- Thursday 3 July 2025
With two decades of Questars race experience under his belt, Paul has seen it all – from dodging swans in a kayak to pedalling through midnight raves on the Ridgeway. Since first lining up on the start line in 2005, Paul’s taken part in over 50 races and recently notched up over 40,000 lifetime points putting him sixth on our all-time Hall of Fame board. In this Q&A, Paul shares his insights from his years of racing, including his top tips for beginners, funny race-day stories, and what keeps him coming back for more. Whether you’re new to adventure racing or a long-time competitor, there’s something here for everyone. Enjoy!
When did you participate in your first Questars adventure race?
2005 – this is my 20th year!
Roughly how many Questars adventure races have you participated in?
I’m not sure – lots! Definitely more than 50.
What do you like most about Questars adventure races?
I love visiting new areas to run/cycle around.
What do you like most about adventure racing?
The multi-discipline element plus the navigational challenge.
Why did you first get into adventure racing?
I was taking part in the UK Challenge and Questars were good training events for that – although now I use them to motivate me to stay at least a bit fit!
What advice would you give to someone just getting started in adventure racing?
Learn how to read a map quickly! It’ll save you a lot of grief. Invest in a map board for the bike which will make it a lot easier to navigate whilst riding. Also, don’t just follow the crowd – make sure you know where you are, the others may be lost or going to a different checkpoint.
What is the best piece of advice that you were given when you started adventure racing?
Learn your pacing on the run and bike so you can best estimate how long it will take you to cover a chosen route. This is invaluable when planning your strategy at the start.
What is your strongest and weakest race discipline? How do you combat your weakest discipline?
It used to be running but dodgy knees mean that is now my worst! Kayaking is now probably my best. I mitigate the run by cycling more and running less.
What does your training plan for an adventure race look like?
These days, turn up and take part! I still try and get out at the weekend for a long bike ride or long run to maintain time on the legs with shorter runs scattered throughout the week. Supported by several sessions in the gym to build strength and try to prevent injury. Ideally, you should be doing some brick sessions, (back-to-back bike and run) with some hill training and speed sessions thrown in.
How do you fuel yourself for a Questars adventure race?
Porridge for breakfast, a banana just before the start. Then gels whilst running/kayaking and jelly babies whilst cycling. Then the obligatory post-race chilli!
What type of bike do you normally use for a Questars adventure race?
Usually the wrong one when choosing either my MTB or gravel bike! It depends if I know the terrain from competing in the area before and whether the gravel bike may be quicker for good paths or if it’s been raining then the MTB.
What’s the one piece of non-mandatory kit in your bag that you could not do without?
My glasses, so I can read the map! The new larger scale maps for us old racers are a very welcome addition – particularly when cycling.
What’s the worst mistake you’ve ever made during an adventure race?
On one race I couldn’t decide whether to start early or late to split the run either side of kayaking – I went early but then after kayaking I forgot that I had and thought I was on the late start strategy so arrived back very late!
Rumour has it that you once raced with Shawn (who now marshals with us – normally at the kayak transition), what was he like to race with?
I’ve raced with Shawn quite a few times – we met at Questars and decided to team up. I tended to be stronger on the run and Shawn on the bike and kayaking so we’d motivate each other to keep going and push that bit harder. Shawn is very well prepared and will recce out an area or route and ensure we’ve trained properly – particularly when we did the Questars 360. The drawback to training with Shawn was his limited playlist – I don’t know how many times we went through it during training and races!!
What’s the weirdest/funniest/strangest thing that has happened to you during an adventure race?
On the Questars 360 Shawn and I were cycling at night along the Ridgeway and cycled straight through an illegal rave, a few miles later we ploughed straight through a druid’s camp!
Another would be me having to bat away a swan that was defending its nest whilst kayaking and Shawn in stitches in the front – we had to go past it twice!
What is the most difficult part of adventure racing?
Getting out of a kayak onto a high bank when your legs are cramping up!
What are your top five tips for adventure racing success?
- Be flexible – sometimes it doesn’t go to plan so make sure can adapt as you go along.
- Don’t be late back – the penalties aren’t typically worth it.
- Get your kit sorted the night before so you know you’ve got everything ready – finding something missing at the start of the race can really throw you off.
- Make sure you keep hydrated and fuelled – I’ve had to drag people back who’ve failed to do this, it’s not fun!
- Enjoy it – you’re in some great countryside and your fellow participants and the organisers are really supportive too.
Thank you, Paul! An excellent read! Fancy giving adventure racing a go? Check out our latest events at the below link:
