Edinburgh 2005 Report

All race reports written and provided by Sleepmonsters.co.uk. Visit Sleepmonsters for all of this year's Rat Race reports as they happen.

 

Edinburgh 05 Report:

Street Rats: The Prologue
By: Rob Howard

Race Racing was back in Edinburgh last weekend. The venue in Princes Street Gardens was the same as for last years first ever race, set beneath the castle with a stage and grandstand for the entertainment, and the event village set up in the gardens. With a big screen, bands   DJs, skateboard and parkour displays there was always something going on and drawing the crowds and helping introduce adventure racing to the masses. And for the teams there was plenty of space for registration and preparation, and some time to enjoy the setting and activities on Saturday after theyd registered, as the Mean Streets Prologue didnt start until 19:00.

There were more teams this time, 139 altogether in 3 classes, with a few Rookie teams just racing in the Prologue, a dozen Elite teams and the majority in the Adventure class. They all had the same street entertainments laid on by course designer Gary Tompsett on Saturday night, as part of a 3 hour street orienteering course around the city centre, incorporating a weird and wonderful range of checkpoints and challenges.

Clutching their marked up A-Z maps teams gathered for the countdown to the 19:00 start and set off in a frenzied mass start as they raced for the slips of paper listing the points values. Then they fanned out into the city in all directions, looking for a Rickshaw, a couple of pubs, a tunnel and Sean Connery!

There were 3 checkpoints in the event village, including a Paintball shoot and the horizontal bungee, which were also used in Bristol. The third was at the bar and called pour the perfect pint. Teams had been told to carry some money and had to buy a drink from the beer tent, and pour it with less than 2 fingers of froth on the top. The Boghoppers team went there first. At first the bar maid had no idea what was going on, said Alan Affleck, then once wed poured the beer we asked what we were supposed to do with it! We didnt want to drink it at the start of the run. Hed not realised the idea was to do this checkpoint last ... then enjoy the beer after finishing.

A Moving Target

The Rickshaw checkpoint was near the start, and it was soon surrounded by a frantic crowd of competitors, all trying to reach the Sportident box taped on the back seat. The idea was for the Rickshaw (a city pedicab * ridden by Graeme Dawson) to ride up and down George Street and for teams to have to chase the checkpoint down. (Perhaps the first ever moving AR checkpoint!) In the first few minutes of the race that didnt happen, as Graeme was mobbed, but once the rush was over teams could be seen running up and down the street trying to find him.

Further West the customers of a Pizza Express were being entertained by the sight of lots of runners dressed in black jumping into the river beside the terrace and running off upstream, then coming back shortly after. This checkpoint was set in the Water of Leith and although it was possible to hop across a few islands and clamber along the bank some of the way there was no avoiding getting wet feet. Passers by must have wondered why the pavement on the bridge above was covered in wet footprints!

To the North there was a checkpoint to found in the spooky Warriston Cemetery and down an old railway tunnel near a Tescos store. Paul Noble of Total Adventure had just managed to find the cemetery checkpoint when another team hopped over the wall, dibbed and shot off. Theres no doubt local knowledge helps a lot! he said as he watched them race away. He was right. The city is on several levels (something the A-Z map does not show), and full of cut-throughs, steps and short cuts. If you could find them.

An Early Bath

There was no problem finding the two checkpoints on Carlton Hill, the site of the City Observatory and National Monument, and with lots of points on offer most teams went here. A portable climbing tower had been set up and there was a choice of routes with more points for the harder climb, but the risk of no points if you fell off. We had no doubts about choosing the hard route, said Chris McSweeny of SleepMonsters. Jen (Brown) is such a good climber.

The other challenge was a monument hug, a quick traverse of the huge pillars of the unfinished National Monument, while facing inwards and hugging the wall. The two marshals and some later teams had some unexpected local interactiom here when a punk band set up a generator, lights and all their instruments and started shooting a video, miming the words to a soundtrack, expletives included! They smashed a bottle as part of the shoot then apologised and said theyd sweep up before they left!

The other high point on the course was out in Holyrood Park where 2 orienteering courses were set up above Salisbury Crags. Marshals were advising that they took 10 and 20 minutes, but even the fastest teams found they took longer. The North Face were here half way through the 3 hour time limit, when Eddie Winthorpe went over badly on his ankle. The team finished the course early, but despite ice and medical treatment he was out of the next days racing.

