A SPECIAL THANKS GOES OUT TO EASTERN MOUNTAIN SPORTS, REI AND BUCKS COUNTY OUTFITTERS!!

The Cradle of Liberty Adventure Races – 2 Great Races, 1 Great Cause
Race Synopsis

Once again the Philadelphia area caught the adventure racing bug with the 3rd annual running of the Cradle of Liberty Adventure Race. Like last year, this year had a 6 hour sprint race added to the original 24 hour event. The race benefited the Gift of Life Donor Awareness Program. The sleepless night the racers spent were for the benefit of those who wait every night for the gift of life.

At 8pm on Saturday June 10, fifteen competitive adventure racing teams lined up at the Gift of Life Building to begin their 100 mile adventure. Urban orienteering through the historic streets of Philadelphia set the pace as teams visited the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the Betsy Ross House, to name a few. Teams commented on the fun part of this race, as they buzzed through the nightlife sections of the city on a busy Saturday night.

Then it was off to some wicked night time mountain biking, which took teams several hours to complete. By the dark early morning hours teams worked their way down the Schuylkill River Trail into Valley Forge National Historic Park. There they would spend several more miles orienteering throughout the park. In the cover of darkness, teams had to locate several historical areas and other checkpoints. Accompanied only by their team mates, the ghosts of the Revolutionary War, and the hundreds of deer that populate the park.

The morning sun now has started to rise, and teams were only half way through the race. Biking the next 20 plus miles into Downingtown to the Vertical Extreme Rock Gym was their next excursion. There teams had an indoor rock gym adventure, just in time to jump back on their bikes and finish their race into Marsh Creek State Park. Some teams made it in time for the evening cut off and the 10 mile paddle that ensued. Others were just glad to have gotten to that part in a difficult race course.

The 24 hour race teams were not alone in their adventures, as 35 other teams joined them around the grounds of Marsh Creek State park and the nearby town of Downingtown. This course offered a shorter adventure, but a challenging one none the less. Twisty trails, deep June foliage, and windy lake conditions added to the challenge for the racers. Teams spent the day mountain biking, rock climbing in Downingtown, foot orienteering, and canoe paddling. The sprint race had a mix of seasoned teams, as well as racers new to the sport. This was a difficult sprint race. The restrictions placed on the race organizers amplified the challenges faced by the teams.

The first 24 hour adventure race teams finished their course in mid afternoon on Sunday. As the sun began to dip in the horizon, the last 24 hour adventure racing teams were cheered on by friends, family, and volunteers as they crossed in an exhausted victory. Meanwhile the sprint race teams were buzzing across the finish line, or desperately trying to finish what they could of the course before the 6 hour time limit had ended.

All teams are to be commended on a job well done. Both races had their own unique challenges. Thanks to all for racing and supporting the Gift of Life Donor Awareness Program. The organization was honored that so many participants were dedicating their day, through thorn bushes, sweat, and bike repairs, to help raise awareness for organ donation. In fact one of the 24 hr racers made a "pit stop" along the race course, and someone asked her what the race was for...when the racer explained it was for the Gift of Life Program, the woman said that her 4 yr old daughter had been killed recently, and they donated all of her organs to help others. Talk about a race stopper! You never know what your'e going to encounter on the race course.