Technical sportswear brand Helly Hansen, and adventure race organisers TrailPlus, are adding a third dimension to their hugely successful Adventure Challenge Series with the Helly Hansen Adventure-X at Lakeside YMCA National Centre, in Cumbria. The first adventure decathlon, it’s a ground-breaking multi-activity race on land and water. Expected to attract some of the UK’s leading adventure athletes, Adventure-X is limited to 30 teams (three per team) and has the added appeal of over £4,000 in prize money!

The unique format, described as a two day adventure decathlon, takes place on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 March 2009. Saturday will consist of nine exhilarating disciplines designed to get the heart pounding and the head spinning. They include rock climbing, assault course, adventure biathlon, mountain bike challenge, fell race, ropes challenge, sailing, canoeing, and night time navigation. The 10th event, and final test, is on the Sunday, when the Adventure-X teams compete with up to 200 other teams in the Helly Hansen Adventure Challenge Series.

The three person teams (male, female and mixed) must stay together, as their skill, endurance and resolve are tested on land and water. Notoriously difficult to focus on a target with a raised heart rate, the adventure biathlon is likely to feature a cardio sport, such as biking or running, followed by a target event such as archery. Those meanies.

The £4,000 prize fund will be split as £2,500 to the first overall team; £1,000 to the second; and £500 to the third. Plus, 4th-6th placed teams, the first overall mixed team and the first overall female team will each receive Helly Hansen technical gear.

Registration is now open! To apply for an entry pack, {encode=”[email protected]” title=”email the team”} or telephone 01457 855425. The team entry fee is £350 and includes two night’s camping at the venue and all equipment (excluding mountain bike and helmet).