It seems that many people new to this sport are concerned about the ’swimming component’ in adventure racing. Upfront – we rarely swim; this isn’t triathlon. And when we do, it is usually to cross a small dam or a river. Not ‘proper swimming’. Distances are usually short – like <200m and we’ve usually got backpacks to swim with too. We’ve even swum with bicycles across rivers! Swimming in adventure racing is often more doggy paddle than freestyle.

Race organisers will let you pre-race if you have to swim; and they’ll usually mention the distance – like 500m.

Some international events have had a bigger swimming component, like the 2009 Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge, which had a swim of 1km in the prologue. Race organisation transported backpacks and they allowed participants to use goggles and floatation, if desired.

Don’t stress about swimming in adventure racing (rather practise your navigation!). But, that said, for your own safety and that of your teammates with any water discipline (kayaking, rafting, river crossings, tubing etc), you should be a competent swimmer.

Despite my teasing of the winning team over ‘obstacle etiquette’, there are actually two right answers here.

Yes, it is ok for them to overtake

Although the start of the obstacle course is very much considered the end of the race, with teams patiently waiting for team ahead (even if they’re slower on the obstacles) to take their turn, the race is still on. The first obstacle had two lines and the generally rule is ‘one line per team’. The team coming from behind evidently had better strength here and they went ahead of the leading team. If I got to this obstacle at the same time as another team (it was deflated when we got there), I’d also take the other line, ascending the obstacle at the same time – and certainly hoping to beat them.

The next obstacle had one line, which accommodates one person at a time. So, after the first obstacle, it would be one-one-one until the finish line; the team behind has to wait, even if the team ahead is slower and struggling on the obstacles.

If the other obstacles also had two lines I’d be tempted to say it is fair game to keep racing through this section; team work comes into play on the obstacle course and with one line per team, two teams can be accommodated at one time. There is no rule that says, ‘the race stops at the start of the obstacle section’, so, the race is still on.

No, the obstacle course is a novelty activity; the race ’stops’ at the start of this section

These inflatable obstacles don’t handle multiple people scrambling up them at the same time; the obstacle course doesn’t have two lines on all inflatables – so people have to wait for each other; and this section is just for fun. Also, if a team beats you over the length of the course, it is not really etiquette to pip them at the post over a section that really is non-competitive.

Verdict

I’m swayed to saying it is not ok in this situation purely because there are not two lines on every obstacle. But, you don’t necessarily know this starting the section, afterall, there were two lines on the first obstacle, which made it fair game for both teams.

So, there is no right and wrong – it just comes down to an unwritten etiquette perhaps. The members of both teams in this situation are wonderful athletes, people and sportsman so there was definitely no pushing and shoving for position – the race was still underway. They both happen to be very good and the one leveraged their better obstacle abilities to put them ahead on that first obstacle.

Occasionally teams encounter misplaced or missing controls at races; they get to where the control should be, but find that it isn’t there. What to do? Stay and hunt for it or continue on the course and speak to the race organiser later? I’m in favour of the latter. Go. Continue with the race. Navigation is a discipline of adventure racing; grid searching for a missing control is not.

• plotted incorrectly on the map – the organisers wants it to be on a certain fence and they place it on the fence but the location is marked incorrectly on the map; a bit like a typo
• marked correctly on the map but placed at the wrong location when the controls are being put out in the field
• stolen; more than one control has gone walking at races – I’ve always thought they’d make nice lampshades (others evidently think so too)…

• If you get to where the control should be and it isn’t there, phone the race organiser to let them know; they can dispatch someone to the location to verify and to tell teams coming later. You will not be disqualified for phoning the organiser for this reason.
• Move on, do not hunt for the control. The discipline of navigation is just that, navigation… not hunting. Your job is to navigate from A to B, not to grid search when you get there.

Before you leave for the race (like a day or two before), read the information provided, check for compulsory equipment and print the race directions. Really. Don’t phone the organiser and pester them because you’re a lazy-butt. They’ve got lots of other things to deal with pre-race.

On arrival, check in at the race registration table to collect your race envelope. It may have instructions, maps, bibs and, most certainly, an indemnity form. Get each team member to sign the form and return it promptly. Read the race instructions. There is also usually a race briefing before the start. I loathe convoluted race briefings as I believe they should just welcome us, thank the sponsors and let us get going. When it comes to instructions and rules, my rule is that if it isn’t on paper, it doesn’t exist. Sure, it doesn’t always happen this way but it should. After 30-minutes (if that!) I can’t remember to turn left, right, right again and left at some obscure white post.

