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THE EDINBURGH RAT RACE
The flagship event of the Rat Race Urban Adventure Series
17 and 18 July 2010
ThE Edinburgh Rat Race is a unique multi-disciplined team adventure challenge of navigation, endurance, mental agility, running, climbing, mountain biking, kayaking and abseiling, combined with surreal sporting tests and obstacles at different checkpoints across some of the city’s most challenging terrain; on a course that is only revealed hours before the event begins.
In the past, checkpoint challenges have included haggis eating, ‘dooking’ for apples, extreme hair makeovers, water polo, wheelchair rugby, space hopper racing, BMX riding, free running, shopping trolley racing, exercise classes, chasing the bride, obstacle courses and navigating through a 30-metre long dark tunnel.
Says a spokeserson: “In 2010, up to 600 athletes, elite adventure racers, adrenaline junkies and ‘amateur sporting enthusiasts’ will compete (in pairs and teams of three) alongside one another as they use Edinburgh’s urban jungle and surrounding countryside as the ultimate adventure playground.
“The routes of the Edinburgh Rat Race are kept confidential until the event starts, as navigation and orienteering are key elements of the event.
“However the course planning manager, Stewart Caithness, promises to take full advantage of Edinburgh’s stunning architecture, labyrinthine streets and rugged terrain, including urban structures, office blocks, tunnels parklands, hills, water and sand in the city centre and beyond.”
Detailed information, maps and route information will be available from the organisers at Event Village, West Princes Street Gardens on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 July.
Please contact Jim Mee, managing director of organisers Rat Race Events – +44 (0) 7790 900 354.
Key timings and photo opportunities for the Edinburgh Rat Race – 17 and 18 July 2010.
RATS INVADE EDINBURGH
WHAT: THE EDINBURGH RAT RACE 2010
www.ratraceadventure.com
WHERE: The Adventure Village at The Ross Bandstand, West Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh. Teams will start and finish at the event village on both Saturday and Sunday. The racing on Saturday and Sunday will be based in the city centre and beyond.
WHEN: Saturday 17 July 2010
WHAT: Mean Streets – ‘the team running event with bite’, a fast, furious hunt for checkpoint challenges scattered all over the city centre and open to anyone with a pair of trainers and a sense of humour. Rats are expected to run or walk up to 10km (or further if they are real racing Rats). 2.5 hours.
KEY TIMINGS:
11:00 Team registration begins
12:00 Adventure Village opens to the public
15:00 Team registration closes
15:30 Competitor Briefing – Please note – After competitor briefing – Mean Streets Prologue race information / data given out so competitors can plot their routes.
17:00 Mean Streets Race starts
19:30 Mean Streets Race ends
20:00 Adventure village closes to the public
From 20:00 The Nine2Five teams get their route books for the next day’s race, so most of them shoot home and mark up their maps!
WHEN: Sunday 19 July 2010
WHAT: The Nine2Five adventure, offering a full day’s worth of biking, abseiling, kayaking, climbing, navigation and mystery challenges city-wide. By the end of the day, rats will have cycled up to 50km and have completed an array of amazing activities. Eight hours.
KEY TIMINGS
INFO BELOW STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL 10:00 SUNDAY 18 JULY
09:00 – 09:30 Nine2Five Race Starts – mass start from fountain within West Princes Street Gardens
09:45 – 11: 30 Midlothian Ski Centre – tubing
11:00 – 13:30 Viaduct near Bonnyrigg – Via Ferrata (a climbing route fixed with cables, ladders, walkways)
11:30 – 15:30 Montagu Bridge within Dalkeith Country Park – abseil and ford crossing
13:30 – 17:00 Portobello, Kings Road end – kayaking
12:00 Adventure Village opens to the public
14:00 First teams expected to finish
18:00 Award ceremony from the stage
20:00 Event village closes
ENDS
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Paddy Cuthbert, Podge Publicity : M: 07968 699 636 | E: paddy@podge.co.uk
Notes to Editors:
Spectators of all ages are also promised a brilliant weekend, particularly at the event village in West Prices Street Gardens, which will once again be the nerve centre of the event, where the race starts and finishes and teams congregate and to share their unique and frequently hair-raising experiences.
This hub of activity will include mini adventure shops, live music, refreshment stalls, adventure sports demos, and outdoor sports activities for the public to try their hand at. Armchair enthusiasts can keep up with the action by watching the action unfold on the big screen.
Rat Race Adventure – is a brand that offers adventurers from all walks of life engaging activities to challenge yourself with, innovative fitness solutions to train with and the best gear to equip yourself with.
Born in Edinburgh, with the creation of the now world famous Rat Race Urban Adventure events, the brand’s mantra ever remains ‘Not your normal nine til five’.
Rat Race Events was launched in 2004 (as Detail Events) by Jim Mee, ex Red Bull events specialist. The company organises nine Rat Races in the UK and Ireland (London, Brighton, Birmingham, Bristol, Belfast, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Sheffield and Galway). 2008 also saw the launch of the first international Rat Race event in Melbourne, Australia.
Further international events are planned for South Africa, New Zealand and the USA in 2009 and beyond.
Edinburgh Rat Race partners and funders:
EventScotland is the national events agency. EventScotland is working to make Scotland one of the world’s leading event destinations. By developing an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events EventScotland is helping to raise Scotland’s international profile and boost the economy by attracting more visitors. For further information about EventScotland, its funding programmes and latest event news visit www.EventScotland.org
City of Edinburgh Council www.edinburgh.gov.uk/internet
MEDIA RELEASE posted by Podge Publicity. You too can post media releases (aka press releases) on allmediascotland.com. For more information, email here.
Contact: Paddy Cuthbert
Phone: 07968 699636
Email: paddy@podge.co.uk
Website: http://www.ratraceadventure.com
