The Polaris Challenge

The Polaris Challenge is a unique event held three times a year and is billed as the ultimate test of mountain bike skill.

It combines endurance mountain biking with navigation skills and has been running since 1991 when Mad Cow Racing first got involved.

The classic format held in spring is two days of orienteering in a wilderness area. Riders must compete for seven hours on the Saturday and five on the Sunday. Just to make it interesting, riders must camp at a wilderness site on the Saturday night, so must carry all their equipment with them.

Riders are given a map at registration marked with numerous checkpoints. However what you don't know is which checkpoints are "live" that day, what points you get for each one or where the overnight camp is. You receive this information a short way down the road at the "giveout".

Here you have to mark up your map and plan your route for the day and attempt to score as many points as possible in seven hours and make your way to the overnight camp (there are penalties for being late).

Sunday is a repeat, with five hours to get back to the start. Riders (Teams of two or solos) can make their own route choice, so the result is hundreds of riders heading off all over the countryside.

The Summer Polaris uses the same rules but the overnight camp is back at the start, this means you don't have to carry all your kit with you and the overnight includes catering, a bar and a band. So a great way for beginners to sample the delights of the Polaris. The newly altered Autumn Polaris is a combination of the two but with an extra night time session thrown in, I have yet to try that yet.

Tony competing in the Autumn 2004 event in the South East Lake District

The Polaris and Mad Cow Racing have a combined history and this page will be developed to cover some of the interesting times we have had over the years! I'm currently in training as I have entered the Autumn 2008 Polaris to be held in the Grizedale Forest in the Lake District, which is exactly where the photograph above was taken.