For anyone lucky enough to be out and about this weekend Im sure you will be able to appreciate the fantastic weather that the Radio Aire challengers had for their Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge on Sunday. Cool weather and clear skies were almost perfect conditions for the 26 mile circuit of Pen Y Ghent, Whernside and Inglebrough! With 22 people taking part we were delighted that everyone made it around with our fastest walker doing it in just 8 1/2 hours! The tired walkers were off to celebrate in style at the Malmaison Hotel in Leeds when we left them! Well done to everyone who took part. Radio Aire walkers were raising money for Cash For Kids!!
HI All!
There is a poster available in both A4 and A5 for the upcoming Whole Hog events. If you are interested in getting one ‘personalised’ then let Carrie know at carrie@eightpointtwo.co.uk.
This last weekend was the
1st of the years BIG events. Manchester United FC was kind enough to host an abseil on behalf of Francis House, Cystic Fibrosis Trust and the New Childrens Hospital Appeal. We had 2 very busy days which went very smoothly. Thanks to all invovled, especially the Manchester United Foundation who facilitate these type of events on a regular basis.
We had our first open abseil at the weekend at the Manchester Velodrome. The site makes a great charity abseil venue, its warm, its high and its quite scarey! It was a great day and was well represented with brave soles abseiling on behalf of the Sea Shells Trust, CF Trust, Kids Can, Christies and MGA. Well done to all those that took part!
For more charity abseil open events take a look at www.eightpointtwo.co.uk and follow the links to our open events. Eight Point Two hold open abseils in venues around the UK.
By the way – pictures for the weekend are available at www.fotoevents.biz
Having just had the coldest Winter in 30 years (and its still cold) running charity abseil events has been a bit of an exercise in keeping warm! However, we have managed to keep warm and have run 3 succesful abseil events for the charities which we work with.
First up was the Government of London staff raising money for Haiti at River Walk House, London. Then, the following day we ran an abseil, again at RiverWalk House, for Clic Sargent . It was a cold day but, as always, Riverwalk House has some amazing views over London!
Finally, just this last weekend we ran an abseil for Christian Aid at the Mersey Vent. Again, another cold abseil but the day went smoothly and some valuable money was raised for the charities involved.
Hopefully things are going to start warming up soon and we can enjoy a great Spring and Summer??!
We get a lot of enquiries in the office at this time of year regarding the Whole Hog’s. People asking how far they will have to run,whether they are fit enough, what sort of challenges will there be? So, to help, below is a list of our most commonly asked questions (along with the answers).
It seems that there are an increasing number of ‘off road’ challenge races and adventure races and it is difficult to set them apart. So, the following few paragraphs will, hopefully, help to explain what we do and why the runners who complete them think they are so brilliant.
How far will I have to run during the race?
The answer is somewhere between 10 and 14km. The actual distance is always listed on the course notes on our website at www.eightpointtwo.co.uk as it varies from course to course. More important than the distance is the terrain you will cover – you should expect it to be undulating, uneven under foot and most probably wet and muddy. Dont expect to achieve your PB on one of our races. Our 10km races are normally won in around an hour and the final competitors normally stagger in at 3 hours!
Am I fit enough to complete a Whole Hog?
As always a bit of training will always help. People do walk our events and we dont expect everyone to be hairing round the course. We also have plenty of runners taking part from triathlon clubs, running clubs etc and they certainly provide the competitve edge.
What sort of challenges will I face on the Whole Hog?
You’ll be climbing, crawling, sliding & sometimes wading through mud and water. The challenges are tough but they are also great fun. Expect to have to go the ‘Whole Hog ‘during our events.
What if I can’t do or don’t want to do an individual challenge?
You can take the Piglet Option if you wish. There will be a time penalty incurred by your team for sitting out an obstacle.
I’ve never done an event like this, is it for me?
The Whole Hog can be whatever you want it to be; a full on race or a fun day out for you and some friends. Some training is advisable to make it less of an ordeal. Weve had 1000’s of people completing the races in Suffolk, Hambleden, Walesby and Alton and they keep coming back for more.
Do we have to raise money for charity when I do the Whole Hog races?
No. You can if you want to but it isnt manadtory.
If I wanted to raise money for charity whilst doing the Whole Hog how would I go about it?
Contact your charity of choice and they will be able to help you. Or, google the relevant Whole Hog closest to you and see which charities are involved.
How many people make up a team?
Three people per team. We have single sex teams, mixed teams and veteran teams.
What facilities will be available on the day of the race?
Car parking (please try to car share). Refreshments, snacks and a Hog Roast. Changing facilities: showers are not always available so please some prepared.
Is there an age limit on the Whole Hogs?
Lower age of 16 years. There is no upper age limit but we suggest participants seek advice from their GP if they are not regular exercise takers.
Where can I take part in 2010?
8th May 2010 – Balfron, nr Glasgow (on behalf of Marie Curie)
13th June 2010 – Hambleden, near Henley on Thames
20th June 2010 – Alton Towers, Alton
7th November 2010 – Wantisden Hall, Suffolk
21st November 2010 – Walesby Forest, Nottinghamshire
What do people like about the Whole Hog’s?
We have always been very pleased by the feedback given but we pride ourselves on listening to our runners. we have entered plenty of races ourselves so we know what works and what doesnt: Heres what people say:
“It was fantastic, a great race and we especially liked the fact that there wasnt a ridiculous amount of queuing”.
