is spectacular, the camaraderie amazing and the sense of fun – exhilarating.

The Sahara Race, part of the 4 Desert series, will be held from the 25th to 31st October, 2008 in Egypt’s Sahara Desert (the world’s largest subtropical desert) for a seven day, six stage race. This is the third leg in the series with those already run being the Atacama Desert and the Gobi Desert. The last leg will be Antarctica – and yes, the Antarctica is a desert as it has a negligible annual rainfall.

There is a 5th event – but it’s in a different location each year. In 2010 it will be held in the Outback in  Western Australia’s Kimberley region.

The Sahara Race is a 250km (155 miles) race beginning at the Farafra Oasis, seven hours from Cairo. The six stage race takes place over seven days, and will see competitors going through a strange and forbidding landscape of sand and rock whilst camping in some of the most remote oases of the Sahara Desert. The finish line at the Pyramids of Giza will be on the  31st October.

The heat in the Sahara can be fierce, but due to very low humidity, it is bearable. Temperatures can rise to 120 F (49 C) during the day and fall to around 50F (10 C) which means the evenings can be quite cold. Strong winds and sandstorms are not uncommon.

If you’ve watched the above video you might be wondering why on earth they carry such enormous packs when the conditions are certainly going to be difficult. The reason? The competitors must carry all their own gear, food and clothing. The average backpack weighs about 20 pounds (9 kilos). The only “luxuries” they are provided with each day are a place in a tent in which to sleep, a campfire at night and drinking water. Each competitor will be allocated 10 litres of water per day to keep hydrated in the relentless heat.

Mary Gadams, Founder and CEO of RacingThePlanet, the organizer of the race says, “The 4 Deserts has established itself as the leading endurance series out there. The 4 Deserts is something that people feel the need to conquer, like the Seven Summits or the Five Oceans.”

130 people will be taking part in the Sahara Race. The typical competitor in a race of this quality is a working professional, a high achiever – someone who believes in maximizing every opportunity in life.

“It’s fantastic that we’ve managed to establish a race series that is attracting such a diverse group of truly inspiring people,” says  Gadams.   “Everybody has to deal with the same trials in the 4 Deserts, whether they are a veteran competitor or a complete novice. By limiting the number of participants everyone becomes a source of support for each other and a great camaraderie develops over the 7 days, even amongst the most
competitive of athletes.”

There are also some professional endurance athletes taking part such as Austrian Christian Schiester, 41, and Kenneth ‘Tintin’ Johansson, 44, from Sweden and a number of record-setters including Briton Annabelle Bond, 38, who is the fastest woman to ever complete the Seven Summits; helicopter pilot Jennifer Murray, 68, again from the UK who amongst other aviation firsts, has most recently completed a circumnavigation of the globe via both poles; Ron Hackett who was Canada’s first blind triathlete and is a two-time World Cup Triathlon Champion; and Jack Denness, a school caretaker from England who is the only 70-year-old to have ever completed the Badwater Ultramarathon.

The man everyone will have to beat though is Mehmet Danis, 34, from Canada. The Canadian Forces officer won the Atacama Crossing earlier this year, and is currently training under the guidance of his celebrated compatriot ultramarathon runner Ray Zahab.

As with a lot of the organisations or extroadinary events that we talk about and discuss with admiration, RacingThePlanet, too, support chosen charities in the countries they visit. Last year they raised $45,000 to support Operation Smile in Cairo, a group that provides free surgery to children born with facial deformities. The organisation encourages its participants to run for any charity of their choice. Many of their competitors have raised significant amounts of money for charities all over the world.

As a matter of interest, the entry fee for the Gobi March, Atacama Crossing, Sahara Race, and RacingThePlanet: Namibia in 2009 is US$3100 per race. The Antarctica Race, The Last Desert, is significantly more – $10,000, estimated price. It is only held once every other year. Registration for all the races is on a first-come, first-serve basis and entries are limited based on government and environmental concerns. You can only apply for the Antarctica race  if you have already complete two of the other deserts.

New research shows that people who feel compelled to take part in ultra-marathons and other severe endurance races are not masochists but are quite possibly addicted to exercise.

A new study in the August edition of the journal Behavioral Neuroscience showed running may indeed be addictive to the brain in the same way as heroin or morphine.

Stan Jensen is a good example. Author of Run100s.com, he has competed in 20 marathons and 125 ultra-marathons in his lifetime. He said he considered his first race “fun”, but one marathon was not enough and he eventually morphed into an ultra-marathon runner. “There was a time at which I was definitely addicted to running. I enjoyed it, I enjoyed the way I felt when I ran and I enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment when I finished,” he said.

