The Wulong Mountain Quest adventure race got under way today in Wulong Park, China. The four-day event hosts some of the best adventure racing teams from across the globe competing against one another on foot, bike and kayak. This race is always one of the best events in Asia each year and this year looks to be no different.My friends on the Thule Adventure Team are competing in the event this week and are posting blog updates as the action unfolds. This morning they took part in the prologue, which was hampered a bit by rain but seemed like great fun with a variety of short stages to test their legs early only. The prologue began with an intense uphill run, which was followed by three team members carrying the fourth in a sedan-chair. Eventually they transitioned to a biathlon section, where they managed to make up some ground before finishing third. That will be a good place to be heading into tomorrow's first stage.
The Wulong Quest is a staged race and over the next four days the teams will be competing against one another with a definitive start and end to each day. This is quite a bit different from expedition races that run non-stop and makes for a much better spectator experience. I know a lot of teams have grown to really enjoy the stage-race atmosphere as it allows them to interact with the other teams they are racing against as well as fans of the sport. It is also a better format for capturing the spirit of the race on video for sharing with a television audience. With that in mind, the Thule team will have a professional filmmaker following them on the race and I'm told we'll get video from the event each day. That should prove very interesting for fans of adventure racing.
Watch the Thule Adventure Team blog for more updates over the next few days and to catch their videos as well.
