News
Melbourne Rat Race is coming...
29 October 2008
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1. Rat Race Melbourne - 25 days to go – Race Director’s preview and entries still open
2. Raise Funds for Oxfam
3. Event Village
4. Event Schedule
5. Skill Tips
6. Further pre-event communications
1. Rat Race Melbourne - 25 days to go – Race Director’s preview and entries still open
The Melbourne Rat Race at Waterfront City Docklands, 22/23 November.....are you ready?
Spaces are filling – so be sure to tell your colleagues, friends and family to get their teams in asap.
This is an incredibly vibrant event that opens up Melbourne in a way that will surprise even the savviest of resident. The Rat Race comes with a fantastic pedigree of success in the UK and Melbourne, the home of sport and events, is ready to turn on a race you will never forget.
We look forward to welcoming you at the action packed prologue on the Saturday between 5pm and 8pm, with teams swarming over the CBD to accumulate points, and then the main Sunday race with what can only be described as ‘wow’ factor activities that will have the participants, supporters and all Melburnians talking for weeks.
This is the only race where you will abseil, kayak, ride, run, climb, scramble and laugh your way around the city of Melbourne. Click here to enter!
The Poms Are Coming...
After a yearlong competition in the mainland UK Rat Races, Aberdeen Asset Management created an unassailable lead, and despite their untouchable position, still made an appearance and won the London Rat Race – such is the magnetism of a good competition!
Bruce Duncan, Iona Robertson and Nick Gracie will be going out to race in Melbourne for Team Aberdeen Asset Management, and this was their prize for a tremendous year of Rat Racing. They are a hugely experienced team and are aiming for a Great Britain victory against the Aussies.
Bruce is a current member of the British Mountain Bike Orienteering Team (and his brother is a world champion Orienteer). Iona Robertson is an ex GB triathlete and former British and World 20-24 age-group Duathlon Champion. Nick Gracie is one of the UK's most experienced adventure racers and has taken part in 3 Adventure Racing World Championships and been a member of the team that won the last 2 British Adventure Racing Championship Races.
2. Raise Funds for Oxfam
Oxfam Australia are the national charity partner for the Rat Race in Australia. Visit their web site to find out how you can join the Rat Race and help Oxfam at the same time - http://www.oxfam.org.au/events/
They will also have a marquee at our event village spreading the word about their organisation, and they will of course be accepting your kind donations.
Oxfam Australia is part of a global movement of dedicated people working hard to fight poverty and injustice.
3. Event Village
The event village will be located in the heart of the Docklands – look out for the giant Rat Race banner right near the big tent, at 441 Docklands Drive, Waterfront City, Docklands.
For all competitors, the weekend starts at the Rat Race event village. The village comes alive with music and commentary at around 1pm on the Saturday, allowing you and your supporters to get into the spirit of things and maybe tame some of those pre-event nerves. You can browse the adventure concessions, purchase any last-minute gear. Either way, come on down and enjoy the ambience and meet fellow competitors. There is a great atmosphere pre-event and this is another great facet of what makes the Rat Race so unique – racers mingling with the public at the Docklands on a sunny Saturday getting ready for the urban adventure!
We will have Nova radio playing loud, a host of event partner marquees selling gear and providing great service, and there may be a few surprises in store too ... stay tuned.
4. Event Schedule
The schedule for the weekend is as follows:
Saturday 22 Nov
• 1000 Registration opens
• 1300 Entertainment Stage programme begins in the event village
• 1500 Registration closes
• 1530 Mass briefing from the Stage
• 1700 Start of the Mean Streets event
• 2000 Finish of the Mean Streets event
• 0000 Secure bike compound locked for the night
Sunday 23 Nov• 0730 Start of the Adventure event
• 1400 First finishers expected back to the event village
• 1700 Last teams back across the finish line
• 1730 After-party starts
• 1830 Prize-giving
5. Skill Tips
Over the next few weeks, we’ll supply you with some skill tips that can help you prepare for the Rat Race.....
Be sure to get to your local climbing gym and practice a little climbing or abseiling if you are not overly confident in this discipline – you may just come across one or two ropes during the Rat weekend.
Try to get some kms in those legs on your trusty mountain bike on roads, bike paths and dirt tracks – you’ll visit all these during the Rat Race.
If you have never paddled a kayak before, jump in your bath, grab a broom, and roll your arms over – that should do you...oh, you might want to turn off the light...
And one more - over the next few days, look up, look down, look all around – you just never know whether you will be coming or going during the Rat Race – local knowledge is going to help you massively...
6. Further pre-event communications
Each week from next week, we will send you a reminder email about kit lists, waivers, etc, etc – just to keep you abreast of what is going on at the Rat Race. And, in each one, we will give you at least one skill tip for you to think about prior to the first ever Australian Rat Race. The list of prizes for the winning teams will be announced next week also.
Are you ready?
Rat Race Australia HQ
