Event Report
It
was a beautiful Autumn day when the first ever UK Family Adventure
Race got underway.
The location was Wendover Woods. An enclosed Forestry Commission
area with great tracks and paths, although rather undulating !
For this inaugural event there were 40 teams took part varying in
size from 2 to 4, varying in experience from some to none, and with
varying children's ages from 6 – 16 years old.
The objective of the event was to find as many checkpoints as
possible to gather as many points as possible on bike and on foot in
2.5 hours.
Following a detailed brief and demonstration by the race organiser,
Neil Thubron, teams set off between 1300 and 1400.
Some chose to walk / run first some chose to cycle.
It
was clear early on that most teams favoured spending a little time
on foot and then maximising the time on bike.
The checkpoints were well spread with many at the bottom of some
pretty big hills.
Some teams were clearly taking it very seriously. Team 2 led by
Jonathan Bright came tearing into transition to swap their shoes and
pick up their bikes, only to find that one had a puncture ! Others
were taking it a little more leisurely and taking their time in
transition having a tea or coffee and something to eat.
As
the end of the 2.5 hours drew closer and closer teams started to
head back. There were clearly some issues with being able to tell
the time as there were 7 teams over time, one team, the Funky
Foursome led by Paul Quilter were 30 minutes over time so notched up
minus 300 points, although they did go to the most running
checkpoints, and the young children in that team (Jack Quilter being
6) were very tired at the end !!
There were some outstanding performances and 2 teams managed to
collect all the bike checkpoints, this was Team GB, led by Graham
Baxter and the unnamed team led by Anne Mcrorie-Shand.
The winners in the Under 11 category were Loder I (led by Sandy
Loder) who amassed a great score of 435 points with no penalties,
and in the Over 11 category the winners were the team named Mdot
(the Ironman team) led by Mustafa Salih who scored a fantastic 480
points including a 20 point penalty. Team GB actually scored 510
points but were 5 minutes late back so missed out on 1st
by 20 points.
The teams then enjoyed a BBQ / teas and coffees etc afterwards which
help add money to the overall sum raised for the two charities The
NSPCC and Facing Africa.
Overall the feedback from the day was outstanding with many teams
wanting to know when the next one was going to be.
Here’s what the competitors thought………………
Tara Bevan (8) – team Aussie Adventurers
"We rode for about an hour which was hard on my little bike. Then
we ran to lots of checkpoints. Daddy found a short cut, but the
stinging nettles hurt, so we ran on the tracks. At the end I was
exhausted but happy and proud of myself"
Mustafa Salih – Team Mdot
"I
thought the event was fabulous. I have been competing in triathlons
for over 15 years and have done pretty much every variety of events
going and it was so good doing a race with a totally new twist. My
kids had a fabulous time which was the most important reason for
entering the race; hopefully it may sow the seed in their minds that
sporting competitions can be great fun as well as a good incentive
for keeping fit and healthy. I know we will definitely be entering
the next time around"
Parfrey Posse
"I have to say I made the trip around the M25 with some
trepidation, being a true London girl, the chances of me being
outgunned on a hill, both on foot and cycle, by children were quite
high. However, despite the indignity of said outgunning it was a fab
event. You hit the nail on the head in terms of making it
competitive but not so much that the children taking part couldn't
cope. My daughter definitely read the map better than me!!!!"
Heidi Bevan (10) – Team Aussie Adventurers
"It was a great experience and I was full of energy and enthusiasm
as we started. We had loads of fun and came second. It was a
memorable day and I recommend it. Heidi"
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