In the nearby meadows there was more running to do, chasing Frisbees this time. You had to throw them a long way said Keith Byrne of The North Face, but it was good fun. When his team came back he was literally having an early bath, lounging in the hot tub as he watched the other teams race in!

Parkour and Pubs

One of the two checkpoints in pubs was at the Marchmont Arms. On one of the tables outside was the beer mat flipping challenge, where 5 mats had to be flipped and caught before a team could move on. The other pub visit was walking through the Cargo Bar to get to Lochrin Basin for a short canoe paddle along the Union canal. Alan Affleck of Boghoppers was in this bar too. It was absolutely full of hen parties, he said. Ive never seen so many women in one bar! He didnt stop for a drink this time either!

Nearer the city centre the local parkour* club (whod put on a display earlier in the day), had set up a course for teams to follow. In previous races Parkour (or free running) had been one jump or run, but this time there was a long course starting from Potterrow underpass and using buildings, staircases, walls and lamp posts around Bristo square. Competitors were bridging stairwells, literally swinging off lamp posts, walking along walls and springing over safety barriers. Those who really got into the spirit of free and flowing movement round the course were pumped with adrenalin by the end of it. One did get carried away though, ran up a sloping tunnel wall, hit his head on the roof and ended up in casualty.

Shaken Not Stirred

The most bizarre checkpoint of the night had to be the Sean Connery impersonator, who was in a very plush office near Holyrood Palace and the new Scottish Parliament building. Teams were ushered upstairs to be met by Edinburghs most famous milkman complete with dinner suit and silver attach case, from which he handed them a card with a famous Connery 007 quote on.

They had to repeat it in their own best Sean Connery impression, then memorise it and repeat it to the marshals at the foot of the stairs on their way out. Of course the marshal, Sarah Evans, had no idea whether what they said was right or wrong but was left in fits of giggles when one competitor rushed down the stairs and said in his best Connery, Ah, Moneypenny. I see you are mesmerized by the swing of my testicles.

Gavin, who was chief Connery impersonator, said he researched the quotes off the internet, but perhaps he made that one up!

A Big Finish

Around 22.00 all the teams were on their way back and the checkpoints at Rat HQ were full of teams trying to get the last few points. Mark Chryssantou of SleepMonsters had no time to replace his trainers after the horizontal bungee and raced in barefoot. The team got in with 4 seconds to spare and he said, It was worth it but it hurt! They had one of the best scores, finishing just a point behind Team CompassPoint, who were highest scorers on the night.

MacPac Smartwool were third and John Laughlin felt hed made a mistake right at the end of the run. We missed the two checkpoints in the event village and ran in, he said, and Im kicking myself. We should have completed them and taken the time penalty. Even so they were only 8 minutes down on the leading teams and ahead of Saab Salomon Orange.

The race favourites were 7th, with a 26 minute deficit to carry onto Sundays course against the leaders. Helen Palmer, one of the top orienteers in the country, had joined Bruce Duncan and Phil Davies for her first race and was struggling with the pace, having been on tow for much of the night. The teams ahead of them had a glint in their eye when the results became known, thinking that this time maybe, just maybe, the previously unbeaten Saab Salomon team were vulnerable.

For those who were not too concerned about the top placings there was the hot tub and beer tent to enjoy, and the chance to compare notes after a night of action and entertainment, when theyd taken adventure racing out onto the streets, hills and buildings of Edinburgh.

Doing Edinburgh in a Day: The Rat Race Way
By: Rob Howard

Barely rested after a late night marking up the course, and feeling some aches from Saturdays pavement pounding, teams arrived at the event village early on Sunday morning to prepare for the second Edinburgh Rat Race. And as in the first, it was a steep uphill walk to the castle esplanade for the mass start at 08.00 then a quick run back down to complete a ball counting test, pick up the bikes, and set off in earnest.

Another repeat from last year was the nerve racking (terrifying) ride down the long stone staircase of Warriston Close, but this year only one rider per team had to attempt the ride. Some took it fast, some came off, and a fair number ended up walking anyway. The remaining team members had other tasks.

The marshal at the top of the stairs instructed the shortest team member to go into Mary Kings Close, which is alongside the staircase. The Close was covered over and buried when the City Chambers were built on top and left undisturbed for centuries. Now its been reopened and the buried historic streets, complete with ghost stories and guides acting as characters from the sixteenth century, are a popular tourist attraction. Perfect for a bit of spooky underground orienteering!

