2009 - our best year ever
Although the year is not quite at an end, Team EnduroAR have had their best year ever in 2009 with four wins and a series victory in the bag.
Securing a long-term sponsor, Astounding Adventures, will ensure that these successes will be carried in to 2010 and beyond.
EnduroAR win again in the Peaslake MTBO
27th September 2009
So near but so far as EnduroAR narrowly, by just one checkpoint this time, missed clearing today's Peaslake MTBO race. A little annoying as the team secured yet another win; fastest pair/team in the event and second overall.
The event was well organised as usual and this time was sponsored by both Cycle Surgery and our very own sponsors Astounding Adventures.
Astounding Adventures provide mountain biking, navigation and adventure race skills for beginnings courses in The Surrey Hills, Grizedale Forest in the Lake District, Gwydyr Forest in North Wales and Dalby Forest in The Yorkshire Moors.
Thanks again to the organisers for a great day. The next race is on the 25th of April 2010. Registration is already open!
EnduroAR win first Adventure Race Series
16th August 2009
Yesterday saw the team competing in the Final Ace Race of the year at Queen Elizabeth Country Park and, despite to usual jinxed episodes that always seem to happen to us at Ace Races, the team came in a creditable second place.
This combined with two third places in the previous two races, gave us the female pairs title!
We'd like to think this was an acknowledgement of our supreme race fitness, strategy, tactics and sheer determination, but the sad truth is that we were the only female pairs team to compete in all three races. Still, as a wise friend once said, "You can only compete with those who turn up. A win is a win."
The team is looking forward to next year's Ace Race series; hoping to defend the title in a more auspicious style.
Another mountain bike orienteering win!
26th April 2009
Another near clearance in yesterday's Peaslake MTBO event gave Team EnduroAR another win; fastest pair/team in the event and fifth overall.
The event was organised by a group of parents from Peaslake who, after their village school was closed, bought the premises and reopened it as a free primary school for local children funded entirely from donations.
The event was every bit as well organised as established series like the Gorrick Trailtrax series and was much enjoyed by all participants. Peaslake MTBO intend to run two races a year based around the beautiful Surrey Hills. The next race will be in September.
Third again in the Open 5 Series
6th April 2009
Team EnduroAR came in a solid fourth in the Hope Valley Open 5 Series race in The Peak District yesterday; a result that, despite only racing in three races out of five, gives the team their second series third place in a row.
A stronger result would have given the team the title but, realistically, the series was lost in 2008 when the team was struck down with flu and viral fatigue in the later half of the year causing them to miss the first two races of the season; the first of which was particularly high scoring.
Attention turns now to the Open Adventure Endurance Series. 2009 will be Team EnduroAR's first entry in the series, although there is still a little doubt over this as the team are still looking for a series sponsor.
That's four wins in a row
15th March 2009
The team are celebrating their fourth win in a row in the Gorrick Trailtrax Navigator series. At the latest race in Blackwater Valley, Berkshire EnduroAR beat all pair teams in all categories with a near full clearance; seventh overall if you include the solos.
The 95% clearance achieved was tantalisingly close to a clean sheet were it not for one particularly hard to find control and a unlucky broken chain. A full clearance is top of the list in the team's programme of continuous improvement.
The next Trailtrax is in August as there are only three races this year. This is a terrible shame as it's a great events for serious athletes, family teams and anyone who wants a fun challenge. Hopefully, with better attendances at this year's races, next year we'll get at least five races or even the full eight from a couple of years ago. Come along and join the fun!
We're improving!
3rd March 2009
After a superb 82.3% clearance in the last Open 5 Series race, we thought it would be interesting to look back on all nine Open 5 race entries that Team EnduroAR have competed in to date. The results were very interesting. As the graph clearly shows the team has consistently improved their percentage clearance over the last three years.
High clearances are key to a series victory; far more so in fact than lots of individual race wins. Hopefully this improvement will continue for the last race in the season in The Peak District. Fingers crossed!
