Mountain X Race
presented by Inov-8

The UK boasts an impressive stable of hardcore AR enthusiasts but, such is the wealth of opportunities to race on native soil or, one might be tempted to say, native bog, very few of them feel the need to leave the "Sceptred Isle" and ply their trade abroad.

Not so the intrepid triathletes of Team ALPKIT, though judging from captain Matt Hammerton's account, a little push towards the exit is always helpful...

"...Saab Salomon Mountain-X Race...Worth a Crack?' The perpetrator of such a ludicrous statement was Oli Mytton, a good friend and fellow teammate. Now, Oli has some experience with these events, having raced in the Original Mountain Marathon last year in Scotland as well as a previous DAR event a couple of years back. We both had a good endurance base from years of running and cycling and I thought that would stand us in good stead. So my answer was yes before I'd even had chance to have a look at the race site. Yet, it was even more so after reading up on the variety of activities, the social format and the amazing locations the race organizers had conjured up.

Once over the initial Alpine dreaming, the question arose of who would complete the team. We needed someone of similar ability on the running and biking front with experience in the hills. A phone call later and our good friend and training partner, Phil Westmorland, completed the gang. Phil was a latecomer to the world of multisport but has made up for this with enthusiasm and the desire to train and race hard.

Once the team was formed, we needed to find a sponsor. Without a proven record in Adventure Racing, we were going to have our work cut out. Nevertheless, ALPKIT very kindly offered to sponsor us for the race. The company makes an ideal sponsor, not only because of its adventure gear (some of which we will be putting to the test) but also because of the friendly way that it operates and the passion they have put into the production of all their products.

With the Mountain-X Race involving a little bit more than just swimming, cycling and running, we all have a thing or two to learn. For instance, none of us have done much kayaking. Nevertheless, over the years, we've all been involved in adventurous activities in one form or another and so our expertise, or lack of it, isn't our biggest worry. Having perused the team list, we seem to be among some of the top adventure racers in the world. We're really looking forward to learning from these guys and being able to see how we compare against such formidable opponents.

Preparation is going well, and we are all excited about the challenge. We're all in separate locations in the UK, which makes meeting up a little bit more challenging. However, we're planning on getting some kayaking experience on grade 3 white-water soon plus we're hoping to do a long mountain filled run in June to give us an idea of what we've got ourselves in for!

Last year's inaugural roll out of this exciting and innovative five-day event provoked widespread enthusiasm throughout the adventure racing world.

This year's could be even better...

Though the deceptively straightforward formula, five sports over five days in five different beauty spots, remains unchanged, this year's race will incorporate some carefully considered modifications and exciting developments aimed at both teams and spectators.

The fast and technically challenging stages, interspersed with well-defined "rest periods", will once again showcase the spectacular Haute Savoie region over a course designed to test skills and stamina to the limit.

From Bourg Saint Maurice to the finish in Morzine, an international selection of the world's AR glitterati, competing as co-ed or single sex teams, will run, trek, bike, climb and canoe across 256km of the most spectacular scenery in France.

37 teams from 11 countries have already registered with such illustrious names as NIKE (USA), last year's winners SAAB SALOMON (GB) and locals LAFUMA â?? SPORT2000 VIBRAM (FRA) mixing with race newcomers ARS Adventure team (BRZ), one of New Zealand's most accomplished squads ORIONHEALTH.COM and Polish powerhouse SPELEO SALOMON. Add to this a swathe of the sport's most determined contenders and talented underdogs and you have all the ingredients for a thrilling encounter at the pinnacle of the sport.

Competition between the teams will be enhanced by slightly altering the way points are awarded. This year, the winners of each stage (team/individual) will receive the maximum number of points (300/100) and every other team/individual will be allocated a fraction of that maximum depending on their time behind the winners. This will level the playing field across the disciplines and encourage the teams to race faster and narrow the time gap on their rivals.

Devised in close collaboration with the local authorities, the Mountain-X Race Festival will be a colorful caravan following the race and featuring local outdoor attractions like film projections, live music and tombolas for tickets to a range of regional leisure pursuits.

The armchair enthusiast hasn't been forgotten either because, for the first time ever, an adventure race will be entirely filmed in stunning High Definition, bringing the thrills and spills of this unique, groundbreaking event to screens around the globe in never before seen wide screen, digital, multi-channel sound and super high-resolution.

To discover all the teams: nationalities, profiles, categories, etc., log onto mountainxrace.com.