The Race | Format

The format of the main event differs from other Open Adventure events and those of other events in the UK. We want no surprises over this at the event and if there is anything that is unclear please feel free to contact us.

Time:

The event is based on time and ultimately the winner is the one to reach the finish in the shortest time including penalties.

In summary the course is of a linear nature with open route choice between all of the controls but with certain restrictions in place. (e.g. no more than 2km on paved roads)

If you elect to miss a control your leaderboard time will have a penalty time added. So for instance if we put a control on the top of Coniston Old Man (a mountain not a fella who lives in Coniston!) and you decide not to visit this control we would add say 5 hours to your total time.

Controls:

You need to visit the controls in numerical order, so if you miss one you can't go back. For example CP1, CP2, CP3, CP5, CP6 you can't pop back to CP4 once you have visited CP5.

None of the controls are mandatory, but you do need to pass through ALL of the transitions using the mode of transport intended - the exception is if the event has finished (midday on Monday) in which case you can travel straight back to the finish.

Distances:

There will be 11 transitions in this event and if you take on the full route you should expect to cover the following distances

Foot - 100 km
MTB - 250 km
Paddle - 65 km

The total distance does not include any you may cover in a special stage or when you get lost.

We won't disclose the exact distance in any of the stages or what follows what - you will find this out out when collect the maps / routebook at registration.

Short course:

With the shortest route being less than 200km you can imagine we could get ourselves in a knot logistically if a fast team decides to take the short course and leg it to the finish. Hence one key rule is that no competitors may leave a transition until a full course team has exited first.

Even with this in mind if you are taking the short course, it maybe the case that you kit bags will not arrive before you or the transition may not be set up. We will highlight the times when transition staff are expected at each transition in the route book.

Transitions:

To prevent the whole event getting too strung out, transitions will have a close time. This is to prevent a slow team taking on the whole event and then realising half way that they may not get home until late that week.

If you are on a section when the following transition closes any of the following checkpoints will not be live and in effect any penalties they have will be added to your time. You will have 1 hour to enter the transition and once you enter the transition you will have 20mins to leave. Failing to meet these times will render your team non-comp and unranked in the leaderboard.

In summary please don't plan to do this - if this is your first event, be conservative with your expectations and arrive in good time - you will enjoy the event a lot more.

Leaderboard:

We are taking technology to the limit - teams will carry GPS trackers which friends and family can monitor yours and other teams progress during the event. Not only will they mark your route across the Lake District but they will also define the leaderboard. As and when you pass near a checkpoint your position in the leaderboard will be updated. This status will be subject to confirmation that you have visited a control and will be verified using Sportident at 2 downloads during the event and one at the finish. There will be screens at most of the transitions for you to check the leaderboad.

As such you will be able to see how far teams are in front of you and how far a team is behind you in the event. Remember as some teams may have missed controls it may not be those who are with you in transition.

 

Right that's all folks for the moment if any of the above does not make sense please contact us.