Myself and my partner would like to have a go at an “adventure race” or similar. Has anyone done or know of a one day adventure race ideally in the south of the uk and ideally where a couple have to race as a team.

Have a look here:

RatRace a great at what they do, really well organised and good afterparties too ..

http://www.ratrace.com/events.aspx

I know of Open 5, mainly based in the north though, mixture of trail running and MTB, very well organised, and great venues…

Haglofs do one at about half a dozen venues around the country.

Edit:
That’ll be the one ^^^ he was on about.

They look like some good places to start investigating thanks.

Or do a less marketing led and contrived one.

Home

Tri-Adventure run various length events in SE England – the next one is on 19th Jan in Surrey. You are welcome to race as a pair. Choose from 2 or 4 hour events, with bike and run stages. Navigation required, or you can choose a waymarked run-only category. Tri-Adventure events are very friendly and are ideal for first-timers. Free tea and biscuits too!
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Open Adventure are holding one of the rounds of their Open5 series in the Surrey Hills on the first weekend of Feb. 5 hours, bike and run, navigation required. Again, solos, pairs or teams welcome.

The Questars series starts in the New Forest in March. 5 or 6 hours, bike run and kayak, navigation required. [/url]

Or if you want to jump straight into the deep end, how about 5 days non-stop across Wales? Mixed teams of 4, 600 km, and a serious amount of ascent. It’s a round of the AR World Series, so not going to be easy!

Hope this is some help – hope to see you at a race soon!

Tom

Or do a less marketing led and contrived one.

http://www.theomm.com/

Adventure race’s are generally multi discipline, the OMM events are not.

Surfer, the OMM isn’t an Adventure Race, it’s a Mountain Marathon. And while I’d agree it’s less contrived, it certainly isn’t any less marketing-led any more, and hasn’t been since it ceased to be the KIMM.

OP – depends what you’re terming ‘Adventure Race’. Mud runs and the like aren’t really Adventure Races, AR is generally taken to be multisport and involves some element of navigation – Open Adventure and Tri Adventure are your best bets, I’d say. Questars might be worth a look as well.

If you’re after Mud Runs, take your pick. Everyone seems to be running them now, and they’re all much of a muchness.

Not sure Rat Race are still doing the city-based adventure races they were known for – website is all new formats.

Used to quite enjoy them but they did get more and more pricey. Saturday a very navigation-heavy orienteering type race for a few hours, Sunday a 9-5 but more directed race on bike, foot and boat.

Some more cool ideas.

@djtom I’d love to do 5 days across wales but that amount of time off would be difficult plus I’m very unfit at the moment. Probably only cycled about 100 miles in total this year and that’s being generous!

We are not made set on the adventure race format just a challenging race that we can work as a team. Don’t mind if its only running / walking navigating or multi discipline.

OMM lite looks really good and so does the tri advanture races.

Always a good way to set a domestic off, 24 hours in with no sleep, lost, in the rain – somewhere about then your inability to shut your sock drawer becomes a REALLY BIG ISSUE. 😯

I’ve raced with couples – generally its OK esp. on expedition length races but you normally have to split them up to look after them as in the husband shoudl not look after the wife and vice versa as generally you have to do some tough love !

Any good distance rogaine or mtb orineteering or an OMM or something would be ok. Have fun, my missus and I used to race together, she looked after me after day 3 !

the CCAR races are brilliant. 5 hour adventure races in northern ireland. teams of 2.
google them , buy cheap flights and you will be really well looked after. also try the CLEC. these are all true adventure races, suitable for all levels and held in beautiful scenery

Always a good way to set a domestic off

I’m sure! We were thinking the short 4-5 hour jobs rather than the multi day ones!

the CCAR races are brilliant.

Do you mean these?

http://www.outdoorni.com/providers/584/causeway-coast-adventure-racing/

http://www.causewaycoastar.co.uk
http://www.clec.ie
and i forgot i’ve done 2 gaelforce north – http://www.gaelforceevents.com

these are all really well organised. in areas of outstanding natural beauty !
and you will be challenged no matter what your ability !

I would vote for Questars as a starting point. There is some navigation but it’s not super difficult; last time I did one (which is a while ago) they have pre-plotted the points on a map which removes one element of uncertainty. The course is challenging but not stupid long so the beginning teams manage to get a few check-points.

They’ve been doing them long enough that most of the kinks have been ironed out. The New Forest is a good starter.