DART-nuun wins the Big Blue Kit Carson 24 Hour Adventure Race - a USARA National Championship qualifier
... one of only two teams to complete the entire grueling course
Spooner Lake State Park, NV (August 11th, 2007) â?? The final 24 hour race of the 2007 Big Blue series had racers compete in the stunning Lake Tahoe area where they paddled across the lake, ran through rugged terrain, and biked through the breathtaking Sierra Nevada Mountains. The difficulty of the course confirmed why this race was a USARA national championship qualifier as teams quickly switched from competing against each other to trying to survive the challenging but well designed course. Team DART-nuun, comprised of Mari Chandler, Andy Tubs, and Glenn Rogers, won the race in a little over 20 hours and, when the dust settled, was one of only two teams to complete the entire course.
The race started with a 15 mile paddle on the beautiful blue waters of Lake Tahoe. â??We could see the course laid out in the mountains before us as we paddled,â?? commented Mari. Coming off the water, the team was just minutes behind the lead team. After a quick transition, Mari took charge and set a blistering pace to catch the leaders. As the team climbed up into the mountains, they passed the lead team as Mari continued her relentless drive.
Arriving in the second transition just minutes ahead, the team expected to transition to their bikes but were pleasantly surprised to find a 3 hour Rogaine (orienteering section where teams have to find checkpoints in any order) awaited them. â??I was elated,â?? claimed Glenn, Team Captain and 2006 US Rogaine Champion. â??I knew that I could lead the team quickly through this section and solidify our leadâ??. At the finish of the Rogaine, the team had indeed increased their lead to 20 minutes.
They then headed out into the night on their bikes for what was to be an epic 12 hour bike section. â??I was concerned that many of the local teams would know the area and flawlessly navigate through the maze of trails and roads,â?? recalled Glenn. His concerns were thankfully unfounded. While slowed because of darkness and difficult terrain, the team made great progress. They finished the bike section with a ride on the famous Flume trail at sunrise. â??Looking out over Lake Tahoe at sunrise was an unbelievable experience,â?? added an elated Andy.
As the team came into the finish, they had no idea what position they were in because the race director allowed teams to acquire the check points in any order. The team was pleasantly surprised to find that not only had they won in approximately 20 hours, but that only one other team would manage to complete the entire course of this demanding race.
Next, DARTâ??nuun will compete - at the end of August - in Australia's most grueling expedition race (XPD Australia) that will take teams on a 800 km (10 day) course from the Great Barrier Reef to the magnificent but harsh Outback.
The team's successes would not be possible without the generous support of their hand picked sponsors. Each sponsor was carefully selected because their products are of the highest quality, perform brilliantly, and are of the utmost reliability. "We trust our lives to these products while competing in world's most demanding conditions," - Cyril Jay-Rayon, Team Captain.
Labels: Press Release, Race Results
posted by Velokamikaze @ 1:12 PM
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