But it’s not just the brain that keeps you going. You have to have adequately prepared your body and organised nutritional snacks to eat along the way. this is imperative to keep up your stamina.

Whilst researching various ultra-marathons I have come across the name of Hammer Nutrition. Many athletes laud their products, so I thought I should have a closer look as to who and what is Hammer Nutrition…

Hammer Nutrition is a company that understands the needs of endurance athletes and seems to have covered most corners of this market. They pride themselves on marketing quality products to endurance athletes around the globe – a complete line of the finest fuels available. Their products contain only ingredients that promote healthy, steady energy production. None of their products contain any added simple sugars, artificial flavors or colorings, or any questionable, fad, or unproven ingredients.

Kathleen McCormack, having completed the 624 miles, 47,000+ ft of elevation gain, 44:41 total time California Triple Crown Stage Cycling Race, said that to keep her body fueled properly during all those hours on the bike, she relied heavily on Hammer Nutrition products like yummy Caffé Latte Perpetuem, Banana Hammer Gel, Endurolytes, Anti-Fatigue Caps, and Endurance Amino and last but certainly not least…  the fabulous SEAT SAVER chamois cream! Post ride, she always goes straight for an ice cold serving of Hammer Nutritions Recoverite to promote adequate recovery.

Mobility or range-of-motion (ROM) around a joint and the ability to run with EASE and in a RELAXED MANNER is often facilitated by increased flexibility.

Each time your feet hit the ground (approximately 1000 times in only 1-mile of running) your body needs to be strong and stiff to resist ground forces and transfer deceleration into acceleration. If you are functionally strong, you will run faster and easier than if you have great levels of flexibility.

“The body is (simply) a chain of stabile segments connected to mobile joints. When there’s a break in that chain, problems usually ensue,” says Gary Cook.

Competitors at the Badwater marathon, the toughest endurance race in the world, who used Hammer products sware by them. Jamie Donaldson, took top honors in the Women’s division again this year, and her time of 27 hours, 20 minutes, 18 seconds was good for 5th place overall. She recently commented that “this was my best-feeling Badwater ever! It was considerably hotter than last year by 5-10 degrees and I didn’t have one stomach issue using only Perpeteum, Endurolytes, and Hammer Gel. Amazing! Also, I LOVED the caffé latte of Perpetuem! That flavor rocks! I placed 1st female in the second fastest time for a woman ever in 27:20.”

67-year-old Arthur Webb of Santa Rosa, CA, finished his 11th Badwater, and his time of 46:35.29 placed him a fantastic 37th overall, but he suffered major problems early on in the race and said “if it was not for the Endurolytes and HEED I probably would not have made it. But consuming these products gave me the ability to finish off the Badwater race in 46:35 and buckled for my eleventh time .”

So who and what is Hammer Nutrition?

Hammer Nutrition has recognised the fact that endurance athletes often focus on carb intake, and leave protein considerations for the weight lifters and bodybuilders. Differences in goals and body type aside, the fact is that endurance athletes also need a considerable amount of protein, mainly in two protein demands:

• to repair and rebuild muscle tissue;
• to protect and enhance immune system functioning.

Lean muscle mass can be lost at a considerable rate during exercise, especially if protein is deficient in the fueling and lengthy training sessions greatly stress the immune system. Athletes with inadequate protein intake are susceptible to over-training syndrome, overuse injuries, slow healing of injuries, and catching colds and other ailments.

Whey protein, because of its fast absorption, is the ideal recovery protein for post-exercise use. Soy is best during exercise, as it is least likely to produce ammonia, which in turn contributes to muscle fatigue.

There is a relatively easy system to work out your optimum protein intake in grams should be:

• multiply your body weight in kilograms (pounds divided by 2.2) by 1.4 to 1.7, depending on the intensity of your exercise.

Serious endurance athletes do need considerable amounts of protein, far above the normal adult RDA, because maintenance, repair, and growth of lean muscle mass all depend on it,as well as optimum immune system function. Low dietary protein lengthens recovery time, causes muscle weakness,and suppresses the immune system.

Chronic protein deficiency will cancel the beneficial effects of your workouts; instead, you will become susceptible to fatigue, lethargy, anemia, and possibly even more severe disorders. Athletes with over-training syndrome usually have protein deficiency.

Pain Killers

The other thing that is of interest to all you marathon, ultra-marathon or endurance athletes out there is you should know the effects that popping ibuprofen pills has on an athlete.

David Nieman, a well-regarded physiologist and director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the North Carolina Research Campus, was asked to look at the stresses that was placed on the participants of endurance racing.

