Possible Heavy Rain forecast for ARC adventure races

Possible Heavy Rain forecast for ARC adventure races – but you can follow Richie McCaw, wife Gemma and others live from comfort of your home

Competitors in the gruelling ARC adventure long race on Saturday have been warned of an extremely tough trek with a forecast for rain that may get heavy – and there will be no shortcuts.

“We’ll be fully briefing competitors in Pauanui tonight (Friday 9 February) and reminding them they must be carrying the appropriate gear for this trek in the long race - and plenty of food,” says race director Andy Reid. “Many will certainly be going into the night and they’ll need to be prepared to bivvy down in case things don’t go to plan or they are forced to stop for a river to go down.”

As part of the briefing, organisers will ensure all gear is cleaned thoroughly to protect against the spread of Kauri dieback disease in the dense forest that competitors will traverse in the course of the race.

They will also carry out a compulsory gear check on the course prior to the trek and are warning competitors they could face long delays if they are missing a critical piece of gear, as well as time penalties.

It’s all part of the safety precautions for the event, which requires teams to be extremely well-prepared, and have the navigational and outdoor skills as well as a cool head and ability to make sensible decisions in the ever-changing Coromandel wilderness.

Follow the action live at http://purelivetracking.com/ where you can view competitor’s positions during both the short and long races (click on ARC). A link can also be found at the A1 Adventure Series website http://adventure1series.com/.

The long course is expected to take teams anywhere from 13.5hrs to 21 hours to complete while the short course is expected to take between six and 10 hours. Teams will need compass and survival skills if they wish to succeed – and there will be guaranteed moments where relationships are tested.

Races feature elements of hill, bush and river running, trekking, Mountain Biking, navigation and rifle shooting, rope work, some mystery activities to keep the adrenaline up, sea kayaking and other water activities. As founder/co-organiser Keith Stephenson says: “It’s no walk in the park.”

The ARC website is www.arceevents.co.nz for all the updates and results.

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