Hello Bristol Rat Fans,
With just under a month before another gert macky Rat Race is unleashed on the West, here's a few snippets of info to ponder while you're digging out those racing daps..... now where's they to?
1.) Event location and event village facilities
2.) Course preview
3.) Event Format and timings
4.) Skills Refresher Sessions
5.) Rat Race Store/ Gear Hire and Special Offers
6.) A fantastic holiday prize that ANYONE can win!
7.) Race for Charity
8.) Further communications and event information
1.) Event location
For the first time in Bristol's Rat Race history, we're coming right to the heart of the city! Laying down our Event Village in Castle Park, we're rubbing shoulders with the best of the old and new: historic ruins on one side, sparkly new retail centre on the other. For those of you who don’t know this site, check it out here: There is plenty of parking in the vicinity, with the Galleries shopping centre car park immediately adjacent and multiple choices around Cabot Circus. Click here to view the event village location. With the area already a hub of activity at the weekends, give yourselves plenty of time to get to us, and make the most of a relaxing start to your weekend.
As your race base for the weekend, the Event Village provides registration areas and skills refresher sessions. For those seeking a different sort of refreshment, there'll be a choice of concessions for something to eat and drink, and our Rat Race Store will be open for business for all those last minute essentials (or just to treat yourself!). The Rat Race “Mouth of the South” MC will be on hand to provide a suitable soundtrack to the event, and to start the excitement there may even be chance to attempt one of our finish line obstacles, to the cheers (and laughter) of your fans and public at large. For "Nine2Fivers", our secure bike compound will be available to store bikes over Saturday night, ready for Sunday's event (don't forget to bring your locks though).
2.) Course preview
Our Bristol Course Director and man on the maps Gary Vallance has been getting his paws dirty in the urban jungle of the South West’s favourite city. His report from the frontline indicates that our new home in Castle Park will pave the way for a very “urban” Mean Streets, running to parts of Bristol the event has not dared venture before. For the Nine2Five, we once again break into virgin Rat Race territory on the outskirts of the city, cycling to memorable heights and plunging ‘in’to some extraordinary depths at cutting edge locations with some unique challenges, a dash of greenery, a furry friend or two... and of course, plenty of water. 2009 promises to bring you the best of the west in all of Bristol's fabulous forms and flavours! That’s all on that for now; the rest awaits you on the 27th and 28th June!
3.) Event format and timings
The Rat Race will take place over 2 days and you have the choice to take part in Saturday’s Mean Streets Challenge or Sunday’s Nine 2 Five – or both! The Mean Streets starts with an explosive mass start at 1700 and finishes close on 1930, and is predominantly foot based. The Nine2Five starts at 0900 with a Le Mans run challenge, and for the rest of the day is predominantly bike-based, connecting up several fantastic challenges on the route, with all finishers back by 1700. The Weekender features both the Mean Streets and the Nine2Five components.
Here are the current timings for the weekend:
SATURDAY
1000 Competitor Refresher Sessions begin (See below for further info)
1000 Competitor Registration opens
1200 Music and MC commences from the stage
1500 Competitor Registration closes
1530 Competitor pre-event briefing (ALL required to attend)
1700 Mean Streets Race starts
1930 Mean Streets Race finishes
2100 Secure Bike compound closes
SUNDAY
0700 Competitor secure compound open
0700 Nine2Five Competitor Registration opens
0830 Nine2Five Competitor Registartion closes
0900 Nine2Five Race starts
1200 Event village open to the public
1400 First teams expected to finish
1700 All teams back – course closes
1900 Rat Race After Party begins
1930 Prize giving
2100 Secure Bike Compound must be cleared
 4.) Skills refresher sessions (For Nine 2 Five only)
You may decide you need to brush up on your kayaking or rope-work skills. Although you don’t need to be Huckleberry Fin or King Kong for the Rat Race, a little extra confidence is good in the water or on the ropes, especially if you are a little out of practice at these exciting sports. So we have refresher sessions for you to take part in, if you would like to. These are optional but handy to get the most from your Rat Race as instructors will make sure your are familiar with the equipment you will be using and pass key tips on technique. In fact we do require you have these skills prior to starting. You can gain the skills by attending one of the refresher sessions or by attending a session at your local climbing or kayaking provider. You can take part as a team or just on your own. Refresher sessions are run on the SATURDAY at the event village. Those partaking only in an abseil session can book for 10am or 11am slots with a those choosing both kayak and abseil sessions have slots at 11am (kayak) and 12noon (abseil). Abseil sessions cost £9 each and you can buy a package of both kayak and abseil sessions for £15. Book them through the Rat Race Store at www.ratracestore.com/store/Refresher_Sessions.html
5.) Rat Race Store / Gear Hire / Special Offers
For those of you worrying about “what to wear” or those who don’t know their map from their mountain bike, check out our Rat Race Store at www.ratracestore.com. The store will be open at the event too, for anyone who  might have forgotten anything! Anyone taking part in the Nine 2 Five requires a climbing helmet and harness. These can be hired for £8 a piece or £15 a set via the Rat Race Store. They will be collected at the store on the day for those of you who order them. The Store also has multi sport helmets for sale, which you can use for climbing, abseiling AND biking. Saving you weight and a cracking piece of kit for multi-sport aficionados.
‘Rat Pack’ 20% off special offer from the Rat Race Store.
The Rat Pack is a bundle of products to help keep you and your valuables in tip top order during your pursuits. This pack is based around the Sea To Summit eVAC 5litre dry bag that will allow all air to be squeezed out saving maximum room while remaining waterproof. The pack also includes an Adventure Medical Kit .5, a (dry) pair of Bridgedale socks, and a (fresh extra) Rat Race Endura race shirt. There is still room for your cash, phone and keys (You need to supply the last three items!). These items have a retail price of £56.96 but the Rat Race Store is offering over 20% off for Rat-tastic price of £44.99 with free delivery. Click here to grab one.
To get a further ONGOING 10% DISCOUNT on all orders you make though RatRaceStore.com simply subscribe to the Rat Race Store mail list and save more pennies. Click here to sign up and save.
6.) A fantastic holiday prize that anyone can win!
With great podium prizes and 100s of spot prizes up for grabs from the Rat Race store, you could win just by turning up! But for the winner of our “Spirit of the Rat Race” prize, awarded to the team we feel over the season has shown exceptional fortitude, derring-do extraordinaire or any other superlative attributes, you will be on your way to Chamonix in the French Alps to  spend a week in the snow (or fresh, clean summer mountain air – your choice) to stay with our friends at Adventure Base on a £2500 valued holiday for 6 people in their central Chamonix “Iceman” chalet. Check out www.adventurebase.com to check in with your hosts. As a bonus all Rat Racers can use promo code ABRR0609 to receive 10% discount on any Adventure Base offer.
7.) Race and Relax for Charity
Our Series partner CLIC Sargent is looking for people to take part in the Rat Race and raise funds for them. If you are keen to raise funds for this excellent cause, please contact Louise Oakley louise.oakley@clicsargent.org.uk or phone 0117 3148605 for a fund raising pack.
CLIC Sargent will be providing the massage facility at our Bristol event village so you can feel double satisfaction as you lay back and get those tired muscles treated on race day.
8.) Further communications and event information
You will receive further correspondence from us with definitive pre-race information one week prior to the event. In the meantime, if you have any questions whatsoever, please check out the Bristol pages of the website here and feel free to contact Rat HQ on 0845 009 4365 or at info@ratraceadventure.com.
We look forward to seeing you on the streets of Briz again this summer!
Rat’s all for now!
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