Nieman and the race authorities had anticipated that the rigorous distance and altitude would affect runners’ immune systems and muscles, and they did, but another of their findings suprised everyone…

After looking at racers’ blood work, he determined that some of the ultramarathoners were supplying their own physiological stress, in tablet form. Those runners who’d popped over-the-counter ibuprofen pills before and during the race displayed, at the end of the race, significantly more inflammation and other markers of high immune system response than the runners who hadn’t taken anti-inflammatories. The ibuprofen users also showed signs of mild kidney impairment and, both before and after the race, of low-level endotoxemia, a condition in which bacteria leak from the colon into the bloodstream.

Seven out of ten of the runners were using ibuprofen before and, in most cases, at regular intervals throughout the race, he says. “There was widespread use and very little understanding of the consequences.”

Rather a solemn article today – but facts that one should know about.

For somebody just getting into Adventure Racing here’s something for you – an 8hr, 15-20 mile race called the 7242 – in the beautiful Black Hills of Dakota, immortalised in the 1950’s film ‘Calamity Jane’, thanks to friendofpoodles for the video – sorry, couldn’t resist adding this little bit of history!

“An island of trees in a sea of grass”

The Black Hills  are a small, isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming. Set off from the main body of the Rocky Mountains, the region is something of a geological anomaly.

American Indians have lived in the Black Hills since at least 7000 BCE. The Arikara arrived by 1500 AD, followed by the Cheyenne, Crow, Kiowa and Pawnee. The Lakota arrived from Minnesota in the eighteenth century and drove out the other tribes, claiming the land, which they called HeSapa, Black Mountains, for themselves. Now the Lakota, Sioux and Cheyenne claim rights to the land saying that in their culture it was considered the axis mundi, or “sacred center of the world”.

Dipping ever more deeply into history, following the defeat of the Lakota and their Cheyenne and Arapho allies fn 1876, the United States took control of the region from the Lakota in violation of the Treaty of Fort Laramie. The Lakota never accepted the validity of this purchase, and the area remains under dispute to this day…

The Black Hills of Dakota are, and always have been, an oasis of pine-clad mountains on the Great Plains.

Now you’ve had the history lesson, back to the race…

It is on Sunday, 4th October 2009 and registration is open now.

It will be approximately an 8-hour course depending on your level of fitness and navigational skills and it will include Mountain Biking, Trekking, Navigation, Photography, Acting and Joke Telling… a little different to the norm and why I feel it is a good one for newbies to the sport… an introductory run so to speak.

Competitors must be a 2-man team of either sex and must be 18 years old by the day of the competition. No support crews will be allowed. 

This event is run by BHAR (Black Hills Adventure Racing). Realising that they lived in an area of astounding beauty and vast tracts of the great outdoors on offer, Josh Ellis & Mitch Ruedebusch established the company in the Fall of 2008. They plan on using the hills to challenge people both physically and mentally. “We all need to be challenged occasionally in life to find out what we are capable of,”  they say, and they look forward to seeing you out there…

To register please go directly to their site: www.blackhillsadventureracing.com

And prizes? “The winning team for each division will receive the donations given for that particular division.  May not be enough to overcome the recession but beer money is always good!” they say.

The photographs give you an idea of the diversity of the region – and don’t forget, Mount Rushmore is there too…

You will remember that I introduced the Mongol Derby to you several weeks ago (Mongol Derby). Since then of course I’ve been talking about the Mongol Rally. That, however, is now finished and it’s time for the Derby.

There have been several worried persons challenging the idea of this Derby saying that it was cruelty to animals etc. Cruelty to the humans who intended to ride them as well as far as I can remember, but in my view, you don’t put your name down for a race like this, without understanding the potential consequences to your body and therefore the decision to take on a race like this has nothing to do with anyone but yourself… This is my humble opinion only of course!

However, with the Mongol Derby setting off today, it appears that The Adventurists are fully aware of the concern people have for the equine side of this race and have instigated the most stringent veterinary checks and back-up systems.

Cast your mind back to my original article and you will remember that I said this is mooted as the world’s longest horse race – the first of its kind and very likely a Guinness World Record (TM).

However this is not an an endurance race by anydefinition or, for that matter, by affiliation. The 25 riders are riding over every inch of the 1,000 km’s of wild Mongolian steppe while the horses travel just 40 kilometres each between each staging post.

Firstly, and primarily, the Derby is intended as an adventure, and secondly as a multi-horse race.

