Adventure Racing is one of the fastest growing multi-sports in the UK and is quickly gaining momentum as more and more people discover it. It combines different outdoor sports, but the three main disciplines in the majority of races are:

Trail running • Mountain biking • Navigation

None of these will be of a highly technical or difficult nature, so anyone can have a go. Many newbie adventure racers still have practically no idea how to read a map and some of the best began by borrowing a bike, but they thought; “I could give that a try”, and they did. If you’re thinking the same you’re an adventure racer at heart.

One defining factor that makes the combination of these sports an adventure race is navigation. You have to navigate from checkpoint to checkpoint and there are some advantages to this for the beginner. The quickest don’t always win for a start, but more importantly courses are often designed so you choose which, and how many, checkpoints to go to.

So in your first race you can just do a few, and gradually build up. Everyone competes together, but at his or her own level, and there is always lots of incentive to raise your level and get one more checkpoint.

You can race solo, in pairs or teams of three & four, so teamwork is vital. The locations change every time and most courses are off-road on woodlands, heaths, moors and mountains, though there are some urban races too. For those who love the outdoors it takes you to all the best places! So, it’s an outdoor sport that lets you go anywhere and do anything with any number of friends. No wonder it’s so popular!

Who gets involved? And Why?

There is no such thing as a typical adventure racer. They come from a variety of sports; running,mountain biking, team sports, orienteering, triathlon, climbing and mountaineering. The sport attracts people from a huge variety of backgrounds, with vastly differing fitness levels and a wide range of ages that come in all shapes and sizes. Adventure racers tend to have a base level of fitness, enjoy the outdoors and have a taste for doing something different, fun, challenging and adventurous on the weekend!

What will you get out of it?

• Push yourself – you can push yourself as hard or as gently as you want.
• Mental agility – strategy, navigation, tactics and route choice.
• Wellbeing – exercising in the great outdoors and becoming ‘one with nature’ is very empowering and great for the soul!
• New challenges – never kayaked, navigated or mountain biked before? What a great place to start.
• Fun – you must be able to laugh at yourself and others (when you get horribly lost, capsize etc. You’ll be pleased to know that even the very best in the sport get lost every now and again!)
• Friends – whether taking up the challenge with friends of family or coming along on your own you’ll soon be part of a very welcoming and supporting adventure racing community – race buddies and training partners a-plenty.
• Dare to be different – have a great story to tell in the office, at the running/ triathlon club or gym on Monday!

Where to start?

There is only so much research, reading, talking and procrastinating that you can do! It’s time to stop yapping and take that leap of faith. Tri-Adventure offer a fantastic platform of races for the beginner adventure racer, use the quick links below or check us out at www.triadventure.co.uk

---

Tri-Adventure 2013 Race Offering
Trail – 1Hr		Sprint – 2Hr		Experience – 4Hr		Academy – 1.5 day
The Tri-Adventure Trail combines off road running and navigation over 1 hour, perfect for beginners new to adventure racing or trail runners who want a challenge by incorporating basic navigation.Next Race 20 Jan		The Tri-Adventure Sprint combines off road running, mountain bikingand navigation overa 2hour course.These events are perfect for beginners new to adventure racingand experienced racers who want to stay sharp inthe off season.Next Race 20 Jan		Test your stamina with this off road adventure. Navigate trails and hills on foot and bike collecting as many check points as you can in4 hours. A perfect step up from the Sprint event. You can enter as a solo or a pair!Next Race 17 March		A 1.5 day Introduction to Adventure Racing run by experts in the field, using a mix of theory and practical workshops on Day1 to get you prepared for a real sprint adventure race on Day2.Next course 19/20 Jan