Anyway, don’t stress yourself before the race about the route, the disciplines and the distances. That’s the thing with adventure racing – adaptability and variability. And don’t make assumptions. Just attend the briefing, read the rules and do what you’re told. It’s as easy as that.

Sprint races and short course races (up to around 65km) will probably have a central transition area and are generally unsupported (no support crew required). And becuase of this central transition they’re a bit more spectator friendly. You can leave your bikes and gear for the running and biking disciplines in the transition area. You can also leave a bottle of water to refill your hydration reservoir/bottle and some food, like a banana, extra bars, sandwich and such – you don’t need to carry everything the whole time.

While you’re munching out on course, please take care that your wrappers from gels and bars don’t end up on the ground. Secure in you backpack and place in a bin when you return to the transition. It’s amazing how much stuff ends up on the ground when it wiggles out of pack pockets.

In short races you can expect to have running and biking and maybe some other obstacles thrown in for fun. The running and biking will be split into more than one leg – so even on a short 2-3hr race you could still have 3-4 legs. This is nice because then no one leg will be much more than 10-15km, which is a comparitive drop in the ocean on a bike. Obstacles require no special skills - they’re meant to be fun.

The start could see all the teams on the starting line for a group run/bike or you may receive instructions/maps at the start. If it’s the latter, teams will usually move to one side, read the instructions or the map to decide where to go or what to do first, and then they’ll move off in their own time.

Navigation is included in short adventure races too (multisport events have no nav – and they’re not often team events either). You can be assured that the navigation in short course events will be easy – it is not rocket science – and they don’t hide the controls. They’ll be on significant features like a big tree, fences, road junction and you should notice the control as you approach.

Each time you come in to the transition you’ll have to check-in with the marshal. You may have to check out with them too. You’ll be told in the briefing. If your team withdraws from the race, for whatever reason, be sure to tell the marshal. Very important! Make sure you’re checked off at the finish.

The pace of short events is faster than a 24hr and longer race so don’t be put off and think you could never do a longer race. They are as different as a 5km fun run is to Comrades Marathon.

And then, once the race is done, there’s a prize giving. Most events have lots of luck draw prizes so it is worth hanging around. It’s also fun to sit around chatting with other teams after the race.

It’s a similar setup for longer races – the main differences being that you’ll have a support crew who transports your gear and provides food; transitions will be all over the place as the race progresses; paddling will certainly be included; leg distances will be longer; and navigation will be a little more challenging.

That’s it.

On a sprint race, which is usually 25-35km and will take you 2-4hrs to complete, bars and gels will see you through. A banana with your race stuff at the central transition will go down well too. A short course race of 50-75km will take the bulk of the day and it’s a good idea to bring in some real food like sandwiches and boiled baby potatoes with a sprinkle of salt - the latter are a personal favourite.

When it comes to hydration, always keep water in your reservoir and put your carbohydrate drink in your bottle. Sipping on sweet drinks for endless hours not only rots your teeth (over time – build up of carbonic acid) but will make you feel nauseous. And the problem is that ones the sweetness starts getting to you, you stop drinking and that creates its own problems.

Once races start going into 24hrs it is nice to have at least one decent meal, in addition to sandwiches and munchie bag containing dried fruit, nuts, seed bars, salty crackers, crisps and other palatable treats. Races over 24hrs usually have support crew – they’ll provide the meal.

Orienteering events take place once or twice a month in Gauteng and Cape Town. They’re open to everyone, from toddlers to the aged – family attendance is encouraged. A number of courses of different distance and technical difficulty are presented to accommodate participants of all ages skill and fitness levels. Participants can go out on their own, or in a group (max 3 people).

  Although map scales in adventure racing are smaller than orienteering, the techniques applied to navigating accurately from one point to the next are the same. Orienteering teaches accuracy, precision, map interpretation and off-road running. In adventure racing, map scales are usually 1:50,000. In orienteering, specially drawn maps have scales that vary between 1:5,000 and 1:7,500 for short course events to 1:10,000 and 1:15,000 for longer ‘colour-coded’ events. Orienteering maps also contain more detail, using colours and symbols to depict vegetation and significant features.

