I’ll have the inside scoop on the 2008 USARA National Championship Race. How? I’ve been selected as the course consultant for the 2008 race which will take place in GA. So what exactly is my involvement? Basically I’ll be given the course from the course designer and I’ll be in charge of making sure it meets certain USARA guidelines. I’ll also give my input on possible changes to the course if I feel those guidelines aren’t being met. In addition, I’ll also verify the race checkpoints. I’ve been sitting on this news for a while while everything was approved behind the scenes. Needless to say I’m pretty excited and I looking forward to seeing what takeaways I can bring from this event to Checkpoint Adventures.

Our very own Cathi Cannon was recently featured in Competitor Southeast Magazine with a very nice two page article. With hard work, Cathi has improved steadily over the last few years and has become a force in the SE as a multi-sport athlete. But Cathi, where’s the Checkpoint Adventures shout out in the article? Just kidding. The article is a good one and worth the read. You can read the entire article online here or pick up the April issue if they are still out. Way to go Cathi!

Registration for the 2007 Adventure24 Adventure Race is now open.

What: Up to 24hrs of mountain biking, navigation, paddling, and trekking in BEAUTIFUL Cherokee National Forest in Southeastern Tennessee.
When: July 20-22, 2007
Where: Benton, TN
Teams: Solos and teams of 4

Solos use up to two support crew members and teams of 4 use a revolving door system where 3 race and one supports while switching teammates in and out at any TA. The elite division is the coed team of 4. There is a cash purse of at least $1,000 for the elite division, which will increase as the number of teams register. Sponsor prizes given to same sex and other division winners.

The Adventure24 is part of the Checkpoint Tracker National Points Series so family and friends can watch your progress at home. You’ll also earn points for the Checkpoint Tracker National Points Series if you are competing in the series.

Using the 4 person teams, this is a great event for someone to get their feet wet in AR or to try out a longer race without racing the entire time! Novices and experts alike enjoy racing this format and if you’ve never raced this format it’s a good time for everyone. If you want to race a 24hr event but aren’t sure if you can race for an entire 24hrs, THIS is the event for you.

There are a limited number of slots available and the solo division is also limited (total of 40 teams). After May 21st, the prices go up $25 for each division so sign up early for the cheaper registration price. There is also a TBARC discount available.

For more information and to register, visit the website here.

We hope to see you in TN in July!

Transition areas (TA) are an adventure racers best friend and worst enemy at the same time. TA’s are where racers can get dry clothes, warm food, a chair to sit in, race intel, and more. TA’s are also a place were the time ticks by faster than Christmas when you were 12. As time ticks by, so does your advantage (or disadvantage) over the other teams.

I’ve done a little data mining with both editions of the Adventure24 and put together some charts that show some pretty amazing results.

In the 2005 A24, the race was very tight with Adventure Sports Magazine SE beating Racemetrics by a scant 17 minutes. But the graph below tells us even more. If Racemetrics spent the identical amount of time in the transitions areas as ASM SE, they could have won! You’ll also notice a direct correlation between finishing place and time spent in the transition areas. As your place goes down, your time in the TA’s goes up. You’ll notice however that Litespeed is an anomaly to this rule. The reason for this is because they missed a checkpoint which gave them a 3 hour penalty which knocked them from first to third. Had they not received the penalty, they would have won.

While the race was not as close in 2006, the same trend regarding place and time spent at transition areas remains true (charting all five of the 4 person teams). Again, there is one anomaly though. While team Thoughtprocess.net had the second fastest TA times, they traveled inadvertently on a prohibited road and were given a DQ. Had that not happened however, they would have come in second place.

While I’m sure the correlation of place and time spent at TA’s will not always hold true, it did for my samples. So what can you learn from this? You don’t necessarily have to get physically faster to place better. By improving your efficiency in TA’s, you can spend less time on the course and more time at the finish line. If you have any great efficiency tips, share them with everyone else in the comments below.

I got the following email tonight from the folks at Primal Quest:

“Our sincere apologies for not officially communicating with everyone sooner regarding the status of the next Primal Quest Expedition Adventure Race.

Since the conclusion of Primal Quest Utah, we have been diligently trying to make arrangements to enable the race to take place in 2007 and beyond. As you know, PQ is a complex undertaking that requires substantial planning, financing and partnerships in order to maintain the high quality standard that PQ is known for. We realize placing the event on hold affects the racing community to a great degree, but please know we are continuing to explore every option in staging the expedition in the future and appreciate all the input we’ve received.

On behalf of our entire team, we sincerely appreciate your support and wish you success in the upcoming racing season.”