Bracknell Green Belter: Saturday 12th June
The inaugural Green Belter has been and gone, the belter bandwagon with it’s Green Machine has been packed up and rolls forward towards the Bracknell Forest Challenge for the 2nd of this three event series. There we will set out the same successful format so well received in Pippingford Park less than a week ago and unleash you into this wonderful playground just a stones throw away from London. This Crown Estate land is a real haven for top quality bike and running trails and we are busy laying down a course that will guide you around the best of it with a smattering of obstacles thrown in for good measure.
Finally BIG NEWS: we’ve unearthed a top kayaking venue to bring you a truly awesome kayaking activity within this belter of an event.
Spread the word and let’s get a very excitable crowd of Green Belt adventurers at this event. We will be closing online entries on Wednesday 9th June at 1800 however we will also be taking entries on the day. Please read all the information in this newsletter, as there may be a few things to plan ahead on here. Feel free to email us with any queries at info@ratracegreenbelter.com.
Refer a friend: A fiver to spend for every mate you get to join in the fun.
When you entered the Bracknell Green Belter you qualified for Rat Race Rewards, the scheme we use to give extra value to our repeat customers. You received a code on your confirmation email that provides a 25% discount to any other event produced by Rat Race in the same season. Pass this discount on to as many mates as you like allowing them to enter the Bracknell Green Belter for just £11.25. Your popularity will not go unrewarded. You will be given £5 credit to whatever you want from the Rat Race Store at the event. Just get your mates to use your Rat Race Reward Code at checkout when entering and come and see us at the store on 12th June and we will let you know how much credit you have.
Belter Format
Whether you are running or you are on your bikes, the colour-coded looped course will guide you around some truly excellent single tracks & winding trails which seem to endlessly snake around this gently undulating forest, returning to the event village after each loop. In the midst of the course we will also slide some cunning obstacles for you to conquer along the way. No hints on what or where they will be but be prepared to get a bit wet & muddy! While out on the biking loop you will take a quick dart out of the forest to access an excellent kayaking stage. Finally before you can cross the finish line you will take on the mighty Green Machine obstacle. Take a peek here.
The course is fully waymarked, and it’s just ‘point and shoot’ to complete this course. All the instructions you will need will be provided for you on the ‘Belter Brief’ which is handed out on the day. Feel free to take it with you, there will be a course map on the flipside.
See our Belter Event Info page here, and the Bracknell details to date here. On this page you will see that we have released the Course Map for your viewing pleasure.
You don’t need much kit or any ‘adventure race’ experience to give this course a good hiding. Keep fit, get some biking skills in and make sure your bike is reliable, then it’ll all come together. Get ready! We’ve updated the mandatory kit list to include a bike bell & a mobile phone. Mandatory kit important for your safety and the safety of others. Please check the full kit list here for details.
Venue and Facilities
Bracknell Forest lies just SE of Bracknell. Access to the event will be at the Southern end of the forest from the town of Bagshot. When in Bagshot turn off the A30 on to Higgs Lane then right on to College Ride. Almost immediately turn left on to Vicarage Road which enters the forest. Follow the signs to the parking. Click here to view on a map.
Parking may be tight here, especially if the weather is bad. Please car share where possible. Please note that competitors vehicles are not allowed to drive around the estate. The venue will have toilets and some marquee shelters, but please note that there are no changing or showering facilities or a water tap. There will be some drinking water available at the end of each loop and at the finish.
For other accommodation possibilities please call The Tourist Information Centre located at The Lookout Centre on 01344 354409 or download their accommodation guide here.
Timings
IMPORTANT: The Bracknell Challenge will start at 1200 when there will be a mass start letting you loose into the forest. This is to give you extra time to take advantage of the exclusive kayak taster sessions earlier in the morning - see info below. It’ll also give you enough time to park, register, fiddle with kit, then we’re off. You probably won’t want to be arriving much later than 1100 though, and we’ll open Registration at 1000. The event does require a short briefing pre-start at 1130, after which you’ll put your bikes into a transition compound.
Kayak Taster sessions for £5.
Here is a chance to get some time on the water in our kayaks at a great price. As part of the Bracknell Green Belter on Saturday 12th June, we are partnering up with Horseshoe Lake activity centre to provide professional hour long sessions kayak instruction sessions in our sit-on-top kayaks pre event, both as a single and a pair. These sessions are normally £25 direct with the centre but we are offering them at an excellent £12.50. Better still, as someone that has already entered the event we are offing you a chance to sign up for just £5 if you sign up by Sunday 30th May.
This one hour session of instruction is for you to improve or just to get familiar with the skills needed to succeed with the sit-on-top kayaks we use at our events; Green Belter, Coast to Coast and the Rat Race Urban Adventure. The timing is such that you can complete the Taster session AND get to the start line of the event – the venues are only 10km apart. The sessions are at 9am and 10am.
Sign up for the kayaking taster using a promo code: KAYAK5 at the Rat Race Store here.
Bike Hire
New for this year we're offering a no-hassle bike hire service through the Store. Available for collection when you arrive on site, our mountain bikes are available in two frame sizes, with a minimum spec of front suspension, front disc brake, helmet, bike bell, puncture repair kit and bottle cage - including a complimentary 750ml Rat Race water bottle. Numbers are limited so please book early. Go here to book.
Rat Race Store
The Rat Race Store will be open for business in our marquee from Friday evening onwards. We will be offering special offers on products such as: 
- Limited edition T-shirts, Hoodies and Buffs
- Petzl head torches
- Adidas, Mizuno, inov-8, New Balance trail shoes
- Ron Hill and Montane clothing
- Camelbak, inov8, OMM packs and hydration systems
- Clif Bar and Multi Power sports nutrition
Remember, if you plan to cash in your Rat Race Reward £10 voucher before the event then make sure you leave enough time for postage if it is kit for the race. Every entrant got one of these rat Race Reward vouchers on their event confirmation email. Remember, it is only valid online. See www.ratraceadventure.com/ratracerewards for more details of this great loyalty scheme.
 Astounding Adventures sponsor the Green Belters
For the Green Belters we have some cracking Skills-Course-in-a-Bottle prizes coming up from our new sponsor Astounding Adventures as well as discounts vouchers included in every entrants event pack picked up at registration. Check out their website here: www.AstoundingAdventures.co.uk - Mountain bike, orienteering and adventure race skills courses in The Surrey Hills and beyond.
Whether you are an expert or a newbie, the Astounding Adventure prizes and offers will suit you and your friends throughout 2010. Stay on the for the prizegiving at 1630hrs.
Race and Rewards
It’s £45 a head to enter and you get £50 of gear and rewards with the entry too: Technical T-Shirt, Buff, Rat Race Store Voucher and Rat Race Rewards, for every single entrant. So you’re winning, even if you’re not winning!
Here’s your free Buff folks!
If you are on for the ultimate trophy then that’ll be a Series Prize. We’ll let you know more about this in the next Newsletter.
Crewing
Would you like to be part of this exciting event? We are looking for more crew. Perhaps forward this newsletter to friends that might like to help. Be entertained and do a sterling chunk of work for us on the course. Pre-event. During event. After event. Please email us at crew@ratraceadventure.com
Green Belter Hambleden
On the 10th July the series comes to the brand-new location of Hambleden in rural Oxfordshire for our Hambleden Challenge. Aside from great running and biking in the woods and fields of the beautiful Hambleden Estate, the River Thames itself will provide the backdrop to much of the action as you find yourself kayaking on (and maybe in) it!
The event is filling up fast so get your entries in.
See you in a few weeks ...
The Rat Race Crew
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