Imagine this for a two-day event, first you do a 20k orienteering exercise followed by a 45k mtb ride, next, the 10k night navigation ensures that your day isn’t over. The next day you kick off with a 14k canoe and you round it all off with the Royal Marines endurance course and run home. And if you haven’t collapsed in a heap from just the thought of all that exertion then the Quest Adventure race series flagship event may be for you.

This particular event is taking place in the Bicton area, Devon on April 3-14th and is the first in a series of 8 adventure races planned for this year by Quest.
Adventure racing is a team event and competitors take part in teams of 2, 3 or 4 people. As clear from what’s on offer in Bicton, it’s a multi-disciplinary sport which runs over 1-4 days. Activities include night navigation, mountain biking, orienteering, canoeing, and will typically have a ‘special stage’. This could involve a discipline such as rope work, caving, or canyoning – or whatever the surrounds of the event area throws up, in this case it’s the Marines endurance course.

This year the series is raising money for the Royal National Institute for the Blind and will be televised for Sky TV. The Quest team expect a field of around 200 for the race, and have made plans for free camping for competitors as well as a providing catering. The last races were completely full, and this year’s events are filling up fast. So if you’re interested you need to move fairly swiftly. The cost of entry per person is £57.50.

These are the full details of the Bicton event race:

Stage 1: Orienteering / trail run.

This stage will follow an Orienteering type format. Competitors will be given a set time to visit a number of checkpoints, and will use a punch card at each point. Key skill in this stage is navigation.

Max time: 1.5 hours

This stage is self-paced, although should teams visit all checkpoints, the maximum they will run is approx 15km.

Stage 2: Mountain biking.

The format of this stage is similar to orienteering, although the distance covered will be greater since competitors will be on bikes. Checkpoints will have different values, and a key skill in this event is good planning.
· Teams who visit higher value checkpoints may do better than other teams who visit more checkpoints but of a lower value
· Speed differentials across varying surfaces need to be considered carefully. For example, 25km/h is easily sustainable on metal roads, however on steep off-road ascents speeds can be as low as 3km/h
Max time: 3 hours

This stage is self-paced, although should teams visit all checkpoints, the maximum they will cycle is approx 40km.

Stage 3: Night Navigation
Similar in format to orienteering, competitors will be required to visit checkpoints in the lowest possible time.

Max time: 1 hours
Stage distance: approx 10k

Sun 14th April

Teams will be required to make their own way to the start of stage 4 at the ‘Piazza Terracina’ On the Quay in Exeter. Designated parking areas will be marked on maps given to teams on the joining instructions they will receive prior to the event. Teams will be required to inflate their team canoes, which will be provided by the race organisers.

Stage 4: Canoe

This stage is a straight race. Competitors will Canoe from the ‘Piazza Terracina’ in Exeter down the Exeter Ship Canal to a halfway point. Here, they will turn around and return to the start to finish the race

Approx time 2 hrs
Stage distance: Approx 15km

Stage 5: Endurance course / Run home

Teams will be required to make their own way from the end of the canoe stage to the start of the Final stage, which will be announced in the joining instructions. From here they will complete an endurance course, which will include parts of the Royal Marines Endurance Run and will be marshalled by PTI’s from the Royal Marines at certain points.

For further information, or to get an entry form, call the Quest office on 07071 224949 (national call rates) or visit www.questars.co.uk