An Cosantóir

30 | Adventure Racing By Lt Lisa McMahon (BTC Athlone, 2 Bde) F Capt M O���Grady and Lt D Collins during ���The Raid��� in France. Capt D Flynn abseiling Lt Diarmuid Collins, a regular event winner and top-three finisher in many races, competing in the Dingle Adventure Race Capt M O���Grady mountain biking during ���The Raid��� in France ast becoming popular in Ireland, adventure racing (AR) is seeing participant numbers matching those of triathlons and other well established racing events. AR is a combination of disciplines: biking, trail running, paddling, climbing, archery, shooting, and the odd mystery event. Depending on the type of event you enter you will participate in at least three of these disciplines. There are typically five different categories of AR events held in Ireland on most weekends. These are: Urban AR (biking, running, abseiling); Off-road Triathlon (open water swim, mountain biking, trail running); Sprint (four- to eight-hour events with trail running, road biking and kayaking); 12- to 48-hour AR (orienteering, trail running, abseiling, kayaking, archery, shooting); and Expedition (team events lasting from three to ten days with at least one female team member). The first three categories may be contested as an individual, a relay, or a team, and are usually held on a Saturday to allow for recovery on Sunday. This is the more recognisable form of adventure racing and includes the Gaelforce series, the Dingle Adventure Race, and WAR. They require little experience but they do require a good standard of fitness. The last two categories consist of longer events that require experience, training, excellent navigation skills, strong physical and mental endurance, and dedication. The 12-hour events are usually done in pairs and the 24-, 36- and 48-hour events are done in teams of four. They are non-stop events where the team can take breaks throughout the race but generally do not sleep. The most popular of these events in Ireland is ���The Beast of Ballyhoura���, a 36-hour adventure race held on the August Bank Holiday weekend, and which includes an inter-services competition. The Defence Forces enter at least one team into this event each year, have won it twice, and have ranked in the top five teams each year they have competed in. This year there will be two teams representing the Defence Forces competing head-to-head with inter-service teams from home and abroad and 20 other competitive teams. Defence Forces adventure racers also took part in the 450km Expedition AR ���Raid��� in France over five days in 2011 and will com- An Cosant��ir March 2013 www.dfmagazine.ie pete in this year���s 500km Adidas Terrex race in the UK this August. Both events require a four-person team with a minimum of one female member in order to be counted as a competitive team, which is generally the rule with these distance events. Same-sex teams may enter but they will not be included in the team rankings at the end of the race. No matter what length event you do, you will challenge yourself beyond the limits of anything you have done before. To a ���newbie��� adventure racing can seem very daunting but it is very achievable and enjoyable for anyone with a reasonable level of fitness. Over the past few years it has also become much more accessible in Ireland with events on most weekends in more locations. For many beginners the hardest part is making the decision to race and believing that they have the ability to complete the course. However, once the race starts people are generally amazed at their ability to keep going and at the end will enjoy an incredible sense of achievement. There are many dedicated adventure racers in the Defence Forces who are always available to give advice to anyone who may be interested in completing their first epic adventure race or sprint multi-sport event. Advice on gear, food and training can be found on race websites and on the ���Get Mucked Club��� Facebook page. Race dates, times and descriptions can be found on www.runireland.com, www.racedates.com, www.sleepmonsters.ie, www. imra.ie, and individual race websites. The ���Get Mucked��� Facebook page offers a forum for people interested in getting together in groups to participate in adventure racing, mountain running and training: www.facebook.com/GetMucked. The next event will be the BlackStairs Adventure Race, which takes place on Sunday 5 May 2013. This is an adventure race with a difference in that we also aim to cater for the athlete���s family. We want to ensure all our competitors enjoy the challenge at an affordable price without all the hidden extras. So, if you���re fed up of forking out for expensive entry fees then this is the race for you as we will provide a high-standard race, which should attract elite to beginner adventure racers, at a very affordable cost. See www. blackstairsadventurerace.com for more info.

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