Race report from what may be a similar race to yours. I thought you might find it interesting. - Joe
HUNDREDS COMPETE IN BALANCE BAR® ADVENTURE SPRINT RACE IN AUSTIN
The BALANCE BAR® Adventure Sprints made their first stop of the season in Austin, TX this past weekend. Team Balance Bar won the race, while hundreds of adventure-seekers raced through challenging terrain at Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area.
In this true introduction to adventure racing, BALANCE BAR® Adventure Sprint competitors tested their skills in trail running, mountain biking and kayaking. The competitors also faced various special tests, which included: the mud pit, a swim/run portion, mirror kayak, climbing wall traverse, the four-legged challenge and the
12-foot military wall.
In the Coed Division, Team Red Bull took the early lead and set a swift pace. Trailing close behind was Team Balance Bar, Team Nike ACG and Team REVO. The top Coed teams sparred throughout the course, exchanging places with each new challenge. During the mountain bike stage, Team Balance Bar took the lead and never looked back.
“Teamwork and communication is key in these fast-paced sprint races, and we were fortunate to race well,” said Harald Zundel, Captain of Team Balance Bar. “The Austin course was challenging, but the weather cooperated and we had a great race.”
Team Balance Bar earned $2,500 in prize money, capturing first place in the Coed division with a time of 02:35:13. Team Nike ACG earned $1,000 for finishing second with a time of 02:40:25. Team Red Bull grabbed third place with a time of 02:41:26, while taking home $750 on the day. Local Team Adidas/Brain and Spine grabbed fourth place with a time of 2:42:45, earning $500 and Team REVO rounded the top five at 2:47:44, earning $250.
The race began with the seven-mile Nike ACG trail run, consisting of two 3.5-mile laps. Halfway through the run, teams faced the first special test, the run/swim, where teammates had to stay in contact with one another while in the water swimming. After the run, teams faced the mud pit, known on this Mother’s Day as the Mud Spa. In the first half of the mud pit, all three teammates had to keep one hand on a small circle ring, while hopping from ‘lily pad’ to ‘lily pad.’ After successfully completing that task, teams spent the second half of the mud pit hugging, dropping and ‘tootsie-rolling’ to the end of the pit.
Teams then faced the first mountain bike leg, riding four miles, mostly single track. For the 1.5-mile kayak section, teams took out two kayaks. One teammate was solo and the other two teammates had to ‘mirror’ (or face) one another for the entire course, mirroring one another’s rowing.
After the kayak section, racers faced another special test, the four-legged obstacle course. Teams stood together, with the middle member having his/her leg tied to one leg of each teammate while the entire team had to crawl in and around various structures.
After a quick splash in Lake Travis while running to the transition area, teams faced the seven-mile mountain bike course.
After completing the mountain bike portion, competitors were challenged to the final two special tests. The first was a climbing wall where a team would move horizontally from left to right, traversing, using wooden block holds, with their feet on a narrow slanted wooden base. The rule was that the first team member on the wall had to be the last member off, so two team members passing the first teammate on the wall was mandatory to complete the task. After completing the 15-foot by 15-foot climbing wall, teams were onto the final test of the day, the 12-foot military wall. After all three teammates were over the wall, it was a quick sprint to the finish line.
The BALANCE BAR® Adventure Sprints continue, traveling to New York, NY, on May 22-23, Atlanta, GA on June 19-20, Portland, OR on July 24, Sacramento, CA on August 14-15, Hartford, CT on September 18-19 and Richmond, VA on October 2-3, with the Series final in Los Angeles, CA on October 16th. At each event, the BALANCE BAR® Adventure Sprint offers a spectator festival, give-aways and the BALANCE BAR® Kids Adventure, a race for children between the ages of 4-12 years.
The 2004 BALANCE BAR® Adventure Race Series will give away a grand total of $170,000. Of this total amount, the BALANCE BAR® Adventure Sprints has an overall total prize purse of $60,000 and the BALANCE BAR® 24-Hour Adventure Series carries an overall prize purse of $110,000. Prize money is awarded in the Coed division only. Teams competing for the BALANCE BAR® Adventure Sprints Series championship must compete in four of the eight events, including the Series final in Los Angeles, Oct. 16th.
Prize money is awarded for first through fifth place contestants of each race as well at the end of the Series. Prize money is awarded in the coed divisions only.
Entry fee for each BALANCE BAR® Adventure Sprint is $270 per team. Entry fee for the College division is $99 per team. For further information and to register, please visit
www.BalanceBarAdventure.com, or call (203) 352-5216.
2004 Austin, TX BALANCE BAR® Adventure Sprint Results
Coed Division
1. Team BALANCE BAR® - 02:35:13 (Addy Goodvibes, Encinitas, CA, Monique Merrill, Breckenridge, CO, Harald Zundel, Encinitas, CA)
2. Team Nike ACG - 2:40:25 (Dan Weiland, Darren Lacy, Rebecca Hodgetts, Boulder, CO)
3. Team Red Bull – 2:41:26 (Windy Spillane, Ellington, CT, Darren Wood, John Soto, Irvine, CA)
4. Adidas/Team Brain & Spine - 2:42:45(Leslie Reuter, Cedar Park, TX, Brian Kuehl, Pfulgerville, TX, Josh Kravetz, Austin, TX)
5. Team Revo - 2:47:44 (Patrick Watson, Los Angeles, CA, Heather Curwen, Valencia, CA, Josh Crosby, Santa Monica, CA)
Collegiate Division
1. Team Red McCombs - 3:21:06 (Will Reale, Sam McLamb, Joe Finlayson, Austin, TX)
Male Division
1. Team Spridle, Chim Chim and Racer X - 3:05:00 (Ken MacMahon, Houston, TX, Kurt Forkheim, San Antonio, TX, Duane Maue, Stafford, TX)
Female Division
1. Team Triple J - 3:47:32 (Meredith Jones, Heather Jenkins, Waco, TX, Kim Jennings, China Spring, TX)
Masters Division
1. Dynamic Health Racing – 3:22:17 (Richard McCormick, Jamie Patterson, Tom Lane, Austin, TX)
Corporate Division
1. Team Crazy Bob’s Deep Sea Divers - 3:36:27 (Brandon, Puttroff, Ingleside, TX, Jon Enberg, John Peter Poffenberger, Corpus Christi, TX)
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