Open5 season finale at Grizedale

Race report: Mountain Hardwear Open5 Adventure Race - Grizedale, Lake District, April 3 2011

The final race of the Mountain Hardwear Open5 Adventure Race series commenced in the early hours of Sunday morning at Grizedale in the Lake District. Over 300 outdoor athletes showed up eager to explore the tracks and trails by foot and bike in this beautiful area. As it was the last event in the series, every ounce of energy was exerted as this could be the decider between winning the series and coming second.

Open5 races are held at different locations across the UK and competitors are given a map and 5 hours to visit as many of the marked control points as they can. Some controls can only be collected by mountain bike and others only on foot.

Photos © James Kirby

The weather was fine and dry for the final event of the series and conditions for the bike section looked good with fast forest tracks and some rocky technical sections of bridleway. Some of the running controls in the woodland area were described as a little softer underfoot!

Racers opt to either bike or run first - which is tactically more beneficial is hard to judge but most competitors play to their strengths and choose the discipline they are most skilled in first. The biking tracks and trails in this area are legendary, with some amazing views across the fells from the top of the forest. One competitor commented ‘how fantastic it was to compete in an event which involved so little cycling on a road’.

Photos © James Kirby

Bikes were exchanged for running shoes or vice a versa on completion of the first discipline. The run was just as challenging and race planner Anthony Cooper had managed to place the controls in what can only be described as some challenging and interesting locations.

The event ran very smoothly with great weather, a spectacular venue, amazing scenery and great tracks and trails. With so many possible route choices on offer and a mass of tracks, trails and bridleways, competitors were challenged to find the optimal route. Nobody actually cleared the course but some came very close.

Event planner and adventure racer Anthony Cooper said “I was privileged to be able to plan an event in Grizedale, it offers a wealth of options with great technical descents and climbs, fast forest roads and manmade single tracks for the bike, not to mention the maze of paths for running“

James Thurlow, Director Open Adventure commented ‘What a great end to a very competitive series, with the smallest of margins separating the winners – thanks to Mountain Hardwear for their support over the last year and to Grizedale for hosting a great event”

Photos © James Kirby

Male Pairs Winner Andy Wrigley from team Keswick Mountain Bikes says “We have thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the Open 5 series, the event location’s, organisation and planning have been top class throughout.  With the league positions not being decided right till the end the pressure was never off which made for some very tense and exciting racing in the final Grizedale event.”

The Yan in Grizedale forest is the ideal location for this style of event. Special thanks must go to the staff at the Grizedale Visitors Centre and to the Yan for hosting the event and for providing great food for the competitors.

Open Adventure would also like to thank National Trust, Forestry Commission and local land owners for enabling racers to visit some of the area’s most beautiful locations. Thanks must also go to the marshals for all their hard work on a demanding day and the competitors who signed up for the challenge. Finally we must thank our sponsors Mountain Hardwear for enabling us to put on another fantastic series of events.

Photos © James Kirby

If this article has sparked the adventurer in you then have a look at www.openadventure.com. Details of next year’s Open5 series which includes an extra two NEW events in the South of England will be on line soon.

Results - Grizedale

Female Pairs

Male Pairs

Female Solos

Male Solos

Mixed Pairs

Overall Series Results

Female Pairs

Male Pairs

Female Solos

Male Solos

Mixed Pairs