The second annual Atmosphere Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race (MOMAR) went off without a hitch on Saturday, June 2, beginning and ending at Burnaby’s Barnet Marine Park.
Team Go Mama Go, Maude Leduc of Halfmoon Bay and Lisa Allen of Sechelt, placed first in the female category and third overall in the 30km Sport Course, coming in at 4:31:14.
According to Allen, the MOMAR is such a fun event because all their favourite sports are packed into one race. Both she and Leduc loved all stages of the race and are already looking forward to their next MOMAR.
“Anything had to be better than last year’s race where we carried an extra 40 pounds of water in our back hatch during the kayak portion and dealt with a broken chain while biking,” said Allen. “This year was smooth sailing. Riding up Cardiac Hill for the second time during a thunderstorm was especially exciting!”
The overall winner for the 50km Enduro Course was Todd Nowack of Brentwood Bay, winning his 10th MOMAR title, crossing the finish line at 4:20:06, just as adverse weather conditions set in.
“We started the day with great weather, but thunderstorms, bringing hail and torrential rain, began just as Todd crossed the finish line, lasting for a few hours,” said race director, Bryan Tasaka. “Racers were soaked and covered in mud when they crossed the finish line — all part of the adventure!”
The Enduro Course includes 10 km of kayaking, six km of trekking, 18 km of mountain biking, a seven km orienteering stage through the Simon Fraser University campus, followed by another six km of biking, then a three km orienteering run.
The 30 km Sport Course includes all the same elements, just 20 km shorter. The exact course route was known to racers only on race day, about an hour before the race began.
The 200-plus racers and volunteers headed to Burnaby from Washington, Oregon and all over B.C.
The final MOMAR event of the year returns to the historic mining town of Cumberland on Sept. 22.
For more information on the MOMAR series, see www.mindovermountain.com.
— Submitted
