Last Saturday marked the first race of the season for ARFE without some extreme weather pattern. What are the odds of that! It was a beautiful sunny day in the mid 60’s and many of the best adventure racers in the northeast were represented. In fact the race was so competitive that the first four teams all finished within a 5 minute time span.
The day kicked off with an orienteering relay which turned out to be loads of fun. Each team member was required to complete a short orienteering course while the others waited anxiously. The first teams onto the bikes were EMS, Wicked Pissah, SPTU/Darn Tough and ourselves, ARFE-Smartwool. A short bike ride followed a series of roads to a small lake where we jumped in canoes for the first paddle.
The paddle section was approximately 3 miles with no major changes in team position. First off the water was Team ARFE-Smartwool followed by EMS and Wicked Pissah. The ensuing bike leg over roads, trails and power lines resulted in a constant jockeying for position. ARFE-Smartwool and EMS both ran out of the final transition tied for 3rd with Wicked Pissah and SPTU/Darn Tough in the lead. As we ran down the road, we realized a mistake that would later cost us the race. We had forgotten the race instructions in the TA!! After running back to retrieve the instructions, we lost connection with our competitors. Following a scenic run through downtown Portland, we finished in 4th position (4:03) with about 1 minute separating each of the first four finishers. The reigning national champions, EMS took the win followed by Wicked Pissah and SPTU/Darn Tough.
Thanks to Racing Ahead for keeping the spirit of adventure racing alive in the Northeast! Keep up the great work!!
Chris Edmundson
Team ARFE-Smartwool
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