With the short course series kicking off in Joburg, these Q&As will help you understand how things work – and there are always friendly people on hand at events to assist.

Tania Wimberley answers some common questions.

What course should I do?

For maximum enjoyment of the event, choose the most suitable course:

• String    (suitable for children under 5 – its very short, around 600m ) 
• Novice  (suitable for family groups, beginners & young children-about 2 to 2.5km)
• Ladies   (suitable for ladies & experienced groups, it’s technical but shorter than the men course- 3km)
• Men  (technical & the longest-around 3.5km)

Expected winning times on the novice, ladies and men’s courses are around 20 minutes. Walkers are likely to take double that time.

If entering your first event, try the Novice course. It’s designed to be easy so you find everything.  If you cream it and are back in time you can always go out again on a second course.

Older children may also enjoy doing the string course after their main course – they are welcome to do so. There is no charge for the string course.

Points for the Gauteng Log are awarded to individuals who are members of clubs only (& not groups). All individuals on the novice course get points but men don’t get points if they do the ladies course and visa versa.

These course distance are rough estimates & may vary-actual distances will be advertised on the day.

Do I enter as an individual or group?

You can do the event alone or in a group, what ever suits you. Groups should preferably be 2 or 3 people, but no more than four.  A family of 4 should preferably break into 2 groups.

What is an EMIT & do I need one?

An electronic timing device (EMIT) is used on the ladies & men’s courses ONLY. If you don’t own an EMIT and are doing the ladies /men’s course you can hire one for the event. Each group only needs one EMIT. Novice & string courses use a manual punching system.

Nicholas Mulder highlights a few considerations you need to make for AR:

• that it is as waterproof as possible; it needs to get you through a heavy downpour.
• that it is as versatile as possible; reading maps & clearly seeing the ground vs seeing far into the distance searching for the checkpoint with a beam.
• that the battery life is long lasting; you don’t really want to change batteries every night.
• that the headlamp sits comfortably on your head. Some headlamps have battery packs in front, behind the light. Others have battery packs that sit on the back of your head. If heavy batteries are in front they’ll drive you insane as they’ll jiggle around and slip over your eyes when you jog/run.

There have been a few major advances in headlamp technology in the last few years, revolving around light brightness and battery life. LED lights are practically as bright as halogens nowadays but have the added advantage of the better battery life. The better headlamps have variable brightness setting and allow you to adjust beam focus and so on.

On paper, a shoe with a highly specialised water resistant, trail-debris repellant upper and a super-dooper, sticks-and-stones-won’t-penetrate-and-you-won’t-slip sole looks amazing, but if the wide heel box has your heel sliding up and down with each step and the narrow toe box keeps squeezing your little toe, then the shoe is just not right for you.

The shoe you choose will also be influenced by the purpose for which you wish to use it – trail running, orienteering, AR…

As a general guide, off-road shoes should a) have a firm and protective toe-box, b) the upper should be made of supportive, sturdy and abraision resistant fabric (off-road your foot moves left, right, up and down, which doesn’t happen in running and you’ll be brush past rough vegetation and rocks) and c) a more aggressive tread on the sole than a running shoe.

My advice to people looking for shoes is standard. Go to a shop that has a wide selection of shoes. Ask for your size in the different brands and various styles within the brand. Try each on – open minded – and buy the pair that feels natural. You should not have to ‘wear-in’ the shoes. Trying one shoe after another also give you a platform for comparison so don’t try one style today, another tomorrow and another next week. Try the different styles in a single session. If the shoe fits, buy it.

www.AR.co.za does not host photo galleries for events. Please contact the race organiser.

Equipment is dependant on the event, location, distance, difficulty and disciplines so there is no one-size-fits-all answer. If you can’t balance in a K2 on a river, hire a sit-on-top, which is more forgiving.

Don’t go out and buy loads of gear unless you really need it. You can get by with borrowing from friends and improvising until you know what you want. Nicholas Mulder offers some sound advice, especially for those doing sprint races, “I’d leave all buying of equipment till after you’ve done a few sprint races. This will allow you to get a feel of what you need as well as see what other teams use / have. Equipment only becomes an issue when you start competing in the longer races.”

Oh ja… read the articles on equipment on this website.

If qualifications/certifications, like swift water rescue, paddle grading and ropes, are required, you’ll know about it way in advance. These would only be required for expedition-style events where disciplines are likely to have a higher technical difficulty.