2005 Report - Race 2 - Cannock Chase, 9th July

QUESTARS 9th JULY 2005 : RACE REPORT - Cannock Chase, Midlands

On one of the sunniest days of the year adventure racers from across the UK converged on Cannock Chase for the second event in the 2005 Questars series.

There was a real buzz after the Race Briefing as teams prepared themselves for the challenge of visiting up to 15 checkpoints on each of the trail run and mountain biking stages, in addition to the 5 kayaking checkpoints.  Which of the pre-marked checkpoints were the dummy ones? Which was the best route to the northern transition point to the kayaking stage?

As teams crossed the start line they received checkpoint descriptions and values and quickly discovered the 6 dummy checkpoints and decided upon their respective routes. There was so much choice as the checkpoints were cunningly distributed across the best parts of the Chase.

Teams soon also discovered that the Chase was not to be under estimated. It’s myriad of paths and tracks caught out some teams. All were rewarded with great terrain for off road running and biking.

For many participants this was the first time they had been on Cannock Chase and all enjoyed the varied woodland, forest and open heathland. The inclusion of some technical single track cycle routes were enjoyed by many on the mountain bike stage  - and the course planner had catered for less experienced bikers too by providing alternative routes to all checkpoints.

Kayaking on the River Trent around the edge of the Shugborough estate was another highlight for many of the Questars Trio teams. Dry conditions led to the river running quite low in places and fast in others. This made for some exciting paddling and the cooling water was also a welcome respite from the warm sunshine. A good number of teams therefore visited all the kayaking checkpoints.

Surprisingly, given the heat, the following teams also managed to collect all the points available on the trail run : Elliot Ryan, Lyndon Sutton, and the ladies Team Weston.  Well done to them.

No teams cleared the whole of the mountain biking stage, albeit the following teams came very close to doing so : mixed team ‘Xena’, veterans team ‘From the Old Folks Home’ and ladies team ‘Brum Buds Reunited’ all visited 11 of the 15 checkpoints. Men’s Team ‘The Armoured Farmers’ visited 12 and Team Peach (a Novice team) got to all but two biking checkpoints. It was Alan and Steve though racing together as ‘Team Loomoser’ and fresh from their recent 3rd placing in the Microsoft UK Challenge event that achieved the highest biking points gaining a magnificent 360 points.

The overall winning teams balanced each of the three elements to their race and scored strongly in each. It was very close indeed at the top of the leader board.  Three teams all achieved 700 points and were divided only by their respective finishing times: Men’s solo Jonathan Ellis with 6 hours 04’05’’ was fourth, Richard Phillips and Matt Chapman (Team Chuckie) were third in 6 hours 02’07’’, and the mixed team of Jo Spivey and Richard Craven (Team 10) were second coming in well within the 6 hours maximum in 5 hours 49’44’’ and so incurring no time penalties.  Special congratulations go to the Chiltern Raiders, Simon Webb and Paul Bocking who achieved 705 points and won the overall prize.

It was also great to see so many Novice teams at the event trying out adventure racing for the first or second time and so enjoying the experience. The course allowed them to choose how far they wished to go and all returned, whilst somewhat exhausted by the high temperatures, exhilarated by their achievement. We hope many are now hooked on the sport and will join Questars again at our next events on:

• Saturday 13 August at Pewsey in Wiltshire when the kayaking will be right next door to the event centre on the Kennet and Avon Canal and the trail run and mountain biking across some splendid countryside across the Vale of Pewsey and Marlborough Hills

• Saturday 8 October in the heart of the New Forest in Hampshire. Kayaking will be on a magnificent stretch of the Beaulieu River which together with the open heaths and woodland of the New Forest will make a stunning venue for the final event in the Questars 2005 series.

Questars Trio – Men’s Teams :

• 1st        750     Chiltern Raiders                    Simon Webb, Paul Bocking
• 2nd       700     Team Chuckie                       Richard Phillips, Matt Chapman
• 3rd        610     Loomoser                              Steve Loom, Alan Moser

Questars Trio  -  Men’s Solo

• 1st        700     Jonathan Ellis                        Jonathan Ellis
• 2nd       665     Phil                                          Phil Reese
• 3rd        645     Citizen Kane It                       Ryan Elliott