BASQUE EXPEDITION RACE
Comes the first full-length race in Basque Country. Three days of competition will give participants the opportunity to meet some of the most beautiful corners of our country. It will be a dynamic race with varied sections and with a premise: demanding navigation.
It will be the first edition of, hopefully, many more. Because Basque Expedition Race comes to stay and to be crowned as one of the references in the European racing calendar.
RACE FORMAT
Basque Expedition Race is a race created by and for adventure racers. Therefore, our main objective is to design a technical and demanding course for the top teams, but also dynamic and affordable for slower teams, without forgetting to offer fun stages with attractive landscapes. We have designed a race format and course that will allow all the teams to finish. The race will be achievable yet challenging to all levels. We are not planning to design the hardest adventure race ever, we want it to be fun, interesting and an accessible event.
The route will be full of contrasts, as it will pass through varied terrain such as mountain areas over a thousand meters high, pine, eucalyptus, beech forests, challenging karst areas or prominent coastal cliffs. We do not want any racer lose these wonders because of your fitness, unexpected failures or mishaps. Therefore, although the first teams will complete the race, the weakest teams may decide not to visit certain checkpoints, allowing them to ensure to discover all these variants of land that are combined in different stages. This decision is part of the strategy of each team.
Plus each team can decide to discard some CPs, also have cuts, where the team, if late, will have to skip some sections, in order to reach the finish line in the maximum set. No team will be disqualified for not getting a cut, it will always continue in the race, even performing a shortest route.
The winning time is calculated to 50h and maximum race time will be 72h. The race will start on Thursday morning and teams will have until Sunday morning to reach the finish line. There won´t be mandatory stop during the race, so teams will manage their own rest. Maps will be delivered minutes before the race starts, once the teams are free from mobile devices.
SCHEDULE
Tuesday 11th Teams arrive
Wednesday 12th
Morning Registration I Team photos I Equipment checking
Evening Briefing I Equipment and food preparation I Equipment drop off
Thursday 13th Race starts
Friday 14th Race in progress
Saturday 15th
Morning First teams arrive
Sunday 16th
Morning Race finishes
Prize giving I Brunch I Teams depart
LOCATION
The first edition will be held in the coastal town of Getxo. A municipality located in a prime location, always dump sport. Here we will do everything about the before and after the race, such as checking the material, the official presentation and the closing ceremony and awards ceremony.
The service offer in Getxo is wide, so that racers can make their preparations comfortably.
Competition Center/HQs
Competition Center will be located in Fadura sport center. It is managed by Getxo Kirolak and it has ideal places to carry out the necessary activities for the event.
We will have a closed space where teams can prepare all the material before handing the boxes and bags to the organization. There is also a restaurant where you can eat for a small fee.
Accommodation
Getxo has several hotel rooms, all of them, very close to the competition area. But in order to make things easier, we offer a very economical and really comfortable option: The Residence for athletes Fadura.
Teams may stay the nights of 11 to 13 and the night of 15 to 16, for a price of 13€ per night and person, in rooms of four and on a bed and breakfast (confirm to the organization).
If any team is interested in spending more nights at the residence, it must notify the organization as soon as possible to check availability.
Parking
Fadura includes a large car park, where racers can leave their vehicles without a proble if they do not need during the days of the race.
Campers and vans can also be parked there.
DISCIPLINES
Basque Expedition Race is an adventure race in which are combined several disciplines. Mountain biking, trekking, kayaking and orienteering will be the principals and the teams will have to demonstrate their skills in all of them..
Orienteering
The orienteering can be considered the main discipline of the race, since in all sections teams will advance with the help of a single map and compass. Have at least a good navigator on the team may be the key in getting a good final result.
In the race you will use topographic updated maps, in scale 1: 50,000, although in some others sections or parts of the race other maps and / or scales may also be used.
Trekking
he trekking sections will be the most challenging parts of the race. Teams will have to walk in paths, crossing or going through rivers, climbing waterfalls and even making its own way through the middle of the forest.
Mountain Bike
Racers met several sections of mountain biking. It will be shot in all types of terrain and navigation will also be decisive in this discipline.
Teams must take some spare material and must be able to use it appropriately in case of failure.
Kayak
There will be some kayak sections.
Ropes
Throughout the race there will be descending points (abseiling) with ropes.
Canyoning
Teams will find one of our interesting canyons we have in Basque Country.
Stand Up Paddle
There will be one SUP section.
Speleology
How will the racers navigate in the dark?
CATEGORIES
In Basque Expedition Race we will have two categories, in order to offer this magnificent adventure to the maximum possible number of racers.
Expedition
Is the official category of the race. In it, mixed teams of four athletes (at least there should be a boy and a girl on each team) will be participating. This is the traditional format in the adventure racing around the world.
In this category you will not need to have own care, as is the organization that is responsible for transporting the material transition in transition.
Adventure
This category will have the same route as the expedition race, but with a more affordable format, designed for teams that have less experience, less physical capacity or greater difficulty in forming a team of four people. It will be the known as 2 + 1, that is, two racers in the race and an assistant, who may be relieved in any transitions. Of course, also you can race two fixed racers who have attendant, without being relieved. This category does not make distinctions of sex, so teams can be male, female or mixed, getting everyone in the same classification.
AWARDS
Expedition
1st 500€ + Free entry to Expedición Guaraní 2017 (ARWS)
2nd 500€ + Free entry to II Basque Expedition Race
3th 500€
The first totally basque team will receive trophies and txapelas like Basque Country Champions 2016 (at least 3 teams racing in this category)
Adventure
The first three places in the Adventure Category will receive sponsors products and local products.
TEAMS
