June 11 (The Midnight Ramble), June 12 (The Crux) & June 13 (The Crucible)
Male, Female and Co-ed Teams of 1—4
Just because we love you, we want this to be three of the most difficult and rewarding days you’ll ever experience in AR!
Adventure racing is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, and stage racing is the fastest growing trend in Adventure Racing! The Crux and the Crucible is an original concept in AR, and will feature some of North Idaho’s finest scenery. It promises to be one of the most exciting, challenging and spectacular events ever staged in the world of Adventure Racing!
In this unique event, individuals and teams of racers will be able to compete in one, two or all three races, with some nice awards available for the winners of each day’s contests, plus the grand prize for the overall "Crux and Crucible" overall champions!
We’ll kick off the weekend with an informational meeting, gear check and map give out at 3:00 pm on Friday, and then the "Midnight Ramble" will start on Friday, June 11 at 6:00 pm, and continue into the wee hours. Estimated finishing times will be between 8 and 10 hours!
Stage 1, the Midnight Ramble will take teams over the hills and woods and lakes of north Idaho as you kayak, bike and trek some amazing terrain, with the added excitement of navigating and moving through the darkness, navigating as you go! Cross the finish line, set up your tent or bivy, and get a few hours sleep before the next challenge!
Stage 2, the Crux, will start Saturday morning at 8:00 am sharp, and promises to be one of the greatest AR days ever! Amazing vistas, world class singletrack, and a challenge that is new and unique to the world of AR that will make your hair stand on end! Estimated finishing times are between 12 and 14 hours.
**NEW Just added: We are VERY proud to announce that we will have a great ropes element (think rappelling!) as part of the Crux (or the Crucible... TBA VERY SOON!) !** Check the uipdated gear list for harness and gear requirements! There will be a second option with accompanying time penalty for folks not wanting to do what could be an epic rappell!
We will have gear and safety check as well as skills certificiation led by the Spokane Mountaineers on Friday afternoon, starting at 2:30 pm.
Stage 3: After a quick dinner and a few hours sleep, get ready for the final jewel of our weekend, the Crucible! Bright and early at 6:00 am, you'll head back out for a day you won't soon forget! An amazing kayak, world-class trekking and awesome biking will take you where no racer has gone before! Estimated finishing times will be between 12 and 14 hours.
All three races will start and finish at Farragut State Park, after “touring” the nearby lakes and mountains. Each race has a completely separate style of course and a different set of demands.
These are going to be wild and wooly events, with sizeable “wet” sections (read: swimming "with option for non-swimmers, mud, etc.) and lots of twists and turns to accompany the flat out full-speed racing! Gear and strategy, along with fitness and navigation will be major factors in your team’s success.
Awards will be presented separately for the Midnight Ramble, the Crux and for the Crucible, and the Grand Prize will be given for the winners of the combined race in the Three and Four person (combined) Co-ed division.
We will also have some great swag, high quality race shirts, giveaways, terrific awards, food, fun, a great party, and lots more! This will be one of the most amazing “AR” events you will ever participate in!
Race format for the Crux and the Crucible 3-stage challenge
The Crux and the Crucible will be a three day stage race, combining the best features of the “Rogaine” format, the “Stage Race” format, and a “Race it Out” format. To make it simple, basically, the team that does the most checkpoints the fastest wins.
Got it? Okay, it's a little more complicated than that, but don’t worry. It will make sense when you see it! The “Crux and the Crucible” race winner will be determined by the combined time of all three days of racing. You may also have the chance to pick up some bonus points along the way...
**Competitors may race in either the Midnight Ramble, the Crux, the Crucible or all three, if they choose**
Awards will be provided for the solo, 2, 3 and 4 person divisions in the all-male, all-female and coed categories.
The “Crux and the Crucible” Grand Prize will be awarded to the 3/4 person Co-ed champions! (3 and 4 person co-ed teams will compete against each other)
Registration deadline is June 10. Cancellation deadline is May 31, 2010.