Portugal XPD Expedition Race
The Portugal eXPeDition Race is Back
News Release / 18.02.2014
Portugal XPD was last on the adventure race calendar as the 2009 World Championships after previously taking place in 2004, and from 2006-2008.
The race always pioneered a very tactical format with many options and time cut-offs which was a navigational and planning challenge but proved too different and confusing to be popular with international teams at the World Championships.
As a result, and due to financial problems (the World Champs prize money has never been paid), the race has not taken place since but has now made a surprise and short-notice comeback to the international calendar with the following race announcement;
“It is finally possible to announce the revival of the Portugal XPD race, now included in the program of the new Beck Outdoor Festival schedule for April 2014 (from 15 to 20 - Easter holiday) in the North of Portugal (Oporto International Airport).
After five long years we finally managed to have a sound basis for organizing the Race. As you all know from the news, the past five years were very difficult for Southern Europe, in particular for Portugal and Spain with virtually no available funding or other type of support from companies or state authorities. Even in these troubled times there were national adventure leagues in both countries but with a continuous decrease in numbers of teams and participants.
It’s our opinion that is time to revive the Adventure Racing in the Iberia Peninsula and APCA will try to energize the teams from both countries in order to be able to compete at the international level. With that objective in mind we have decided to join the ARES circuit and established contacts with our friends from Ecuador to organize a special Training Camp for this year World Championship in Ecuador.
Thus Portugal XPD will have its normal event format with an International Workshop, the ARWC2014 training camps (Orienteering, Whitewater etc.) and an amazing race in a world class terrain.
We are offering 15 Wild Cards to past Portugal XPD participant teams and we will accept further 25 regular inscriptions. The inscription prices will be similar to the ones of the 2008 edition (1000 Euros per team) but everyone can apply for the Wild Cards!
The event website is due to open very soon at www.portugalxpdrace.com."
The Event program is as follows:
15, April - Transfers and Welcome Party,
16 - Transfers and Registration,
17 - Registration, International AR Metting and Race Briefing,
18 - Race Start
20 - Race close, Prize Giving Ceremony, Transfers
21- Transfers
22 to 25 - Portugal XPD Training Camps
SleepMonsters
