The conditions were harsh with temperatures in the teens at race start. They made there way into the mid twenties by afternoon, but the wind was brutal and kept the wind chill temperatures near or below zero all day. There were some periods of heavy snowfall as well, although no real accumulation amounted. There was, however, plenty of snow on the ground in the woods to keep racers from moving swiftly. With these challenging conditions, the second annual sold-out Infiterra Sports March Madness Spring Adventure Race was back and it was truly Madness!
Over 100 teams toed the line at 10:00am for the race start. At the word â??Goâ?? teams scattered off in nearly every direction, some on foot and some on bike and some even headed off straight across frozen Heron Lake. The 2008 March Madness was set up as one big bike/trek orienteering rogaine minus the varied point values of controls. There were very few limitations put on the teams as there were no mandatory biking legs and no specified order to obtain the control points. Just 34 CPs scattered throughout Holly Recreation Area for teams to obtain and six hours to do so. It was not even mandated that teams use their bikes for any portion of the course.
Strategy was crucial in this set up. Part of the race included five miles of single track. The single track was covered in snow, but it was pretty solid and packed down. There was also several miles of dirt road biking, but that was also not straight forward as much of it was snow covered and very icy. Four of the 34 CPs were designated as manned points that could be used as bike drop points for teams to use and head off on foot. Many of the points were located near lakes so crossing the ice also played in. There was also a zip line in the middle of the course that would allow teams to traverse a narrow channel on Wildwood Lake.
The route choices were nearly infinite. It would be safe to say that almost every team in the race had a unique plan of attack. To top it all off, the lead teams never really knew where they stood as they progressed on the course because there was no specified order and their nearest competitor likely chose an entirely different route.
The teams battled it out throughout the day though, fighting through the blustery conditions, deep snow, icy roads and trails and numerous route choices. Team Animals lead the charge into the finish sweeping the course with all 34 points at 3:08pm for the win both overall and in the 2 Male Division. They had elected to do the entire course on foot. Team Hafke Legal Services JV came across the line just one minute behind at 3:09pm to grab 2nd place both overall and 2 Male. Team Hafke Legal Services (the varsity) came in just another couple minutes back at 3:12pm for 3rd overall and 1st in the 2 Coed Division. Soloist Bill Scanlan was the only other racer/team to obtain all 34 control points. Bill took the solo title and landed 4th overall with his 3:39pm finish. Teams Chrysler 1 and 2 each managed 32 CPs as they pushed the stopwatch to finish with just 4 minutes left at 3:56pm. The Chrysler teams took 5th and 6th overall as they tied for 3rd in the 2 Male Division. Solo Steve Kaczor (2nd Solo Male) and Team Over the Bars (2nd Coed) tied for 7th and 8th overall at 3:49pm with 31 control points. Hart/Marmot (3rd Solo Male) snatched 9th overall with 30 CPs at 3:37pm. Team Over the Hill and Down the Ale rounded out the top ten overall with 30 CPs at 3:45pm. The Smartblast.org Team CC took the 2 Female Division win (16th overall) with 28 CPs at 3:48pm, followed by Janes (26 CPs, 3:50pm, 22nd overall) and Dirty Girls (16 CPs, 3:13pm, 74th overall). Sundevil (23 CPs, 3:36pm, 35th overall) lead the Solo Females followed by Dexter Bike & Sport (19 CPs, 3:54pm, 61st overall) and Deuel (18 CPs, 3:29pm, 64th overall).
Congratulations to all the teams that came out to test their skills in the rough conditions of the Infiterra Sports 2008 March Madness. The course was definitely tough and pushed the most experienced racers to their limits as the overall win nearly came down to a photo finish. Everyone that pushed through the course should feel very good about themselves, especially since there were no DNFs!
We want to thank our great group of hardcore volunteers! They braved the cold conditions the entire day, many of them helping to man the ropes section with no shelter throughout the day, starting well before the actual start of the race. Our races could not be successful without such a dedicated crew!
Also, a big thanks goes out to Holly Recreation Area. They welcomed us in with open arms and made certain we had everything needed for a successful event. We will undoubtedly be back to this location again someday.
As always thanks to our sponsors: We had on-site support from REI who was out in the cold meeting racers, handing out swag and even helping secure our tent in the windy conditions. We also saw fantastic support from Salomon North America, who is again a huge sponsor of adventure racing in Michigan. Hammer Nutrition, Seal Skinz, Suunto, Zanfel and Superfeet all have long been big supporters and key to our success.
The March Madness kicks off another fine season of adventure racing in Michigan. We look forward to the great adventures that are lining up around the state in 2008. We hope to see you out there at the next race!
Race Staff
Infiterra Sports, LLC
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