One lonely, non-mandatory checkpoint sat atop a 400ft climb, and yet eight hours after race start this is how it remained…not even the mighty, Dirty Avocados ventured a go.

 

The Red Tail Adventure Race concluded this past weekend. The course, designed to make it nearly impossible to clear, proved true to its initial design, hence why race director Todd Jackson describes his event as "designed to encourage ingenuity."

But the physical and mental stumbling blocks for grabbing all checkpoints are not the only attribute that makes this course unique. 

Plush with miles of single track that wind up and down the area’s oak covered hills and around the shores of a central lake, Del Valle Regional Park is just outside larger suburban areas, yet it feels as if it is miles away from civilization. The location makes it easier for participants to travel to and from the race, especially if they are new to the sport.  

This year’s event saw competitors kayak approximately seven miles, mountain bike on single track, double track  fire trail and pavement for about 15 miles (with a 2000 foot altitude gain) and trek between five and eight miles (with a 900 foot altitude gain). 

The kayak section was a mixed discipline, incorporating foot checkpoints as well; racers were required to leave their kayaks to retrieve checkpoints that may be a significant distance from where they shored their kayak.  This aspect also plays a role in route choice; is it faster to run on shore or get closer to the checkpoint by continuing to paddle?  The race must be thought of in its entirety.  Because teams must retrieve as many checkpoints in the allotted time, they have to think ahead about which points are more important and feasible as opposed to just thinking of the race in a linear strategy.

Because the AR community is small in this area, most everyone either knows each other or has heard of each other, so the competition was friendly but, the close to home feeling made it that much more intense for many. Prior to race start competitors appeared to be casual about getting their things together.  Anticipation boiled under the surface; each competitor was sizing up the other and gearing up for a challenging event.  Some teams were racing for points in the California Adventure Racing Association championship, and others were out to retain their winning title from last year.  

This year it was the Dirty Avocado's, made up of Adam Doti, Adam Armijo and Mark Richardson, that nearly cleared the course, finishing in 6 hrs and thirty minutes and grabbing a first place finish. Team Fainting Goats came in second overall and Afsheen Mostofi nailed an overall third place finish.

Choosing not to pick up BCP8 (the lone checkpoint) the Dirty Avocados ended up netting  400 points out of a total of 475. They had a received a 35 point deduction for kayaking to a point they were supposed to trek to.

Richardson, pinpointed a few elements that made this event stand out: 

1. The off-road trekking, great venue and beautiful views of the lake and surrounding hills with red tail hawks circling around.

2. The strategy required because of the rogaine format.  (The Dirty Avocados weren't entirely sure if they were first, but with only 42 minutes left and one checkpoint to go (the challenging BCP8) they decided they would be better off  not getting the 40pt checkpoint, and making it in by the required time instead.  For every one minute they were late, they would receive a 10pt deduction.)  

3. The cold, good beer (Sierra Nevada) and hot food.

The well known team, Racing with Giants pulled in at 17th place and teammate Hani Juha had this to say: “Red Tail was another fun production by Big Blue.  The long course was fun, fast, and challenging.  You really had to keep thinking about your race strategy and make sure you managed your time well.  I especially liked all the new faces trying the long course for the first time.”

The Red Tail Adventure Race is one of 21 races in the 2010 Championship Series for the California ARA Championship. The course was designed and set by AR Nav Supplies.

 

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