“Very well organised – the best race I have ever entered”
“Brilliant obstacles and great fun”
If you want to find out more about the Whole Hog’s then please contact us at wholehogs@eightpointtwo.co.uk
We had our first abseil this weekend of 2010! Ian and Stuart headed down to London to abseil Clic Sargent supporters at Riverwalk House.
Next Tuesday Eight Point Two has an article coming out in the Independent on the Whole Hog! Below is a sneak preview:-
Described as ‘it’s a knock out’but without thegiant costumesor Belgians,The Whole Hog is a Nationwide annual race series launched in 2007. Whether running through forests, wading across rivers or sliding down hills, each race venue has its own unique challenges and obstacles with guaranteed fun, laughs and mud! The Whole Hog is run in teams of three individuals competing for prizes in several categories and is perfect for fundraising, corporate events or just a personal challenge.
The Whole Hog is organised by Eight Point Two, specialists in adventures for charity. For more information visit www.eightpointtwo.co.uk/thewholehog or call 0114 233 5858.
With all the cold and grim weather that has been hitting the UK over the past few months its difficult to imagine a time when you will be able to get outdoors without frozen fingers and a runny nose! Its also very difficult to get motivated for any training which you might have in mind (rememeber those New Years resolutions you made to stop drinking, eat better and do more exercise??).
We thought that it was time to give you a little inspiration for 2010..
We have 3 Challenges events to ‘tickle your fancy’. You dont have to be superfit to do any of them but a little training goes a long way!
The Whole Hogs
We now have 4 events in our open events calendar for 2010 plus we are running an additional events for Marie Curie (Scotland) and Safe at Last (Sandbeck – Nottinghamshire). You should expect to run/walk around 6 to 8 miles over cross country terrain. We usually go looking for hills, bogs and mud so expect to get muddy, wet and tired. There are normally around 20 additional challenges and obstacles to negotiate on the way but they dont require any technical knowledge, more just an ability to grin and bear a little discomfort!
To train for these events a bit of running and walking is essential and a bit of upper body strength is often useful. However, all sizes and shapes have completed the events. Expect the event to last bewteen 1 and 3 hours depending on your levels of fitness. A serious workout for everyone!
Yorkshire 3 Peaks
Another great Challenge which should be on everyone’s tick list! The event is comprised of a natural 25 mile circular walk, the Yorkshire Three Peaks starts and finishes at Horton-in-Ribblesdale, visiting the three highest peaks in Yorkshire – Pen-y-ghent (691m), Whernside (728m), and Ingleborough (723m). Its extremely popular with walkers and with charity fundraisers.
To train for this event you need to spend lots of time on your feet so there isnt any specific training needed other than plenty of walking. If you can include a few hills in to your training then all the better. Most people finish the challenge in around 10 – 12 hours which is a long time to be hoofing it around the hills.
You should always remember to take special care of your feet (we recommend carrying zinc tape) and carry good quality waterproof clothing as the conditions can get quite grim!
National 3 Peaks
This is the most demanding challenge of the trio! The challenge is to climb the three highest peaks in England (Scafell 978m), Wales (Snowden 1085m) and Scotland (Ben Nevis 1344m), within 24 hours (dont get too hung up on the time – most people dont make it in under 24 hours as the journeys between the mountains can often be slow)). Having walked this event on several occasions over the past few years I can testify to the amount of training required!
Physically and psychologically this is a difficult challenge to prepare for. Normally you would expect 3 big mountains to climb, a reasonable amount of bad weather, a long journey in a minibus full of tired people, some very tired legs and feet and the added discomfort of having to walk at least one mountain in the dark!
So why do we do it? Well, without a doubt, its a massive achievment and the sense of pride you feel having completed it is enormous! We still get approached by people who completed the challenge years ago remarking on what an incredible thing it was that they done!
To prepare for the National 3 Peaks you need to include lots of time walking, preferably up and down hills! If you are only able to train in gyms then bikes/stairmasters etc are the things to get you going. There is a lot of up and down so get ready for it – your knees take quite a bashing so seriously consider walking poles to alleviate the strain.
Hopefully the Challenges above have got you motivated for some serious fun in 2010. Great to do for yourself – even better to do it for charity! Take a look at the open event dates for 2010 to see whats on offer!
Happy training!
January has been a busy month at 8.2! Its all planning and preperation for the year ahead and also time to take stock of whats coming up. It was also a great month for us – heres just a few jobs we have been appointed as event managers for:
‘Safe at Last’ 10k cross country race at the Sanbeck estate – 30th May 2010
Radio Aires (Cash for Kids) Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge – 11th April 2010
MAG’s Derbyshire Cyle Ride – date tbc
Manchester United FC Abseil – CF Trust, Francis House and The New Childrens Hospital Appeal – 27/28 March 2010
Details for all of the events above can be found on the respective charities websites.
The majority of our open events for 2010 are now up on the site although we are waiting on a few abseil and cycling venues to be confirmed.
And.. Just to prove we arent a bunch of office dwellers heres a picture of Ian loombe, Events Director, on his most recent climbing trip to the Ecrin (southern Alps).
Ice climbing isnt everyone’s cup of tea but he tells us its a lot of fun??
Eight Point Two 