VILNIUS CHALLENGE 2010

1. Organizer: Association Vilnius Challenge
2. Event location: Vilnius, Lietuva.

3. Program

June 3, 2010 (Thursday)

• 08:00 - 19:00: race packet pickup: Šv.Stepono 29, Vilnius at “Tengris”, phone: 00 370 52733361

June 4, 2010 (Friday)

• 08:00 - 16:00: race packet pickup: Šv.Stepono 29, Vilnius at “Tengris”, phone: 00 370 52733361
• 19:00 - 21:00: pre-race "Mix&Mingle" party, race packet pickup (do it in advance!)

June 5, 2010 (Saturday) - Vilnius Challenge 2010 race

• Race packet pickup (we recommend to do it on evening before of earlier!):
  elite racers 07:00 - 08:00, sport class racers 10:00 - 12:00
• Departure by foot to Elite class start: 08:30
• Elite class start: 09:00

• Sport class start: 13:00
• Mini course start: 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00
• Race cutoff time for elite and sport courses: 18:00
• Award ceremony and afterparty: from 18:30 and on...
  

5. Race courses and disciplines:

1. Course names and summary of their length:
   

• elite (6-9 hour, ~ 65-70 km) - for professional, regularly exercising athletes;
• sport (3-5 hour, ~ 25-30 km) - for those who love active lifestyle and seek small challenges. No special skills needed (only basic kayaking, biking and navigation skills).
• mini - "JCI green adventure course" (about 30-45 min., ~ 1.5-3 km) -  is a course, during which you will not only negotiate various physical obstacles, navigate with a map, but also learn and be tested on how to be environmentally friendly. Everybody can participate - children and adults. No special skills nor equipment is needed for this course. The course is sponsored by JCI Sostine (Lithuanian branch of Junior Chamber International).

Attention:

1. The courses, their difficulty and length are subject to change due to weather or some other factors that are out of race organizers' control.
2. Exact details of the race courses will be revealed on the race day only ahead of the race brief.
   

2. Courses disciplines:
   

3. Estimated fraction of total time spent on elite and sport course disciplines
   

4. Detailed description of elite and sport course disciplines:

• Running: it is carefully balanced to be in right proportion with the rest of disciplines.  Elite course racers should expect some lengthy running legs (up to several kilometers between the checkpoints).
• Paddling will be done by kayaks (see remark regarding equipment below) on lakes and rivers. The boats will have to be carried or pushed during some parts of the course.
  
• Navigation will be needed during entire course. Elite course racers can expect orienteering of elite level difficulty, while the sport course participants have to know the basics of compass and map reading skills. During the race orienteering maps, satellite pictures, city plans will be used. On Wednesdays (biking O) and On Thursdays (foot O) our partner Tengris organize city races in Vilnius. If you live in other Lithuanian city, we invite you to find the relevant race on Lithuanian Orienteering Federation (LOSF) website.

Example: all classes with have maps with city buildings, streets, etc.	Example: all classes will use detailed orienteering maps (foot O).
Example: ortofoto maps - might have additional path layer on top.	Example: mtb orienteering maps (elite course only) with special courses

• Biking will be an important and fun part of both courses. Elite racers will have to bike on steep single tracks. Sport course biking course can be negotiated on a city bike.
• Swimming will be mandatory for elite racers. Those who are unable or unwilling to swim will receive a time penalty (details will be announced in the roadbook given on the race day). Swimming leg of sport course will be held depending on weather and will be announced on the race day or earlier if feasible. All swimming legs will have ropes available to hold on. The water depth in most cases will be less than human height.

Swimming will be upon the decision of the racer. The most competitive racers will be able to swim with all the gear on them. The racers who do not wish to get wet their gear, will have the possibility to carry their gear to the other side of water body and then return to negotiate the swimming leg. We recommend to have a set of dry clothes in the event center.

• Underground navigation section is still being worked out. Details will be presented in the later rulebook version.
• Rope disciplines will be of great variety:

Elite racers will be required to negotiate all the rope sections without external help. Special climbing equipment will be provided - do not need to bring your own. The key skill will be rappelling (up to 70 meter high, what corresponds to 20-22 story building.  The set of skills that will be required: put on a harness, attach a carabiner, rapelling down the rope using figure "eight", traversing on a rope. Necessary rope skills training can be provided by Montis Magia, which has prepared a special package to the registered Vilnius Challenge elite course racers. Please note, that during the course, the ropes instructors-referees will not provide any training and the participant will be expected to have the necessary skills and knowledge! Those who are unable or unwilling to complete safely the rope section(s) in will receive a time penalty (details will be announced in the roadbook given on the race day). Rope sections will have cutoff times, which means that there will be certain time until which teams will be allowed to start the rope section. Teams arriving after the cutoff time will receive a time penalty, which depending on how the race proceeds, will have to be served at predetermined place on the course or will be added to the team's finish time. More details will be provided in the later versions of rulebook.

Sport course participants won't need any special skills of equipment for the ropes sections. They will be surmountable for both the athletes and beginners. If you wish to prepare better for the race, we wish to practice traversing over a tight rope and climbing on the indoor climbing wall. Montis Magia has prepared a special training packet to all Vilnius Challenge sport course participants. The training lessons will be offered starting March 22 and be available until May 27. Detailed information about the lesson can be found on www.montismagia.lt. Registration to the lesson is also available by email andrius@montismagia.lt or by phone +370 699 12400. You can also come directly to the Montis Magia climbing gym in Vilnius (Vytenio st. 46B).

5. Schemes of the elite and sport courses

Sport class will compete the same course in separate loops depending on the race group:

6. Mini course (JCI "green" challenge)

What is it? It is a course, during which participants will not only negotiate interesting sporty tasks or navigate using a map but also have a possibility to learn and apply environmentally friendly knowledge. 30-40 min will be sufficient to complete the course.

Who can participate? Anybody willing. Adults and children. Participation is allowed in teams of two or individually. The exception is for children younger than 12 year old who will have to be in a team with a 16-year or older. There is no requirement to be physically trained to participate!

What will we have to do? While navigating in a prescribed small area, you will need to negotiate playful tasks, which will require a little bit of agility, quick mind and environmentally friendly knowledge. The tasks will be prepared so that both the children and parents will be able to pass the tests. In some of them children will gain an edge with their agility, while in others - adults with their prudence and knowledge.

So, if you do not have a desire or possibility to compete in elite or sport classes, but love new challenges and are not indifferent to ecology, - come and join us at the Vilnius Challenge mini course.

• Dry clothes (for changing after getting wet/ especially useful after long course swim)
• Backpack
• Cash (you are in the city, also for the spare parts in case your bike needs fixing)
• Food (energy bar, drink, sandwich)
• Bike lock (to secure the bike)

• Kayaks: will be provided. Personal kayaks are not allowed on the course. Elite racers will received identical kayaks and paddles. Sport group racers will be provided either with identical or same class kayaks. Exact kayak models will be posted online.
• Climbing equipment: for the duration of the race all equipment will be provided by Vilnius Challenge sponsor Montis Magia - http://www.montismagia.lt/)
• Maps: all necessary maps will be provided by race organization. Each team will receive one set of maps.

1. Team registration fee.

2. Payment options:

For elite and sport courses:

• Electronic transfer (Association Vilnius Challenge,  SEB bank account LT227044060007432036, company code 302482228, mention team name);
• Paypal adresu challenge@sban.com. Mention team name.

For mini course:

• Free of charge. 

11. During the race it is FORBIDDEN to:

• Use motorized transportation
• Ignore rules of the road
• Leave trash behind
• Be separated by more than 25 meters from your teammate
• Use electronic navigation or communication means (except in case of emergency)
• Use maps other than ones provided by the race organizers
• Trespass private property

12. About adventure racing

Adventure racing is a combination of several sport disciplines, such as running, orienteering, mountain biking, paddling, rope skills, etc. It is a only a few decades old sport, which has become popular in Europe, USA and New Zealand (the more known races are Eco Challenge, Primal Quest, Southern Traverse, Raid Gauloises, etc).

While most of the endurance sport races are very specialized and well know only to narrow circle of enthusiasts, adventure racing combines various sport disciplines and when placed in popular locations allows to create a very diverse and attractive event, during which racers are tested not only physically but also in intellectual tasks, where teamwork is needed and situations are extraordinary.

13. Contact information