Over 700 Mongolian horses, all carefully selected and checked by veterinarians, will be stationed at the Urtuus along the course awaiting the arrival of our riders. With two weeks to cover the near 1,000 km course, riders are pitted against the most exciting equine adventure on the planet

An extensive veterinary program has been established to ensure the welfare of the horses remains absolutely paramount from the initial point of horse selection all the way through to the end of the race. GPS satellite tracking will allow expedition medics and on-call veterinarians to respond to riders in an emergency along the route.

As Tom Morgan founder of The Adenturists says: ”

You can’t say the organisers haven’t tried to think of everything.

And finally, as with the Mongol Rally, there is an ulterior motive to this race and this is to raise money for charity projects in Mongolia.

The official charity of the 2009 Mongol Derby is Mercy Corps.

The Adventurists have supported Mercy Corps’ projects all over the world through their other adventures – from India to South America.

Dominic Graham, Mongolia Country Director for Mercy Corps said:

The Mongol Rally officially ended on 17th August with a celebration that Ulan Bataar will remember for a while to come – until the next time anyway.

And it was certainly worth celebrating in style. Described as “the greatest adventure in the world”, this is a race with many unexpected challenges. Obviously the goal is to get to the finish line – and in time for the party-of-all-parties, but to get there you have had to traverse very diverse terrains, cross many borders, some of these borders being the most difficult countries in the world at the moment, cope with breakdowns, dust, dirt, exhaustion, many different languages, hostility, over-friendliness… what else? You name it, these teams will have experienced it. And then, just when they spy Mongolia ahead of them, almost the worst challenge awaits. The Mongolian border is notoriously difficult to cross. At it’s fastest it takes around 8 to 12 hours and it is perfectly normal to stay overnight, often over the weekend (!) at the western border. One just has to remind oneself that this is part of being on the Mongol Rally… though if there is a party about to be missed it must have been extremely frustrating!

After a month of adventure 100 teams crossed the finish line 4 weeks after the start date, in time to enjoy the party which continued long into the night – in fact, seemingly it only came to an end at 5 in the morning when a rumour that the police were on their way brought it to a close.

In increasing states of inebbriation, the teams competed with each other as to who got the most lost, had the worst breakdown, paid the highest bribe, got stuck in the most sand, ran into the most camels etc. Things which, at the time, seemed like the end of the world became a source of amusement and teams who almost gave up on the trip swore they never doubted that they’d make it for a second.

This event is not a race and there are no winners and no losers, if fact the organisers (the Adventurists) are at pains to emphasise that no recognition is given to the first finisher. However, 6 teams were awarded prizes for being the most outstanding entrants of 2009. These prizes were, of course, accompanied with copious quantities of champagne and much bonhomie. Andrew Chisholm of Team XX then serenaded the crowd with bagpipes that he had carried all the way over thousands of miles for that satisfying moment of entertainment at the end.

Remember that the Mongol Rally is not all about a bunch of crazy idiots looking for some adventure in their lives (apologies to all you who I’ve, with poetic licence, called crazy idiots), but it is also about raising money for various Mongolian charities.

In keeping with this spirit, the party was kicked off with a speech by Mr. Zandanshatar, a Mongolian MP, who thanked the teams for their monumental efforts in raising money for the Mongolian charities and this was followed by representatives from CNCF, Mercy Corps and CYPPD, the 3 official Mongol Rally charities, giving a bit more information on what they do, and why the Mongol Rally is so important in keeping their projects up and running. The teams got to see first hand how their support helps as all the children from CNCF came along and put on a fantastic all-singing, all-dancing performance.

More teams have been arriving over the last few days having just missed the Finish Line festivities. But, happily for them, The Adventurists have promised that there will be plenty more parties to come…

This young lass is just 20 years old and yet she has accomplished more than most people will do in their lifetimes…

Deanna was introduced to mountain biking at high school. The area she lived in was perfect for this sport and she quickly began to race competitively. It was not long before she was looking for greater challenges.

In August 2007 she entered her first road race cycle event – the 200 mile ‘Desperado Dual’. This race is located in the center of Utah’s Color Country and follows a spectacular route through the heart of the old west.

It was after this event that her passion for ultra endurance events began and her sights were soon set on the upcoming Furnace Creek 508.

Furnace Creek 508 is a road bike race which has a 48-hour time limit. Known as, “The Toughest 48 hours in Sport,” the 508 follows roads North from Santa Clarita, CA through the heart of the Mojave Desert and Death Valley, with 35,000ft total elevation, to a very distant finish in the small town of Twentynine Palms, CA.

However, all these races come at more than the physical cost. They do of course cost money. To help save money Deanna moved back into her parents home in Arizona and got a job at Walmarts and started saving for a bike, gear, entry fees, and the costs associated with participating in races: van rental, food, lodging for herself and crew, etc.

