- Friday 22 September 2023
Winter is coming… and so is the 2023 Questars Winter Adventure Race Series!
The Questars Winter Adventure Race Series involves trail running, mountain biking and adventure. The events bring you the very best taste of adventure racing, in some of the most spectacular locations in England. Questars Adventure Races provide a friendly atmosphere and appeal to everyone from complete beginners to experienced adventure racers alike. Bike hire is available so all that is needed to participate is a pair of running shoes and a sense of adventure!
The Questars Adventure Race series has been the mainstay of the UK Adventure Race scene since 2001 and the events are all about having a go and taking part. The winter format has been designed to be as flexible and inclusive as possible, to enable people to participate irrespective of ability or experience. You can take part on your own or as part of a team of up to four people and the following event options are available:
- Run & Bike FULL (a 5-hour Adventure Race). This is the ultimate winter adventure race experience, allowing participants to fully immerse themselves in the challenge for a solid 5 hours of running and biking.
- Run & Bike TASTER (a 3-hour Adventure Race). Perfect for those looking to test the waters, this 3-hour adventure race provides a taste of the excitement of adventure racing.
- Run-only (a 2-hour Trail Run Orienteering Event). If running is more your thing, then this 2-hour trail run is a fantastic way to explore the landscape.
- Bike-only (a 2-hour Mountain Bike Orienteering Event). For the bike enthusiasts, this 2-hour mountain bike orienteering event is just for you.
For all events, you will use a map and a compass to navigate to as many checkpoints as you can during the time limit. Checkpoints are worth a different number of points and the category winners are decided by whoever is able to collect the most points. This is not necessarily the fastest person or the person who covers the most distance, it is often decided by the perfect mix of brains and brawn!
What sets these races apart is the absence of minimum distances. You have full control over how far you run and bike within the time limit, allowing for a strategic approach that suits your strengths and objectives.
The Questars winter series kicks off in the South Downs on Saturday 11 November before visiting Berkshire (Sunday 10 December), the Chilterns (Saturday 13 January) and the Cotswolds (Saturday 10 February). In each location, you’ll discover unique trails, hidden gems, and lots of adventure!
The Questars Winter Series Championship
The Questars Winter Series Championship spans the four winter races starting in the South Downs in November and culminating in the Cotswolds in February. This series of races is not just about testing your physical limits but also about strategy and embracing the unexpected challenges that adventure racing throws your way. Full details can be found on our Series Championship page with the key details below:
- Your top three results count towards your series score so consistency and performance across multiple races matter.
- No registration is required to take part in the series – series scores are automatically calculated for every finisher of every race, irrespective of the number of races they’ve done.
- Series scores are calculated for every unique team member’s name so make sure your name is spelt the same for every race that you enter.
- Changing teams / team names throughout the series won’t affect your series score.
- Series prizes will be awarded to those at the top of the series leaderboard, i.e. those with the highest series scores, after the final race of the series. The competition is fierce, and the rewards are worth the effort!
- In the event of a tie at the top, head-to-head race results will be used to determine the series winner (i.e. who beat who in the races in which all the tied participants took part). If this is also tied then the combined times (only for these head-to-head races) will be used, with the person with the fastest cumulative time being crowned the series champion.
We look forward to seeing you soon for a winter adventure!