Each competitor going in was given a special map with checkpoints to find in the dimly lit passages (the elite had a difficult extra one), and finding them proved tricky. One was on a table by the black coated plague doctor, who was in fact one of the staff, but he sat so still and never said anything most of the racers thought he was a model. Had he spoken theyd have jumped out of their skins! Another member of staff in period costume did scare a few passing runners as she opened a wooden door to let them through.

Andy Simpson of MacPac Smartwool was first through, but like some others after him he found a gate at the exit closed and turned back to seek another exit, so in no time there were runners going every direction. (The gate should have been opened.)

SleepMonsters felt a bit aggrieved by the arbitrary edict that the shortest team member should go in, as this was Jen Brown, their least capable orienteer, whereas Simpson was MacPac Smartwools best!

The remaining team member carried 2 bikes down the steps and teams then regrouped to head down to towards Holyrood Palace. The Elite stopped to abseil off of the roof of The Tun, described as a tiptoe abseil on a fragile building, before going to the foot of Salisbury Crags for the climbing and orienteering stage. (Adventure teams did these activities the other way around.)

Missed Opportunities

Despite this there was a big queue for the climb, made worse when the ropes set aside for Elite teams had to be taken off due to a rockfall risk. Part of the delay was that the short climb was a tricky one, which a few climbers got stuck on. Helen Palmer of Saab Salomon Orange was one competitor who had to be hauled up when she got stuck. But at least those waiting for team mates to come up could enjoy the view of the city on a perfect day for racing.

The orienteering had a twist too, as did almost every stop in this race. There were 3 checkpoints on each micro orienteering course, which had to be done in relay with each team member visiting one. (Jen Brown found she had the map again!) Scratch team Salt and Pepper, who had only met on the start line and were entered in the Elite class, missed out the orienteering altogether in error, got through the ropes quickly, and as a result found themselves leading the race for most of the day.

Theirs wasnt the only error in following the route book either. Saab Salomon Orange also got through the ropes early and followed the elite route past Carlton Hill out of the city, but missed a checkpoint on the way. They were not aware of this until after theyd finished, but it would cost them a 30 minute penalty.

Speed Freaks

The route now lead along cycle ways north to the coast to the marina at Port Edgar, but the Elite had another extra activity on the way, and probably another first for Adventure racing cycle speedway. They arrived at a small cycle track in a park, the home of the Scotia Allsorts Cycle Speedway Club, and 3 of their 8 members were there ready to race the teams on single speed bikes with no brakes.

It was a hell-for-leather dash round a small track with tight corners, kicking up dust and trying to beat the local experts. Two of these experts were over 60, but they were fast and not easy to take! Johny Murphy (62) is one of the best riders in his age and a former world finalist and Ian KcKinley (61) was determined to be out in front he had to be as he had a minicam strapped to his back fork. The third member was a youngster Tommy Lee (36).

Bruce Duncan of Saab Salomon Orange got an early victory for the adventure races, but Neil Northorpe of CompassPoint was the most aggressive, forcing Tommy off the track on the outside of a bend. There were a few worried looks, some determined faces and lots of smiles in the park that morning.

All the teams arrived at shed 8 at Port Edgar Marina to find the green Sevylor canoes stacked up ready to be paddled out into the Firth of Forth. The route was an impressive one, taking teams between the road and rail bridges with a stop off at South Queensferry for some urban coasteering.

From a small beach the route followed ropes slung along the sea wall to an outcrop of rock, and to get there required some paddling and a bit of swimming. Fortunately, it was one-way only as at the end teams ran, dripping, down the narrow cobbled high street, back to the boats. If they didnt encounter the mad dinghy sailor who sailed through a pack of canoes regardless there was one more challenge before they got ashore again just to make absolutely sure they were soaked.

Cramp and Swan Attacks

This was the canoe limbo. Near the marina poles had been laid across two tethered Canadian canoes and the task was to go under them, while lifting the canoe over the top. Just for once an inflatable seemed like a good idea! It wasnt easy and after hard graft in the confined space of the canoe, the cold water caused some cramp. Rhoda MacPherson of the Edinburgh Hash House Harriers team suffered particularly badly and like many others struggled to get back into the canoe from the water. It may have been a short, fun challenge but it took a lot out of some teams.