Then followed a spate of races. October 2007 was Furnace Creek 508 for which she got a DNF (did not finish). However, Deanna was pleased with her achievement of 426 miles – the furthest she’d ever cycled in one go, and that done whilst coping with hallucinations and extreme dizziness. It is worth remembering that the 508 is a grueling two-day affair in Death Valley which pits riders against other racers, themselves, and mother nature as they find themselves riding through hundreds of miles of heat, exhaustion, and darkness – it is necessary to ride much of the race at night.

8 months later she did the first ever Race Across the West which is 1,032 miles of the Race Across America. She did 821 miles in 88 hours to Durango, CO where she crashed and got a concussion.  Then the next month Deanna did the Race Across Oregon, but was stung by a bee  which caused so much pain to her Achilles tendon that she had to pull out at 275 miles in 23 hours.

DNF’s would deter many people, but not Deanna. A month later she was back down in Death Valley for the Furnace Creek 508 2008. She crossed the finish line in 43 hours and 17 minutes with a sword in hand, and currently holds the record for youngest female soloist finish. The youngest female starter too for that matter…

She then became interested in getting a fixed gear bike. A “fixie”, as it is fondly known, only has one gear that is fixed, meaning you can never coast because the pedals are always moving. You can’t shift up or down if you have a big mountain to climb or are descending fast. Having found an old 1980’s 10-speed Shogun on eBay and transformed it into a fixie in the winter of 2008/2009, she cast around for the next challenge…

And what greater challenge than the Great Continental Divide Race between Banff, Canada and Antelope Wells, New Mexico? At a mere 2,745 miles, the Tour Divide, or The Great Divide MTB route, is a solo, self-supported mountain bike race with an average time-to-completion of three weeks in the saddle. The rider is responsible for finding their own food, water, and place to sleep each day. It is 2,745 miles of rain, snow, mud, huge head winds, intense heat, animal encounters, drunk driver run ins, etc. It is viewed as the hardest self-supported mountain bike race possible.

It has (had) never been successfully completed on a “fixie” before. In fact, most fixies haven’t made it out of the state of Montana in this race, and the furthest anyone had got on one was the middle of Colorado. Deanna decided that this would be a fitting debut for her ‘new’ bike…

The start day for this race was 12th June, at 10.00 a.m in Banff. Deanna crossed the finish line in Antelope Wells, New Mexico at 5.30p.m. on 13th July.

All this and Deanna Adams is just 20 years old, a fierce vegan and an epileptic. She wants to send the message that having epilepsy shouldn’t hold you back from fulfilling your goals and dreams. The wrist band she wears sums up her outlook on life that “Doubt Kills Dreams”. These “Doubt Kills Dreams” wrist bands were made as an on-going attempt to raise money so that she can have the means to participate in races.

We await, with interest, her next challenge…

Ever innovative, the RacingThePlanet team will spend the next two weeks in the Outback finalising the course which will take competitors through The Kimberley – a remote and harsh landscape with a strong Aboriginal history.

If you are interested in taking part in this race PLEASE NOTE: registration is expected to close SOON. Please go to www.RacingThePlanet.com to register.

The Kimberley travel guide says it is “one of the remotest, wildest and most beautiful regions on earth.”

The setting for this race is amazing. The Kimberley is located in the northern part of Western Australia, bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts, and on the east by the Northern Territory.

It covers an area of 423,517 square kilometres (163,521 sq miles), which is about three times the size of England or comparable to the size of California or 15% larger than Japan or twice the size of Victoria or one sixth the size of Western Australia. It has an estimated population of 38,000.

Mankind, the Aborigines, have lived in The Kimberley for at least 40,000 years.

It consists mainly of ancient, steep-sided mountain ranges from which the extreme climate has removed most soil except in the valleys of the Ord and Fitzroy Rivers in the southern part of the region. Although none of the mountains reach even 1,000 metres (3,281 ft), there is so much steep land as to make much of the region very difficult to traverse, especially during the wet season when even sealed roads are often flooded.

It will be very interesting to see which route RacingThePlanet has chosen… please watch this space.

The Bungle Bungle Range

True to form with RacingThePlanet there is another quirk to this intended race… The Kimberley is also the hottest part of Australia. Mean maximum temperatures  are almost always above 30 °C (86 °F) – even in July, and ranging in November, before the rains break, from 37 °C (99 °F) on the coast to 40 °C (104 °F) in the south around Halls Cree.

Something to look forward to!

Good luck.