The inaugural iROC™ event took place on the 18th and 19th April 2009 and was a big success! Event Sponsors inov-8 said “since the event we have been flooded with emails from competitors and the feedback has been universally excellent. The various web forums have been alive with tales from the weekend and we are looking forward to supporting the 2010 event; details of which are now available on the iROC website”.

iROC™ was fortunate to enjoy continuous sunshine throughout the weekend and competitors traveled from as far afield as Ireland, Holland, Germany and the USA to swell the number of entries to 222. One competitor, Chris Lumb, even cycled all the way from Keswick to take part… that’s over 50 miles!

Saturday morning kicked off with the first race of the weekend, 15km of hilly fell running and Morgan Donnelly (team inov-8) cruised round the course to comfortably claim first place in 01:03:07. Anna Frost was the first female back in 01:14:46 and also an impressive 13th place overall. The competitors were then able to enjoy some downtime before the first of the orienteering races, which Tim Higginbottom (Team inov-8) won in 01:02:09 and Zoe Fleming was the first female back in 01:19:05. Unfortunately Tim had to retire later on due to an injury.

Race Director Shane Ohly takes up the story, “With only two of the weekend’s six races completed many of the competitors already looked tired and I was concerned that I had designed the courses too hard. However, the philosophy of iROC™ was to have six individual races that only become an adventure race when competitors race each one consecutively throughout the weekend”.

As dusk fell, race 3 (a score format orienteering race) marked the start of a very tough evening, which saw three races in quick succession, with some competitors finishing well after midnight. Phil Winskill picked up the honours in the first race of the evening, clearing the course in a time of 00:49:28. Nicola MacLeod was the winning female with a score of 470. Half an hour later the Night MTB Time trial started with the fastest competitors from the day so far, setting out first on a very technical course that had been the main subject of conversation during the day between the competitors, who had run down it earlier that morning. Brian Harrison completed the course in 00:27:12 to claim first place and Nicola MacLeod was once again, the first female to finish in 00:33:45. Some very weary competitors gathered under the start/finish arch for the final race of the day at 11pm; the night fell race. Once again Morgan Donnelly dominated winning in 00:45:19 with Anna Frost finishing in 00:53:16 as the first female.

Wayne Edy from race sponsors inov-8 continues the story, “After a full day of racing the competitors were knackered but had clearly had an amazing time racing in the darkness. iROC is unique in offering a night Fell Race and a night MTB Time Trial in one evening and competitors obviously enjoyed the demanding evening of racing”.

Sunday morning started hazy but very soon it burnt off and the competitors enjoyed some fantastic weather for the 4 hour MTB Enduro. Once again Morgan Donnelly won, completing eight laps of the hilly and technical course in 04:14:36. Nicola MacLeod was the winning female completing six laps in 04:02:29.

Competitors praise for the event has been universal with the various internet forums alive with positive experiences and stories of sore legs since the event. Bruce Duncan from Team Helly Hansen UK (1st mixed team at iROC™ and winner of the Patagonia Expedition Race) said “iROC was a really tough race; every event was full on… I really enjoyed it though. A good format, very sociable, yet quality racing too. The location was perfect; brutal on the mind and body, which is good. I like events where you have to overcome the mind”.

Matthew Moore, from County Durham Tourism Partnership comment that “iROC™ was a first rate, action packed, professionally organised weekend that highlight the natural beauty and tourism potential of the region and has the potential to become one of County Durham’s top outdoor events in the future”.

inov-8 and the iROC™ team would like to thank all concerned for helping to make the event such a success.