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For further information contact:
Polar Adventures Ltd
18 Neville Road
Kingston
Surrey
KT1 3QX
UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 8549 1457
Fax: +44 (0)20 8241 7914
Eml: info@polarrace.com
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Polar Race Training Schedule
Polar Race 2007
Date |
Activity |
Location |
Sunday, 6 November 2021
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1st Assessment Day
The assessment day will include interviews, psychometric tests
and team exercises.
As experience has shown that much of this is "in the mind",
if we are satisfied of an individual's capability they will
be offered an entry place.
We will run additional assessment days later in the year for
those who have yet to apply. Individual arrangements will be
made for those overseas if necessary.
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Taunton, Somerset
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Saturday, 10 December 2021
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2nd Assessment Day
A re-run of the 1st assessment day for those unable to attend
the November session.
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Taunton, Somerset
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Sunday, 11 December 2021
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Marlborough Downs Yomp
A 'yomp' across the Marlborough Downs. This won't be too
difficult physically, but it does give us an opportunity to
check a base level of fitness and watch people interact.
Click here to see pictures
from last year's romp.
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Marlborough Downs, Wiltshire
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Dates of further training events for Polar Race 2007 have yet to
be announced, but they will roughly follow the 2005 schedule,
below.
Polar Race 2005
Date |
Activity |
Location |
11 Jan 2022
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GPS and Fitness Training
Seminars on finding sponsorship, how to handle the media,
GPS theory and an introduction to land training.
Click here to see pictures
from the event.
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Teddington, London
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15 Feb 2022
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Physical and Team Challenge Day
The Physical aspect will consist of Commando Circuits
designed to assess your physical progress.
The Team aspect will consist of exercises designed to
challenge the ability of entrants to function both in a team
and as a leader while completing various tasks. The tasks
themselves may appear meaningless but are to be carried out
as if your very life depends upon their completion!
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Twickenham, London
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14 Mar 2022
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Assessment Day
For new entrants who have not yet attended an assessment
day. The format will be as for Nov/Dec 2003.
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Hammersmith, London
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18 Apr 2022
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Clothing and Equipment Training (Phase 1)
The first practical introduction to what is required in the
Arctic. Neill Williams will be responsible for the seminars
on clothing and equipment, together with Richard Bull who
ran one of the Polar Race checkpoints in 2003 and has
enormous experience of looking after people on polar
exercises.
The activities will include:
- seminar on clothing
- seminar on equipment
- practical work in groups on clothing and equipment
- clothing measurement
- information on branding of clothing
- discussions on sponsorship.
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Taunton, Somerset
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23 May 2022
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Clothing and Equipment Training (Phase 2)
Continuing education on clothing and equipment, including
'catch-up' sessions for those unable to attend the April
event.
Also, this will be the time to start thinking about
partnering up to form the teams competing in the race.
Click here to see pictures
from the event.
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Teddington, London
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24 May 2022
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Assessment Day
For new entrants who have not yet attended an assessment
day. The format will be as for Nov/Dec 2003.
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Teddington, London
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10 Oct 2021
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Equipment Issue, Responsibilities and Rules
Equipment will be issued to entrants. Clothing can be
checked it fits, and if necessary altered or re-ordered.
The individual roles which teams must assign to members will
be discussed. These roles include navigation,
communications, weapons, etc.
On this day we will also go through the Rules of the Race,
as it is important that everyone understands the boundaries
which we race to; trying to make competition fair, but
never at the risk of safety.
Click here to see pictures
from the event.
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Westonbirt, Gloucestershire
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14 Nov 2021
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Equipment, Food and Packing Training
More equipment will be issued, but the main focus will be on
food, and the art of packing.
For the race, basic rations will be supplied by the
organisers, but teams will want to supplement this with
their own preferences. Teams will be responsible for
packing their own food, and splitting it into batches as
necessary for each leg of the race.
This day will help teams understand the health aspects and
the day-to-day logistics of eating and drinking in the
Arctic.
Click here to see pictures
from the event.
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Westonbirt, Gloucestershire
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5 Dec 2021
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Gun Handling Training
Today's training will be an introduction to gun handling
including, for a bit of fun, a clay pigeon shoot. Use of the
gun to ward off polar bears will be covered properly during
a formal training session in the Arctic, but for those who
have never used a gun before this is a good way of getting
used to handling a gun and dealing with effects such as
recoil.
Click here to see pictures
from the event.
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Wilcot, Wiltshire
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8-9 Jan 2005
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"I'm A Polar Race Contestant, Get Me Out
Of Here!"
A full weekend event where the main aim is to cover
endurance and team work. It will help see where participants
are with regard to both physical and mental preparation.
The activities will include:
- a fitness "wake up call"
- tent and stove handling in the wind and cold
- practical GPS work.
Click here to see pictures
from the event.
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Ogmore-by-Sea, Wales
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20 Feb 2022
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Video Filming and Emergency Signalling Training
In the Arctic, teams will film themselves competing in the
Race, both for their own, and more general, Polar Race
publicity.
This session will include training in the theoretical
aspects, followed by practical application of camera work,
to learn how to get the best results in the extreme
conditions.
The session is being led by Kees 't Hooft, one of the
world's leading adventure cameramen. He has been to Everest
twice, and spent a month in a snow hole in South Georgia in
his quest for the best in action.
The day will also cover use of PLBs -- the emergency GPS
Personal Locator Beacons carried by all competitors in the
Race.
Click here to see pictures
from the event.
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Teddington, London
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20 Mar 2022
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Medical Training
Race doctor, Mike Whiteside, will be discussing general
medical issues with each of the competitors, and then going
on to explore in more detail typical cold weather injuries
that the teams may have to deal with.
Click here to see pictures
from the event.
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Teddington, London
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1-8 Apr 2005
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Arctic Training Week
All racers have a week's hands-on training in the Arctic
prior to the race. During this week a recap will be given
of all previous training sessions, together with practical
lessons and acclimatisation to the extreme conditions that
can't be replicated anywhere else on the globe.
The week will include a two-night mini-expedition to give
racers a real taste of the Arctic. This will help our
racers get over the initial 'arctic shock' that plagues all
newcomers to the polar regions.
The training will also recap:
- cold weather safety - the 'buddy system'
- polar bear safety - awareness and protection
- medical safety - minor first-aid and accessing the
race doctor for bigger injuries
- emergency safety - PLBs (Personal Locator Beacons) and
the emergency procedures
- communications - satellelite phone
- firearms
- clothing systems / moisture management
- food, nutrition and hygiene
- sleeping out in the Arctic
- skiing techniques
- pulk hauling techniques
- navigation
- race rules and tactics.
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Northern Canada
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9 Apr to May 2005
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Polar Race 2005
From Resolute Bay to the Magnetic North Pole.
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74°42'N 94°50'W
to
78°36'N 104°12'W
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