Race Day Schedule Round 1 - Saturday 21st October 2017

Registration will open from 08:00hrs please try to arrive as early as you can. More details about the schedule will be released in the final details email.

• 08:00 - 09:30 Teams arrive, registration & kit check
• 08:00 - 09:30 Issue of race bibs, route instructions & timing chip per team member

• 09:30 - 09:45 Final race briefing inside Coffee Shop

• 10:00 - 10:00 Starts & map issue a short distance away
• 15:00 - 15:00 Teams finish

• 15:00 - 16:30 Post race refreshments

Event Centre
Watertop Farm

Directions

Watertop Farm is situated on the Cushendall road (A2) halfway between Cushendun and Ballycastle. More directions on their website. http://www.watertopfarm.co.uk/location/

Address for those with Sat Nav.

Watertop Farm

188 Cushendall Road
Ballycastle
BT54 6RN.

And route planner links below for those without Sat Nav.

AA Route Planner

RAC Route Planner

Watertop Farm/Ballycastle Area

Watertop Farm is a hill farm in the Glens of Antrim. It began when Dan McBride bought the farm in 1919. The name Watertop was chosen for the farm as a part of the Carey river rises as a fresh water spring nearby. Now owned and run by brothers Terry and Patsy, the farm is a sheep farm with about 500 sheep, and 30 cows. In 1986 it opened to the public and became the first open farm in Ireland.

The harbour town and holiday resort of Ballycastle (Baile an Chaisil) marks the eastern end of the Causeway Coast. It's a pretty town with a family-friendly promenade and a good bucket-and-spade beach. Ferries to Rathlin Island depart from here. Fair Head, Ballycastle's headland rises 196 metres (643 ft) out of the bay.

Parking, Registration & Kit check

Parking

There is plenty of parking in the large carpark.

Registration
You will also have to sign on for the event so please come together with your team mate. We will then issue you with your SI card (timing chip) and race bibs, both these need to be returned after the event. We will also give you your route details for the day, this will give you you're first sneek preview of the route ahead.

Kit Check
There will be a spot kit check on some of your safety items.

Transition Area

More details to follow on your route card and maps.

Start Area
Watertop Farm

Sportident Timing System

Many of you will of used this timing system before but some may not of used it, if you're not sure about it make sure you let us know when you arrive and we'll give you a quick demo, it's really simple to use so there's nothing to worry about.

The timing chips are expensive so if you loose yours you will have to pay for a replacement which depending on the type we use will cost between £30-£60.

At certain stages of the race you may also have to use the old orienteering punches, details of when you need to use these will be on your route instruction sheet which you will get before the start of the event.

Finish & Download

The finish will be back at HQ, once you've finished you will need to make your way to the event HQ and head to the download point where you have to download and return your Sportident timing chip plus both of your race bibs. It's very important that you return here even if you do retire from the event, do not remove your timing chip, we will do this for you.

Showers

Showers available after this event.

Post Race Food
We will have soup, sandwiches and the normal spread after the race, so join us for a bite to eat and a cup of tea.

Prizes

We'll have the prize giving ASAP after the last team crosses the finish line. Thanks to the help from Jackson Sports the winning teams will get shopping vouchers.

Mandatory Kit List

Team Kit
• 2 X Map (supplied at or near start)
• 1 X Indelible felt tip pen (you will need this for marking up your map)
• 1 X Mobile phone (make sure you bring a means to keep it dry, as part of the mandatory kit you will need to carry it at all times, this includes kayaking and tasks which may involve water)
• 1 X First aid kit (1 crepe bandage, 1 triangle bandage, 2 safety pins, 1 wound dressing & 6 adhesive dressings as a minimum)
• 1 X Bike repair kit (at least sufficient to repair puncture)
• 1 X Compass (Recommended not Mandatory)
Individual
• 1 X Mountain bike
• 1 X Cycle helmet
• 1 X Rear light for bike
• 1 X Bell for bike
• 1 X Space blanket/bag (foil type or orange bag)
• 1 X Whistle
• 1 X Waterproof coat and waterproof trousers. *
• 1 X Spare base layer top
• 1 X Small rucksack (Recommended not Mandatory)
• 1 X Full change of clothes for after the event (Recommended not Mandatory)
• Drink (Recommended to bring enough to last 5-6 hours)
• Suitable food / energy source (Recommended to bring enough to last 5-6 hours)
Unless it is otherwise stated all the above kit is Mandatory. Mandatory means you must come to the race with it and carry it at all times.
* Depending on the weather we might make everyone wear waterproof coat & waterproof trousers for the kayak stage make sure you don't forget them.

FAQ's

Which shoes and tyres should I use?
A large part of the route will be on sealed surfaces but we will be taking advantage of as much off road as we can in the area. It's your call what type of tyre you use. Again the run section/s will be mixed although a trail shoe may the best option here.

Do I need to carry my running shoes during the bike sections?
Yes.

Can you tell me more about the route?
More details to follow but in the meantime it may be useful to read the following Highway Code.

What's the weather like?
At this time of the year it's likely to be cold, check this link for Current Weather forecast, wrap up warm, bring extra layers and think about what you plan to wear, shorts might not be the best option.