Next came another cycle ride, with a bit of relaxation from racing in the form of a timed out stage along the Union Canal towpath to reach Wester Hailes Education Centre. This area of high rise flats has something of a rough reputation, but is now an improvement area and the residents were keen to have the race visit. The course was taking competitors to see all aspects of Edinburgh, and allowing them to meet the people of the city on their journey. And as they completed another urban orienteering map complete with tower blocks and underpasses they did just that, usually asking the way! One team even amused the locals by making use of an abandoned shopping trolley to wheel a weary team mate round!

Team Salt and Pepper were kept here to serve their 40 minute penalty and put the race back in some kind of order, putting Saab Salomon Orange out in front. They were first to head down the canal for the next stage with Phil Davies and Bruce Duncan paddling, and Helen Palmer running. It couldnt be as simple as a paddle/run though, not on this course and the first checkpoint was set high on the concrete arch of a road bridge over the canal, requiring all three team members to climb up to it.

There was another hazard too, especially for later teams, as several pairs of swans had cygnets and they were disturbed by the boats. Soon they were, hissing and rushing up to them, even chasing them off down the canal. There was a shortage of canoes here, a hang over from the stage at Port Edgar, and those which were available were not all staying up. Especially those with the bung left out! Team Boghoppers were going down fast when they realised this had happened, and grateful to another passing team for plugging it back in!

High Point   Hoppers

Those who had read the route book knew there was a mystery discipline at the Gyle Shopping Centre , but could never have guessed what was coming up! They arrived at the car park to find an area coned off as a space hopper track! With weary and cramped legs it was harder and more tiring than it looked, and the marshals whod been given a free hand with course design had put a slalom section in at the end.

Once that was over the Sunday shoppers were treated to the sight of teams walking briskly down the shopping aisles looking for 3 checkpoints on their Shopping Expedition. The locations were the Early Learning Centre, Food Hall (tempting to stop), and the Bikini Stand in Blue Ridge.

By this stage the end was in sight, but after a bit of woodland orienteering there was one more big set piece stage to do for a grand finish. This was the ropes stage at Murrayfield Stadium , the home of Scottish international rugby. None of the 67,500 seats were taken for the sporting spectacle of the Rat Race but it was a grand setting for the final stage, and especially so for the Elite teams who abseiled from the camera platform in the stadium roof.

To reach it they had to walk along a companionway over the roof top and drop down into the small enclosed box, which had a magnificent view of the Edinburgh skyline. The view down and out into the wide open space of the stadium was a bit more intimidating and it was a difficult to make a graceful exit over the concrete lip, but once on the way down it was a view of the stadium no other visitors have ever had.

The Adventure class had a shorter abseil on the outside of the stadium, but did get the chance to go inside as everyone had to run round the outside of the pitch. They left via the famous players tunnel, a real treat for Scots and rugby fans, even if it was a long way around!

Whos Won?

Saab Salomon Orange were first through, and after a short ride were first into the finish at Princes Street Gardens, but not sure if theyd won. Theyd started the day with a 26 minute deficit on the leaders after the prologue and the time outs all around the course made positions uncertain. I dont know if weve done enough, said Bruce Duncan, its really hard racing out on your own with no idea of your position.

Then he realised hed missed a checkpoint and when the time calculations were made the Saab Salomon winning streak had come to an end. (Can anyone remember when they were last beaten if ever in the U.K?) Even without the 30 minute penalty theyd have still have finished in their final position of 4th. Theyd raced hard out in front all day, but it wasnt enough.

Of the other leading teams MacPac Smartwool were the first back, followed shortly after by SleepMonsters, and it looked like they would be fighting it out for the top prize of a free trip to the C2 City Challenge in Stockholm. Overnight leaders CompassPoint finished much later, but it transpired theyd had lots of time out stops, 2 hours 32 minutes in total (as opposed to Saab Salmons 44 minutes), and they too were in with a chance of a win.

It was left until the evenings prize giving before the official result came out, and MacPac Smartwool (John Laughlin, Iona Roberstson   Andy Simpson) were the delighted winners, by a comfortable 20 minutes. Second were CompassPoint (Neil Northorpe, Toni ODonnovan   Andrew Middleditch), an impressive result for a relatively inexperienced AR team. SleepMonsters (Chris McSweeny, Jen Brown and Mark Chryssanthou) were third, repeating their result from Bristol.

The adventure class was even more of an unknown, but the winners were Not Too Dangerous Colin Williams, Ollie Cass and Becky Weir. The scratch Salt and Pepper team, came an impressive 5th in the Elite, and SALTy Ladies, the only all-female Elite team came in 7th of the 13 finishers in the class.