“The BrainRace is more than a mere physical test, and while speed and endurance may play a role in your team’s strategy, each pair must plan carefully to utilise strengths and maximise efficiency!“
On March 27th 2022, in Delamere Forest, Cheshire, a new style of race begins
There’s a new race on the running calendar, a breakaway from obsessing over split times, maximising threshold sessions and optimising nutritional strategies. Instead it asks pairs to utilise more than athletic ability, creating a scenario whereby VO2 max isn’t the outright defining characteristic, rather, the ability to think on ones feet, solve puzzles and play the game are crucial to success.
Working as a team, you and your amigo have 2 hours to score as many points as possible over a 5-10km course. With two methods of scoring points and different values being attributed to different points, you’ll have to work out the route and speed you chose to visit both Locations Points and Correctly Answering Puzzles at Puzzle points
The strategic twist, each location points can be visited in any order, and each location point will provide a different score dependant on the point visited beforehand. It’s not simply, A to B to C etc…
If you haven’t already, best get out those maths books from school or brain training apps. This has the potential to be a head scratcher!
Whether you run, walk, jog or skip between points, thats your choice, there is no requirement to run.
Joss Linney, Event Director, provided an insight into some of the inner workings of the puzzle points
“Some LPs require both the pair to be present, some require only one, and some LPs are split into to parts which offer a synchronisation bonus if each of the pair can visit the separate points concurrently…..“
“Upon registration, pairs will be provided with a map of all points, and a scoring matrix so that pairs can plan their strategy. They will have 40 minutes to come up with a plan and set off before their two hour challenge begins!“
Comparing this to mountain marathon events where you are shown the course minutes before you start, you, as the runner, get a really good opportunity to strategise on the day and tailor your route to both the terrain and how you feel come the start.
Speed is not your friend.
It can help you move, however, the ability to understand the scoring system, solve puzzles and work as a team, goes far beyond cardiovascular training and opens the competitive field up to everyone. Until you cross the finish line, you’ll be unable to work out who you are truly working against, and therefore, if you skip points or go for one extra, it has little meaning in the moment – you’ll just have to trust your gut.
Oh and there are bonuses…… how they apply, well, you’ll have to find out!
And whats more, all proceeds go to 2 great charities. Sporting Force, a veterans sports charity, helping forces personal transition into civilian life through the professional sports industry. My Black Dog, a peer to peer mental health support charity, offering free and anonymous web based chats with people who get it.
So, if you want to challenging your brain, embrace curiosity and spend a couple of hours with a friend in a spectacular forest, you can find all about the Brain Race and Enter HERE
This is not a paid or sponsored post
James Mackeddie 