[Event] The HOUR Endurance Challenge

[Eveza]

Event Name: The HOUR Endurance Challenge
When: 9 August 2019 - 11 August 2019
Where: Cowhouse Market, Hazeldean Valley Trails, Pretoria East, Gauteng
Category: MTB

Prepare yourself for a brand new endurance race concept in Africa... a crazy event that will challenge everything you always thought you knew about endurance events, lap racing and race village parties.

Oh yes, it is time to get ready for "THE HOUR" Race!!

 

WHAT IS THE HOUR RACE

The HOUR is an endurance event that favors the strongest mind... not the fastest athlete. Start a new lap every hour on the dot for as many times as you can. 2 hours or 60 hours or anything inbetween... your body and mind will determine the number. How long can you push on?

The Hour Endurance Race - Lap racing redefined.

 

HOW IT WORKS

It is extremely simple. Participants will all start together exactly on the hour at a certain time. An hour glass will be turned and you will have exactly an hour to finish your lap and stop (a12km lap for those doing the MTB race and 6km lap for the trail runners). As soon as the hour glass runs empty after an hour, a new lap will start and everyone that wishes to continue, will all start together again for another lap. This process of starting a new lap every hour sharp, will continue until the last person fails to start a new lap. You cannot skip any hourly group start if you wish to stay in the race. So the last man/women standing and who have done every hourly start, will be the winner.

It means that if you go fast and finish a lap in, let's say, 30 minutes, you have 30 minutes to rest, eat and relax before you have to be at the start line again for the start of the next lap on the next hour sharp. If you choose to go slower, you will be fresher on the route but will have less time to rest and eat before the hour is over and you have to get to the line for the start of the next lap.

If you are not at the start line for any of the hourly starts, your race is over. Or if you fail to finish a lap in the given hour, your race is also over.

This will continue for 60 hours or until the last runner fails to start a new lap. After 60 hours, if there are still more that 1 left competing, there will be a "sudden" death lap that will entail a sprint lap and the fastest finisher of this lap will be the ultimate winer.

It will be crazy, it will be tough, it will have huge spectator value and we will make sure it has the perfect race-to-party ratio with all day, all night race village festivities for participants and supporters :-)

Are you ready for THE HOUR?

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ALL THE DETAILS

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Date: 9 - 11 August 2019

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Race Format: Solo

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Entry Fee: R395 per person (including a free event t-shirt and goodie bag)

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Race Village: The Cowhouse, Hazeldean Valley Trails, Pretoria, Gauteng

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Start Time: Friday, 9 August at 07h00

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Final Cut-off (if there are still participants standing): after 60 hours on Sunday, 11 August at 19h00

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Lap Distance: MTB - 10 to 12km

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Minimum Laps to receive a medal: 5 laps

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Special Medal: to all who do 30 laps or more

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Terrain: Easy, flat trails. Single track and jeep track

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Race Village Facilities: Toilets, showers, electricity, crash zone (for power naps; own bedding to be supplied), food vendors, cash bar and much more.

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Support Crew: Allowed in the race village

 

 

 

THE RULES

The HOUR Race employs a very simple concept and therefor very few rules are required. For the sake of safety and fairness though, the small set of rules below will apply:

 

1) As a participant, you must start a new lap every single hour. You cannot skip a lap at any time if you wish to remain in the race.

 

2) You have to be at the start line, ready to start the new lap, exactly on every hour.

 

3) If you are late for a lap start, your race is over

 

4) If you fail to complete a lap in the allowed hour, your race is over

 

5) You are not allowed to enter or exit the lap route at any other point than the demarcated neutral zone in the race village.

 

6) You have to finish a lap before you can sleep, eat, rest, etc for the remainder of that hour.

 

7) You are allowed to have a support crew in the race village but not on the route.

 

8) You are responsible for your own hydration, food and nutrition for the full duration of your event.

 

9) You are allowed to set up a chair and a cooler box at the lap start area. If you need a bigger space, there is a open field area that will be made available for pitching a small tent or gazebo. No caravans or camping trailers will be allowed because of limited space available.

 

​This event should be considered a personal challenge. Test your limits and endurance to see how long you can keep going... for how many hourly starts you can convince yourself to toe the start line. This is your race, this is your challenge, this is your hour.

Go to Event Page

[Gr3mlin131]

Is there a route/profile available or can we go there and try the route? I like the idea of finishing this, but I just need to check if I can do the route on my POS hardtail I currently have, 

 

I did have a look on the website for the venue and it looks like the yellow route will be used for MTB?

[Eveza]

Is there a route/profile available or can we go there and try the route? I like the idea of finishing this, but I just need to check if I can do the route on my POS hardtail I currently have, 

 

I did have a look on the website for the venue and it looks like the yellow route will be used for MTB?

Hi. The route for the MTB will be as flat as possible and not technical at all. We will make mostly use of the jeep track and easy single track on the farm. The idea is not to test technical skills... it is a bout endurance. So we will keep the actual trail as simple and easy as possible. 

[Eveza]

Also it will be a dedicated route designed specifically for the event to ensure nice, easy flowing trails and roads and no bottle necks at the hourly starts so it wont use any of the exact routes that are currently at the Hazeldean Trails.  

Edited June 6, 2019 by Eveza

[porqui]

This could be brutal !!

[mecheng89]

This sounds nuts. On the hour every hour. Sounds metal \M/

[NotSoBigBen]

Bunch of nutters I tell you [emoji12]

 

*pink slip signed, entry done*

 

Have a granddaughter that should be making her appearance around that time so hopefully won't interfere!

[white tiger]

Sounds like a nice challenge.

Please organize one for us down in the Cape.....

[Eveza]

Sounds like a nice challenge.

Please organize one for us down in the Cape.....

There will be one in Cape Town as well next year.

[Trance Dance]

There will be one in Cape Town as well next year.

How about a ride/run option? Ride a lap, run a lap, ride a lap, run a lap!

[Mamil]

As if it needed to be more insane

 

How about a ride/run option? Ride a lap, run a lap, ride a lap, run a lap!

[Eveza]

The medal...

[Eveza]

Free event t-shirt included in the entry fee

[Hilton.]

This looks so great. Nutters. But great 

 

Looking forward to the Cape edition then ..

[eddy]

Great idea.

 

I looks like it is based on Lazarus Lake's Big Backyard run where the winner/last survivor this year ran for 68 hours (283miles/453km) before the other guy quit....

Edited June 26, 2019 by eddy

[Gr3mlin131]

Just guessing we will need a light for the night time, if we make it that far? Also will there be facilities available to charge these? I do not think my cheap lights are making it as long as my legs, but I have two batteries to swap out.