XVI Red Fox Adventure Race
Chasing the Red Fox in the Land of the White Nights
Carrick Armer / 07.06.2017
This year's Adventure Race European Championship starts on Friday, at the Red Fox Adventure Race in Sortavala, Russia. Run in previous years as a single course, this year they've split the event in two: the Red Fox race, entirely featuring local Russian and Belarusian teams, and the European Championships race fielding a wider spread of local and international teams. The Red Fox teams can be all-male, all-female or mixed, and can be pairs of fours, as well as there being a 'Short' and a 'Long' course. The European Championship teams have to be mixed fours, and get no short cuts, naturally.
The AREC course is of the 'spurs off a main loop' format, with what looks from the schematics like a first half favouring bikers and a second favouring paddlers, the majority of the main loop composed of those two disciplines with the 'spurs' being mainly trek legs and ropework sections, plus one swim section
A large proportion of the latter half of the race will be on the water, comprising both flatwater and white water kayaking, plus a shorter section of 'board paddling'. Strong paddling teams might be able to gain some ground in the longest wet stage, a 70km flatwater leg towards the end of the course, but it's only of use if they don't lose it in the final 80km bike loop. All told, the teams will go through 200km on their bikes, 130km of paddling, 75km of trekking, and seven sections of climbing, abseiling and ropework.
In terms of those teams, competition could well be close. Team Sweden won last year's European Championship event, and are obviously here to try and retain their title. One team in their way, though, could be Estonian team Mestapeatus who won last year's Red Fox Adventure Race, though at the last call they were still looking for a replacement female team member.
From a little further away, Outdoor Roedovre are travelling over from Denmark, and have already posted pictures of themselves with the obligatory Russian fur hats, and their countrymen Team Yeti have been spotlighted by the race Facebook page as here looking for experience and challenge. Aussie team AdventureJunkie.com.au are the furthest flung of the international teams, but then they also have the semi-local advantage of Maria Plyashechko being from Moscow originally. As with all international races, having someone who speaks the local language is always advantageous!
Closer, from just over the border in Finland, AR legend Petri Forsman had been coaxed out of retirement and is racing with Team Porkkala Swimrun. Two-time Spine Race winner Pavel Paloncy and his Czech Fenix Multisport team are strong contenders too, as are their countrymen CZAR OpavaNet Nutrend. And then there are eight Russian teams all vying to get their hands on the trophy on home soil.
That home soil, the Karelia region of Russia close to the Russia/Finland border, has had a varied existence and history. The land at the head of Lake Ladoga, known as 'the land of the white nights', immortalised in Sibelius' Keralia Suite, was once part of Sweden, then became part of a newly formed Finland, and was later ceded to Russia after the Winter War. Similarly, the European Championship honours currently sit with a Swedish team - will they be passed the same sequence, or will any of the other represented nations get their hands on the trophy instead? As always, just about anything could happen.
SleepMonsters
