Nopesport

The UK’s first ever multi-sport adventure sports festival hits the Scottish Borders

If you go down to the woods today you’re sure of a big surprise…Mud, mountain bikes and outdoor madness converge for the first ever Dirty Weekend on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 July 2008 in the Scottish Borders. Three heart-stopping multi-sport events descend on the Tweed Valley as the ACE Adventure Race, the Polaris Mountain Bike Challenge and The Dirty Dozen, a new 12K Trail run, combine to create an extraordinary adventure sports festival.

There are 3 main component events to the Dirty Weekend. The Dirty Dozen is a 12K race with a difference, taking to the woods and forests of the the Tweed Valley and providing a superb run on off-road trails; passing through woodland, crossing rivers, traversing rough ground and tackling some major ascents (and descents) along the way. This run will travel 12km around the best of the area and then finish back in the magnificent grounds of ancient Traquair House, where the event is to be based in a huge adventure village.

For a slightly tougher challenge, the ACE Race (Adventure Challenge Endurance) 1 and 2 Day adventure race events will also be hosted alongside the Dirty Dozen. With options over 1 and 2 days, ACE Races are adventure races that combine running, biking and kayaking whilst navigating for checkpoints in challenging terrain. With both physical and mental challenges along the way competitors can enter in the solo category or in pairs. Adventure races attract all types of participants and the 1 day event aims to appeal to newcomers, allowing teams to.enjoy the activities and the views at a leisurely pace. Or you can go all-out and get around the course as fast as you can. For the more hardened competitors the 2-day race goes long into Saturday night and restarts early Sunday morning with all the dogged finishers completing by the early afternoon. For the best of the best there’s also an Elite class where teams of two compete for the prize fund of £5,000 – a cash prize fund unparalleled in the UK Adventure Racing scene.

Third in this triple crown is the Polaris Challenge, a mountain bike navigation event held over two days where competitors have to reach as many checkpoints as possible within the allotted times. Riders are given a list of checkpoints and sent out from the base camp at Traquair where they ride for between 5 and 7 hours before returning to base to receive further instructions. As a two day event riders will camp over night before taking on the second half of the challenge and will finish mid afternoon allowing plenty of time to enjoy the festival atmosphere at the event village.

Acting as a hub for all of the events is the Dirty Weekend Event Village. Set in the breathtaking grounds of the oldest inhabited house in Scotland the village will be a hotbed of activity. A wide variety of hearty and wholesome hot food will be available; visitors will be able to sample Traquair House’s very own beer and participants will have a chance to buy last minute kit and adventure supplies at special event retailers such as Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports. On site bike mechanics will be available to check over bikes and there will be workshop-style refresher courses on navigation and mountain bike skills for those keen to get some last minute tips before embarking on their chose challenge. After the races, masseurs will be on hand to restore the body and the bar will be open to revive the soul whilst a selection of bands will keep the party atmosphere going far into the night. Families and children will be catered for with a crèche and there will be a host of fun activities to keep the adventurers of the future occupied too!

More information on all the events can be found on the www.dirtyweekendadventure.com website.