News
Brighton Rat Race 2008 - News
6 June 2008
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Brighton Rat Race 2008 - News
1) Under four weeks to go
2) Raise Funds for Teenage Cancer Trust
3) Event Village Location
4) Harness / Helmet Hire
5) Skills Refresher Sessions
6) Race Crew
7) Prize-giving Party
1) Under four weeks to go
Hello again Brighton Rat fans, less than four weeks to go now and we are busy here tweaking and preening the challenges and measuring up at our fantastic event village location. More on that later. We think that you will love our approach to the Brighton Rat Race. The city centre has a fantastic regal medina styled adventure in store among other interesting challenges and the beach life is just peachy. That is not all as Brighton is book-ended by some iconic and fantastic locations – West, North, East and … well, south! We did say you’re going to get wet. Perpendicular to the flatness of the sea, we have a few surprising vertical activities lined up for you too! If you haven't got your friends hooked already, then give them a call. True to our word, and following the success of the Brum Rat Race, the nine2five format is inclusive and achievable by all abilities of adventurer.
When you think Brighton, you think beach, pier, maybe Pavilion. A lot of you will know about the 
stunning and rolling South Downs that Brighton sits at the foot of. Did you know that Brighton is the most undulating city in the south? Be prepared to tackle the topography as you ride our mountain bike stages. Don’t forget to take in the big sky vistas on the famous bridleways and look out for a famous Mint Sauce cartoon sheep. Drink in the atmosphere and chomp on an energy bar - replenish your energy and review your map for the next challenges.
Brighton accommodation is always at a premium so think ahead here. There are hundreds of great budget hotels, guest houses, bed and breakfasts, hostels and even a camping ground at Sheepcote, though you'll need to get in quick with bookings in all cases.
2) Raise Funds for Teenage Cancer Trust
Why not take part in the Brighton Rat Race and raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT - the event's official charity partner) at the same time? It’s easy. All you need to do is contact Teenage Cancer Trust (challenges@teenagecancertrust.org) for an official sponsorship form – and you’re off! All donations, however big or small, will be welcomed.
Six teenagers are diagnosed with cancer each day; that’s over 2,000 a year. TCT funds specialist teenage cancer units in NHS hospitals. It costs around £2million to open a new unit, all of which TCT has to raise. Southampton General Hospital has now made a full commitment to build a unit as part of their building plans which will care for patients from across the South Coast. The new unit is expected to be completed by 2011.
3) Event Village Location
The Brighton Rat Race will be based on the future i360 site … we will dance one last time on the future foundations of this mighty tower before the old skate and BMX park disappears forever. The event site is an oasis in the sunny flurry of Brighton and is well served by amenities; public toilets, cafe's, shops and bars. Parking is available at multi story car parks all around. Click here to view local NCP in Brighton. As this is the Nine 2 Five format event, registration is early, and for Brighton Rat Race we are moving the race start time back to 11am, giving more time for registration, skill refresher sessions and general warm-up and orientation. With finishes and the final hour at 7pm. You will enjoy watching the city wake up and you might have the beach to yourselves for the first part of the day, then you'll get the warm satisfied glow as dusk approaches at the end of the day whilst revelling in the hustle and bustle of City Centre life.
The event timeline will follow in our next mailout but things to bear in mind before registration:
Have you completed and printed your medical form? Makes you one less form away on the day. We have uploaded the Medical Form to the website (top of the page). Please print, fill and bring to the registartion.
We will have a secure compound for bike storage at the event, however bikes are not to be left in this compound overnight. During the race itself it is recommended that you have a bike cable lock in order to secure your bikes at certain 'drop-zones' or foot activities.
4) Harness / Helmet Hire
We have limited number of climbing helmets and harnesses for hire and you WILL need both for the race. The hire kit will be issued when you register on the Saturday morning in the event village and you will keep it throughout. Prices are as follows:
* Harness: £8pp
* Helmet: £8pp
* Helmet and harness: £15pp
Reservation of this equipment must be made by emailing us on kit@ratraceadventure.com. After we receive your email we will contact you pre-event regarding the payment for these (payment is made over the phone by credit/debit card). Remember - we only have a limited number of helmets and harnesses to hire so it will be a first come first served basis for reserving your kit.
5) Skills Refresher Sessions
Have you booked a refresher course for kayaking or ropes/abseiling should you require it? They are intended to give you the extra confidence you may need prior to the event should you be rusty on these disciplines.
Each course is priced at £10 (session lasting <1 hour) or £18 for both. They are usually popular, so make sure you let us know ASAP if you want in on the refresher action. To sign up, please email info@ratraceadventure.com and state your name and team name and which sessions you are interested in. We offer up these refreshers in "waves" at 0800 and 0900 on the Saturday so please indicate which time suits you best. We will do our best to accommodate you - but please bear in mind these are popular courses so we may not be able to offer you your first choice of time. Remember that we require all participants to have some experience of abseiling and kayaking prior to the event kick-off.
6) Race Crew 
If you are local to Brighton or perhaps bringing a friend or partner, we are always happy to enroll you as event crew. Jobs are varied, but each and every crew member has an important and valued role to play at the event. You will need to be adaptable and hard-working, plus use initiative and be quick-thinking in dealing with situations whether they are at Rat Race Base or in a remote location on the course. The role of an event crew member is demanding... but extremely rewarding at the same time. You will be warmly welcomed by the Rat Race team and you are sure to find your day a most rewarding experience. You will find full info on our Event Crew page. If you have any questions please write to dorota@allinthedetail.com
7) Prize-giving Party
What better way to celebrate your successful completion of the Rat Race Nine 2 Five than a evening of revelry in one of the UK's most fun loving nightspots. Join us for the prizes and partying in a funky bar within 'welly throwing' distance of the event centre on the Saturday night. We’ll go at it from when you finish the race until when we finish the party!
That’s it for now, more coming soon and look forward to seeing you on the beach.
The Rat Race Team
Buff Headwear http://www.buffwear.co.uk
Sea to Summit http://www.seatosummit.com.au
Ellis Brigham http://www.ellis-brigham.com
Urban Adventure Gear www.urbanadventuregear.com
Adventure Medical Kits http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com
For Goodness Shakes! http://www.forgoodnessshakes.com
Rat Race Adventure http://www.ratraceadventure.com
220 Triathlon Magazine http://www.220magazine.com
Land Rover G4 Challenge http://www.landroverg4challenge.com
Indesit http://www.indesit.co.uk
Endura http://www.endura.co.uk
Sleepmonsters http://www.sleepmonsters.co.uk
Teenage Cancer Trust https://www.teenagecancertrust.org/
