Andy Green knelt in the parking lot of Brandywine Creek State Park, strapping on a pair of athletic shoes in the early morning sunshine. The soft ticking of spinning mountain bike tires was barely audible over the sound of chirping birds as riders oiled their bicycle chains.
More than 50 athletes filled the lot on the morning of June 21, stretching their legs, pumping their bicycle tires and preparing to compete in the park’s fourth annual Clash with the Creek adventure race.
Green said preparation was vital because the competitors would race on mountain bikes over rough terrain, in canoes against the Brandywine Creek’s current and on foot along winding, wooded paths.
"The park can be another competitor," said Green, 42, of Newark. "It's man versus the course. For an adventure race, you need a positive attitude, no matter what the course throws at you.”
The Clash with the Creek was part of the Delaware State Park’s Adventure Race Series, which pits athletes against each other and the elements in six races at different parks.
The races are designed with average athletes in mind and Brandywine’s race was a team event. Green, who has participated in other adventure races, competed with his 11-year-old son, Karl, and said he liked the idea of being able to race together.
Staying consistent and focused during an adventure race is the key to success, said Green before he lined up with the other competitors for the 4.2-mile mountain biking portion of the race.
The line of mountain bikers took off in a flourish of spinning wheels and wobbling handlebars to begin the race. They sped along the park’s cross country course, bouncing over bumps and zooming down hills as they rode toward the creek.
The bikers arrived at the creek in small groups, dropped their bikes on the ground and jogged along a path to a canoe launch. They grabbed life vests and splashed into the creek, dragging canoes into the water and leaping aboard. The athletes canoed a mile downstream before turning back upstream and battling the current for another mile.
Fighting the current was challenging because it required a combination of pacing and pushing, said Bill Kampert, 43, of Wilmington. Kampert said the current was strong, though the creek appeared glassy, and he and his 12-year-old son, Will, paddled steadily while trying not to waste energy.
“You are trying to go as fast as you can, while keeping something for the rest of the race,” he said. “We just had to survive the park.”
After the 2-mile canoe race, the competitors tugged their canoes onshore and grabbed maps for the orienteering course. They used topographic maps to navigate the best route through five miles of wilderness, searching for 10 markers along their way to the finish line.
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Adventure Race Winners Men's team Mike Adams and Eric Blom 1:16:08 Parent/child team Bill and Will Kampert 1:37:39 Rebecca and Shawn Lamont 1:29:08 |
Some of the markers were difficult to find because they were hidden in the undergrowth along the path, said Gary Whiteside, 44, of Newark. Orienteering is not something you get to do everyday, which made the adventure race unique, he said.
Lounging in the shade of a pavilion while he waited for the remaining athletes to finish, Whiteside said running the race was a rewarding experience.
“It was an adventure. On the course, your adrenaline gets going and it is a real high when you get done,” he said. “I got out there, I competed, I gave it my best and it is a great feeling.”
