Just checked out the website – apparently cancelled. Anyone know any more info?

Bugger. I was looking forward to this, in a kind of masochistic way.
Almost certainly cancelled because of poor take up I'd say.

i emailed them about a week ago asking where it was starting from as it had some bearing on if i could make it as i'm on my way home from a week away but got no reply.
shame, i was looking forward to it.

Detail Events are changing an awful lot of stuff around.
They've changed their Ace Races Adventure Race format around massively too
and not for the better imo 😥
I can understand why, it's to appeal to more of the masses but it isn't really true AR now by the looks of it. Which leaves Dynamic Adventure Racing down south and maybe Questars and Open Adventure etc up north.

I feel Ace Races and Polaris used to be run by people who were really into the events for what they are and for the love of it.
imo opinion Detail are purely in it for the ££££'s and they've not been getting the return they want

I can't help but think the poor take up is due to the shocking website and entry method. Compared to something like the Merida (or CRC) marathon website and entry – it's very old hat.

Questars isn't really "up north" this year

New Forest
Brecon Beacons
Chilterns
Cannock Chase

Just contacted Polaris – yes the spring event is cancelled and the people who entered will be given the chance to swap to the summer event.

29'er

To be fair, Detail don't own the Polaris brand anymore. They sold/passed it back to the original owners a year or so back.

So, the Polaris cancellation can't really be laid at their door – it's nowt to do with Detail.

Disclaimer – I've done occasional bits of work/stuff for Detail.

I can't do the Summer (Soft) Option!

I think they need to get their a5rses ino gear if they want to get the numbers to enter. The website and general communication from them sucks.

I don't like the summer event – the whole point of Polaris is to carry everything you need for 2 days and then being as miserable as possible whilst carrying it.

cxi – sorry didn't mean Questars was up north

Paul McG – I didn't know that, fair enough, I though it was still with them.

Still not keen on Detail for a few reasons, Ace Race changes not being the only one. Just before Detail took on Ace (2007?) Phil Humphreys said that the Full Monty Race was here to stay. Detail came in and it's never been heard of again.
It was never a big money making event. I really wanted to have a second crack at the 'Full Monty And Some' course, just a shame in my opinion. not many really long ARs about in the UK 😥
Considering there are so few long ones they seem to clash to often too.
Open24 and DARE I think last year (IIRC DAR couldn't get another date and the Open date was already set)
3Peaks Yacht Race, Mountain Mayhem and Open 24 too all at same/similar times
No long winter races of that type at all

Sorry for the slight hijack but if you want to ride out into the mountains, carrying everything you need and navigate rather than just follow markers … why not come and do the Welsh Ride Thing? Start noon Sat, finish noonish Mon.

I can't promise bad weather as it was glorious last year but I'm sure everyone will be able to make themselves miserable if they like 😉

If anyone does fancy it email stuart@forestfreeride.co.uk and I'll sort you out with details.

Have spotted the welsh ride thing, looks good
I've got a few mates doing it, unfortunately I can't make it 😥

29er

No worries.

I agree – there's a lack of the longer stuff at the moment. I course planned the Dirty Weekend 2-day ACE AR in the Tweed Valley in 2008 (the one that was held alongside the Spring Polaris that year), and had a go as a competitor at the Grizedale forest one later in the year. They were good events, and much missed.

It seemed to me that Detail were trying to breathe life into the formats and doing different stuff, but that the entry numbers just didn't happen to make it commercially viable (I thought the ACE 2-day entry was pretty poor, despite slick marketing, a big database and a £5K prize). Can't blame them for going back to concentrate on Rat Races, Deerstalker and Men's Health 10k's if not enough of us entered the longer stuff when it was available.

I know from first hand experience that planning these things properly isn't something you just do in your spare time. It's incredibly time consuming and expensive to put these races together, therefore, it really has to pay it's way commercially to some degree.

Paul
I know it ain't easy
not easy as a competitor either especially living down south 😥
just wish I had more time & money to do more of what's there.

I know you're never going to get big numbers for the 24Hr and + events. I know they can't be cheap to run either. I've marshalled at the Open24 before (couldn't race due to injury) really made me appreciate the planning and work that goes into these events behind the scenes.
I bet there's far more to do for a Rat Race though than there would for the Full Monty though. Economy's of scale come in thought only 40 odd competitors at the last Full Monty, 100's for the RR's.

I just hope the Adidas/Open Terrex is on in 2011, can't make this years as I'm going to be on my Honeymoon, else I'd be there one way or another

29er,

Detail passed Polaris back to the original owners last year, before the summer event.

I don't know the full story, but I believe they (Detail) had taken it on in a buyout/earnout arrangement but didn't manage to grow it to the extent they had hoped (possibly due to concentrating on other things) and never fulfilled their side of the deal – hence it went back to Polaris.

If you're looking for other events, then there are also all the Dark and White things up north or plenty of stand alone MTBO/trailquest type things. See

http://ww.bmbo.org.uk/

Can previous competitors please enlighten me as to what you do between the finish on Saturday and the start on Sunday?

Being as you have to carry everything with you and can't use hostelries is it just the case of sitting in a tiny tent eating dehydrated food for 16 hours?

er…hip flask and sleep. You'll need it if you were trying hard enough!

Being as you have to carry everything with you and can't use hostelries is it just the case of sitting in a tiny tent eating dehydrated food for 16 hours?

Yep. Or sitting round the bonfire drinking beer from the cans they sell.

Being as you have to carry everything with you and can't use hostelries is it just the case of sitting in a tiny tent eating dehydrated food for 16 hours?

Mainly, yes, but the time always seems to fly by.

Firstly, just getting the tent up, gear stowed, getting changed, water collected, food made, score checked, map examined for next day, bike cleaned and fettled, tent down, bog visited, breakfast drink made, kit repacked etc takes up quite a bit of the time.

Then, bear in mind you are knackered (if you've been trying) you'll generally want a good long sleep.

Then bear in mind that you'll either be camping near your mates and chatting, or making new mates and chatting, which also takes a good while.

So really, 16 hours isn't that much.

Only just had a look at the PC website to learn this is cancelled. GUTTED. I was really looking forward to this too. I've spoken to my riding partner, and since we've both got the weekend booked in for some proper riding, we are going to pull choose an old Polaris map out at random, and ride effectively 'do' a ghost Polaris. Checkpoints and all!

It's a real shame that they haven't put a reason for the cancellation on the site. As has already been mentioned, the communication from Polaris Apparel is appaulling. The PC forum is indicative of the state of the whole thing. I've been doing the PC for quite a few years, and have to say the organisation and communications from Detail Events was very good, as were all their events.

I really hope that this isn't the final nail in the coffin for the event because it really was fantastic.

Dont panic mr Mainwaring, theres always the welsh ride thing in may.

Just spotted the iroc has been cancelled too. Did it last year but not this due to increased costs and it being over May Bank Holiday – seems others had the same thought!