- Jay Challenge
The Jay Challenge has historically been a combination
adventure race andtriathlon that occurs yearly in and aroundJay, Vermont . It is a three-day event comprised of a 26 milekayak trip from the northern to southern end ofLake Memphremagog , a 30.5 mile run over rough terrain and 65 miles of mountain biking. It claims to be "the largest offroad stage race in North America", with 700-1000 racers each year. There is no cash prize and no sponsor. The course record, held by Mike Morris, is 19 hours and 20 minutes. Phil Bubel, has won the race in both 2005 and 2006.In 2007, the Jay Challenge has been scaled back to only the running portion, and temporarily re-titled "The Ultimate XC Challenge." Participants hailed from 34 US states and 3 countries.
In 2008, the Ultimate XC Series has expanded to three ultra-running races which include Quebec in June, Jay, Vermont in July, and Moab, Utah in November.
The Vermont edition of this race series is a 33 mile "marathon" and an 18-mile "half-marathon." The course is almost completely on private property and almost 100% trails. The trails are rugged and muddy and include a variety of brook running, river crossings, steep hills, technical descents, bushwacking, and even a sand pit. The race is limited to 400 for the full race and 200 for the half. Most runners who complete the full race take 2-3 times as long as their best times for a road marathon.
External links
* [http://www.ultimatexc.com/ Official site]
* [http://www.boston.com/sports/articles/2006/07/28/jay_challenge_is_quite_the_grueling_adventure/?page=2 Boston Globe article]
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