This month we feature Robert and Debbie, two of our regular Questars team. You have probably seen them at our events in various roles from car parking, registration, bike and kayak transition, and serving chilli nachos. What you probably won’t have seen is them dragging kayaks across fields in the middle of the night, chasing flying marquees across event HQ and basically getting involved in anything and everything needed to make sure our events run as planned. Not only are they brilliant as part of our event team but they are also very experienced in all things Questars and here they share some fantastic tips to help make your next event a success.

Robert – How did you get into adventure racing?

Like many others it seems, my first taste of adventure racing was in the UK Challenger event with a team at work. We really got the bug, winning twice in succession in 2000 and 2001. We were only deprived of a third successive victory by David Hunt’s impressive team, so David and I go back a long way! (David featured as Questars adventure racer of the month back in April and you can read his Q&A here). Getting a taste for this adventure race concept we looked for other similar activities and found amongst others the two-day ACE races. The most memorable event in that period was probably the three-day Hebridean Challenge – in unusually beautiful weather.

What was your first Questars event?

When training for the UK Challenger event we actually hired the Quest team to run occasional training weekends for us before they started Questars. Naturally, when they started putting on Questars events we were amongst the first to sign up. I recall we missed the very first event due to prior commitments, but we entered as a team at the second ever Questars at Carsington Water in Derbyshire in autumn 2001. In that event we were paddling open Canadian canoes, and my partner (not a strong swimmer) and I capsized, ironically due in part to the wash from the safety launch, so not an auspicious start.

How many Questars have you done?

I have lost count! But several every year for about 10 years before focussing precious time on some longer treks.

What was your most satisfying Questars race?

That is a difficult one, as there have been so many good experiences. Probably the fondest memory is winning the pairs category in the New Forest with my then 16 year old son.

What was your most frustrating Questars event?

One of the very early events was on a cold February day in Wiltshire. This was before electronic scoring, so using the old orienteering punches. My teammate and I thought we had put in a good performance but were disappointed to see our result. After the prize giving it was later discovered that the spreadsheet used to compile the results had somehow slipped a line, and it transpired that we had actually won overall, but too late for our moment of glory on the podium!

What are your top tips for Adventure Racing success?

Many of the best pieces of advice have already been given by others in this slot. A few I would suggest:

• Buy/borrow/download an OS map of the area before the event and enjoy studying the terrain and ponder possible routes that may have been set.
• Check out the venue entry and exit routes as soon as you arrive. It can be frustrating, not to mention a little embarrassing, getting lost straight off the start line.
• When planning your route and which way to go round, consider the weather conditions and forecast. If you are on high ground you want the wind on your back and not in your face. Also, many people find it easier running than cycling in the rain, so factor that in deciding whether to run or bike first if rain is forecast for part of the day.
• Plan the route to your capability. Remember, by being smarter you can beat faster racers.
• After every race, when back home review what sort of pace you managed to sustain over the different disciplines, and what sort of terrain and weather you encountered. Bring this info with you to the next event and use it to inform your race plan. Over time you will have built up a useful guide for different terrain and conditions to help with your race strategy.

How did you get into marshalling at Questars?

After several years away from Questars, I missed the buzz of the events, and so along with my partner Debbie, we joined the marshal team back in 2017. Although Debbie had not been into adventure racing, she was persuaded to join me. Since then, she has worked at more Questars events than me!

What do you enjoy about helping at Questars?

Its great to be part of the events again, and to see them from the organisers’ side. Its always good to be able to answer questions from a first timer, and impart some of my knowledge and enthusiasm for the sport. It is of course always enjoyable to exchange greetings and banter with the regular competitors. And usually, I get to run some of the course late in the day collecting in check points.

Debbie, what do you enjoy about helping at Questars?

I love being able to share the enthusiasm of the competitors, their energy and “can do” spirit regardless of whatever challenges Kim, Joe or the British weather conditions throw down. Serving chilli nachos to starving and tired racers has its unique sense of satisfaction! And I really enjoy the camaraderie of the Questars team, working to help achieve a fun experience for all of the competitors so that they will want to return another time.

And Debbie, you have thrown down a challenge to our Questars competitors?

Yes. Robert and I missed one of the recent winter series events as we were on a trip of a life time spending nearly three weeks down in Antarctica. Here we are sporting our Questars t-shirts. Can you send in a photo in your Questars t-shirt in a particularly remote or distant location? I am sure Joe and Kim will provide a suitable prize for any particularly noteworthy photos.

Thank you, Debbie and Robert! A great write-up and some excellent tips for anyone looking to improve their adventure racing – we particularly like the tip about checking out the venue entry and exit routes, this is something that catches a lot of people out as the panic of ‘race mode’ sets in.

Do you fancy giving adventure racing a go? Follow the link below to sign up to our next events: