After doing number 1 in the Uge Adventure series, and was amazed by the great organisation and effort put into the race I was feeling that the Spur adventure race this weekend would no way could compete with April's fool's race.

To be honest I was pleasantly surprised, firstly to meet Lisa in person after being on the site for other 18 months and put a face to a name was quite a surprise. Something caught my eye early in the morning and I could not figure it out till last night and it was the fact that you could see the passion and commitment with the organisers, trying to get the fine details all together.

Although it was a an adventure weekend, few things extra on the day made it worth the while and future adventure race organisers could grap a few tips.

New surprise highlights where as follows:

A major fun activites for the whole family from Playstations for kids to a hike or Kids race, Virgin Active support and entertainment. A spur hamburger stall the Coca Cola stage, Yo Tv presenters. Oh yes not to mention the legendary sport photographer Jacques Marais and his team.

The adventure race started with a "boere sport sag reisies"  Well lets put it from my opinion, although we would not admit it we enjoyed it to do what we did as a child but we would not go around telling everyone. Fortunately we had our helmets on and many of us landed face first. After this it was a short run to our bikes and road climb of plus minus 2km to the top of the road before we hit the track. Starting the climb  on a normal I could for the first time see the Mitsibushi team ahead of the pack as well as Fritz Pienaar. This team is not unbeatable I said to myself but it will take some effort and I am slowly gonna build a team which will race them in a year or two time. A good mental thought to think about while the race is on. When we hit the bush the pace slowed down tremendously and of course it would not take long before we "Hiked a bike".  What I enjoyed was to to see teams far ahead and far behind as well as on numerous occasions sight of either the start in the

distance or the next transition activity. Joey and her teams mates where my markers as we finished almost together at the Uge race. This was not to be we got to the river almost together but disaster struck for me, I could not get into the tube and balance as it had a bubble. As a male my centre of gravity does not sit in my hips. I missed the big tubes from the Uge. My teammates Gerrit and Petro had to wait while I actually swam down the river getting bumped in the rapids for the rest it was fun. After a short run in the bush and some total enclosure bushs we got back to the river again for another session this time in the rapids.

A run back to the bikes with the tubes and thereafter a good 5km cycle through to the finish into a foam bath. A surprise medal at the end was the cherry on the cake.

All together a great day.

Guys you are really sending the standard and if this is how it is going to be in future then the sport is gonna grow big.

Remember you make a living out of what you earn but a life out of what you give. To the organisers thanks for giving so much for such a successful race.

Rory Hodgkinson

Chief Fire Officer

Natref