ARC Outventure Race
August 4th ’07
Sprint Adventure Race
Wye Marsh Conservation Area, Midland ON
Website: www.adventureracingcanada.com
The 3rd ARC Outventure race of ’07 was held at the unique Wye Marsh Conservation Area in Midland ON.
This race was unique for so many reasons, the first being that we started off on the run! A 7km course that snaked through the trails of the Wye Marsh challenged even the fittest of racers. We were met with cool boardwalk crossings, muddy, rooty and rocky terrain and some of the best race scenery I have ever witnessed. With an Ironman triathlete as my partner I knew that we would be fast on the run and we were as we emerged from the run in 1st place in our division and 4th overall. As we transitioned into the boats we saw the 2nd and 3rd place male solo racers paddling away and this gave us a real boost in energy as we climbed into our canoe and started the 6km loop paddle through the Marsh. The paddle was great with narrow channels of reeds and vegetation leading out into more open water that was strewn with lily pads and other floating vegetation. As we made our way to the CP on the water, we were suprised to see another team of 2 males pass by us and start their way back. When we emerged from the paddle we were told that we were the 2nd all-male team to finish. However, as we hit the next CP and transitioned onto the bikes, we passed that same team as they ran through the forest to hit the CP they had missed on the run. Knowing that we were in first place (again) we were pumped and took off to take on the first of 2 10km mtb loops. Our race nearly ended 1/2 way through the first loop as my rear braked seized up and my tire would not rotate but after a quick fix we completed the 3 CP’s in order and attacked the 2nd loop. We tore it up on loop number 2, hitting the 3 CP’s faster than we did during our 1st loop. As we reached the last CP on the bike, we passed the eventual 3rd place male solo finisher as we made our final push to the finish. It was a beginning to end win as we rolled across the finish line in 1st place in the male pairs category finishing with the 3rd fastest time overall and a solid 20 minute victory over the 2nd place finisher in our category.
Again, big thanks to John, Bernie, Bob and the rest of the ARC crew for another awesome race and we’ll see you in Collingwood in September for the Keen Ultimate Adventure Challenge.
