DART-nuun News
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Ellensburg, Washington (May 19th, 2007)) â?? Team Dartâ??nuun, comprised of Ryan VanGorder, Aaron Rinn, and Matt Hart, successfully defended their Pacific Northwest Championsâ?? title and won the 2007 season opener of the Trioba adventure race series. In just over three hours the team covered 10 kilometers of rugged off trail travel and 25 kilometers of mountain biking which required spot on navigation and included two sections of bush whacking with their bikes to connect routes.

The race was split between trekking and biking and began out of the LT Murray/Joe Watt Canyon area near Ellensburg in beautiful Central Washington. The trek was made up of a series of checkpoints that required teams to navigate their way through the mountainous terrain and required serious attention to their map and compass. â??The terrain allowed for a wicked course and we had fun from start to finish,â?? explained Rinn who flawlessly navigated the team into the finish line.

DART-nuun completed the first 10 checkpoints and the entire trek in 1:09 and had only a two minute lead on the competition as they set off on their bikes. Ryan VanGorder stated, â??We put our heads down and hammered knowing that the other teams were hot on our tails.â?? Climb after climb separated the field and DART-nuun pulled ahead. They made a couple of strategic decisions along the way opting to shoulder their bikes and bush whack to connect trails that were vital in achieving the most optimal route. These decisions paid off as it put the team in a position to finish well ahead of the ensuing teams.

Despite a flat tire in route to the finish line, the team was able to finish the course in 3:07:03 and come out on top of the sold out field of 35 teams. Next DART-nuun will be competing in Canadaâ??s most prestigious and world renowned expedition race at the end of June â?? Raid the North Extreme.

Labels: Press Release, Race Results