Open24 Adventure Race 24/25 July 2010
You just can't squeeze anymore adventure in to 24 hours - if you are an Adventure Racing junkie then this is the must do event of 2010..
So what does it include, well the core of the event will include mountain biking, trekking (or running) and paddling with navigation a key part of the event.
This is the final event of the endurance series - if 2009 is to go by it will be great competiton and not just at the top. For this year we have Andy Wilson on board as guest planner, having spent much of his youth playing around North Wales you can expect to find corners rarely visited. This coupled with a few wins at Adventure Racing is a great mix. Kayaking will be a significant part of this Open24. Some stages will include a special stage or 'trouser filler' - we have had white water paddling, canyoning, swimming, caving, abseiling - the thing is you won't know what these are until the event has started. Please note that for this event boat hire is extra, if competitors have their own boats they will be able to use them on the Open24. However there are a few conditions check out the kayaking page here. Concept - You will have 24 hours to visit as many points (controls) as you can. The event will be split up in to a number of stages where you will change over disciplines. |
Time - The plan is for competitors to register on the Friday evening, starting early Saturday morning, finishing around lunchtime on Sunday.
Please update to Flash Player 9 Scoring - The event will use the SPORTident system of scoring. The cards used are the higher capacity SI-6 cards. SI Cards are available to rent at £5 per person or can be purchased online from SPORTident.
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[22/7] We are monitoring the expected weather conditions for the race start and at the moment the forecast conditions are marginal as to whether or not we will be able to proceed with "plan A" - the race schedule we have released.
We have a "plan B" which also includes a significant kayak stage, the difference being that the race would start with a mountain bike stage which would precede the kayak stage. The rest of the plan would remain the same. As such we recognise you would need different kit to start the race in...
We are very keen to proceed with "plan A" if at all possible so will leave the final decision until 8am on Saturday. We will advise you of the most likely scenario at registration and if necessary we will make your transition bags available prior to the race start after the prologue.
Please check entry list to see if you have a ! against you listing if so please bring certificate (unless on Sit on Top) also check if you are bringing an elite boat that this is listed.
if you have not rented an SI card please be sure to bring yours (SI-6 only event) as we have NO spares.
Parking situation changed slightly please if parking over the weekend please put 2x £2 parking tickets in your car on the Saturday morning with an Open Adventure Car Sticker and park at the far end of the station road carpark.
[19/7] Two important notes... Firstly, several people have noticed the gap in the schedule on Saturday morning. We anticipate the main event will start at midday on Saturday with a sea kayaking stage (timing dictated by tides). This will be preceeded by an untimed coasteering prologue. This is what the wetsuit is for - you might want to wear some shorts over the top of the wetsuit to protect it. Don't worry this won't take 4 hours but we need to allow for time to complete the coasteering and for everyone to get to the main start location and to regroup for a mass start.
The start is by a small seaside town where there are shops and cafes, assuming you are efficient with your time you should have time to grab a bite to eat.
We will provide a bag for you to put any items brought with you on the coach yet not needed on the coasteering. We will move these from the coasteering start to the main start (you will need to carry this on the kayak stage).
You should know at this stage that there is no place to get drinking water on the kayak stage.
The second important point follows an epic day both Andy and I had on the mountains over the weekend. One foot stage will be overnight and on very challenging terrain - Its your choice how long to spend on this but we expect average time to be around 6 hours.
The compulsory kit for this stage will include either 2 plastic survival bags or one 2 man bothy per pair. We would also recommend that you forget the standard weight concious AR approach for a few hours and err on the side of caution during this stage. Full waterproofs and extra warm clothing will be mandatory - the weather is very unpredictable at the moment and the mountains can be very unforgiving. The kitlist has been updated to reflect this.
Camping: We have not arranged any camping for racers for the Friday night, however there are lots of camp sites nearby to Betws-y-Coed.
[7/7] Please check the entry list if you don't have a green tick beside your entry please submit the rellevant kayak qualification or contact us to let us know which boat you are paddling. Also if you are paddling what we deem an elite boat please let us know so we can update this list.
There are currently no Necky's left to hire. This is the last weekend to add a Sit on Top to your entry - we have already moved most hire boats to the area and the rest will go down next week..
[6/7] If you don't already know event registration is at Betws Y Coed. Please check out the event details page if you are coming to this event. There is a summary of the event format and details about registration.
For those looking to hire a wet suit there are a limited number available. Please login and under my races click add equipment. If these are all hired we maybe able to obtain some more but its likely they will be more expensive.
£10 for a steamer wet suit (arms and legs)
£8 for a long john (no arms) a long sleeved base layer is required in addition.
NB you are welcome to use these on the kayaking if you wish..
[29/5] The cat is out of the bag - there is sea kayaking in this years Open24 and the paddling will be a signifcant part of the event..
To check out the web pages on the 2009 event take a look here.
To check out the web pages on the 2008 event take a look here.
To check out the web pages on the 2007 event take a look here.
To check out the web pages on the 2006 event take a look here.
For the 2009 Race report and photos click here. (will open in new window)
For the 2008 Race report and photos click here. (will open in new window)
For the 2007 Race report and photos click here. (will open in new window)
For the 2006 Race report and photos click here. (will open in new window)
For the 2005 Race report and photos click here. (will open in new window)