ECARS season wraps up with ECARS Championship Race

The end of the 2012 East Coast Adventure Racing Series season is upon us as American Adventure Sports wraps up the year at the ECARS Championship race in a few short weeks. It has been an awesome season with great races and some truly tough competition. Everyone is extremely proud of what has been accomplished this year in the organization. As a culmination of the past 6 months and 12 races, AAS will be hosting the ECARS Championship Race September 14-15 at Seven Springs Resort, Seven Springs, PA with Honorary race director and guest speaker Mike Kloser. Competition is tight since teams are so close in score; almost no team has a sure and easy win. This race is essential as a last chance for the teams to duke it out for a strong finish with as many points as possible. There are 300 points up for grabs for a 1st place finish in each race division, which can make or break the final rankings. Here’s how things look so far.

In the solo division, Earl Blanchard (aka Spirit Runner) is one of the few teams that has pulled away from the pack for a dominating lead. He secured his spot at the top thanks to back-to-back first place finishes in the Yough Extreme and Lionheart races. He currently has 662 point with his nearest competitor, Jason Ferro (Team Koodah), in second place with 190 points. Although Blanchard cannot be passed at this point, 2nd and 3rd place are still up for grabs.

The 2 person division has had a very interesting season thus far. The co-ed division has been dominated by Team Fortitude all year who has established a commanding lead with 722 points. At this point, there is no way they can be bumped out of the lead. The team in second, Team HD, has 400 points, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe just yet. Since there are 300 points up for grabs in the Championship for a 1st place finish, the teams in 3rd through 5th place still have a chance to sneak in and snag the 2nd or 3rd place spot. The 2 person male division top spot can be claimed by anyone at this point. Till now, Blame It On the Goose leads with 328 points, but only 250 points separate them from the 10th place team. Those 300 points available to the winner of this division definitely mean a last minute comeback isn’t out of the question.

The same goes for the 3 person male category. Carpe Vitam and ARPathfinder are now tied for 1st with 200 points each, but the Back Creek Boys in 7th place have a clear shot of coming back with only a 120 point deficit.

There has been some fierce competition this season in the Elite division. These professional level teams have been training for months to get to this point. The top 3 teams are GOALS ARA, Rev3 Adventure/Mountain Khakis, and Team SOG with 876, 842 and 786 points respectively. They aren’t in the clear just yet though because there are two teams right on their heels. With all the points up for grabs this final race, it is truly anyone’s game. We can’t wait to see how all of this will play out at the Championship.

*For complete rankings, visit eastcoastadventureracing.com*

The racers attending the 2012 ECARS Championship can look forward to a midnight start Saturday, September 15th from Seven Springs Mountain Resort. This competition will be packed with mountain biking, trekking, trail running, orienteering, and team challenges across an 85 mile course for 18 hours exploring the rugged Laurel Highlands. This thrilling race is open to ANYONE up for a challenge. You may race in it even if you or your team isn’t registered with ECARS or have never raced in a previous ECARS event. You may sign up as a solo or up to a team of four. Athletes who competed in the ECARS prior to the Championship will be eligible to win $25,000 worth of cash and prizes.

The top 5 Coed Elite Teams overall in the ECARS series will be eligible to win parts of the $10,000 cash prize purse. Elite Coed Teams MUST BE PRESENT AT THE CHAMPIONSHIP TO BE AWARDED CASH PRIZES. In the event that your Elite Co-Ed Team is not present for the Championship and is eligible for a cash prize, the money will be awarded to the next ranking team in the series WHO IS PRESENT.

Upon race completion the final rankings for the 2012 series will be calculated adding in the final results from the ECARS Championship which is weighted as a 48HR+ race with 3 merit points.

Elite Prize Purse Break Down:
1. $4,000
2. $2,800
3. $1,800
4. $900
5. $500

There is also plenty of awesome gear up for grabs:

. Greenlayer- ECARS Ozone Champion Jackets
. Darn Tough Vermont Socks
. S.O.G. Knives & Tools
. Switch Magnetic Eyewear
. Liberty Bottles
. Honey Stinger Assorted Products
. Headsweats Hats and Visors
. Princeton Tec Assorted Headlamps
. ENO Hammocks
. Soleus G.P.S Watches
. Elete Electrolyte Add-Ins
. American Adventure Sports Gift Card
. Cablz Eyewear Retainers
. Scott Running Shoes
. Mystery Prizes

ALL competitors who sign up will receive:

. Greenlayer Technical Wear
. Dog Tags for Ranked Racers & Finishers
. Free Dinner Buffet Saturday
. Chance to mingle with Honorary Race Director and Legend: Mike Kloser

Limited to the first 100 people to sign up:

. Vintage Lava Gear Singlets
. Customized Individual Key Chains

*The ECARS Championship Race is not only a USARA Qualifier, It is also a Regional Series Final making it worth an Additional 20 Points in the United States Adventure Racing National Series. The winners will receive a free entry for the USARA National Championship!!!

This year, there will be special guest and honorary race director, Mike Kloser. American Adventure Sports and The East Coast Adventure Racing Series is thrilled to announce that Mike Kloser, 4 time Adventure Racing WorldChampion, World Mountain Bike Champion, World Long Distance OrienteeringChampion, 3 time Eco Challenge Champion, and 5 time Primal Quest Champion, will be joining us for the ECARS Championship.

“I’m very excited to be the Honorary Race director and the official guest speaker for the East Coast Adventure Racing Series Championship at 7 Springs Mountain Resort, Sept 14th-15th. It’s been sometime since Adventure Racing has had a series like the ECARS and 7 Springs Mountain Resort will be a fantastic venue for hosting the Championships for an event of this caliber! I think this is the start for a great future and will certainly help bring Adventure Racing back into the limelight of which it deserves!” – Mike Kloser

To view the complete details for the ECARS Championship Race online or to register your team, please visit http://www.americanadventuresports.com/race_info.php?race=6

And just because the adventure racing season is over doesn’t mean that the fun must stop! American Adventure Sports is hosting the first annual Trailapalooza trail running festival which is sure to be one wickedly interesting weekend full of spooktacular competition perfect for the entire family. Teams or individuals will be running in 3 different time classes for varying distances trying to rack up as many points as they can in their allotted time. Teams with the most points at the end of competition win. The race starts at 10 AM Saturday, October 27th, and ends the following day at 10 AM.
Since this is Halloween weekend, we strongly encourage costumes, and be ready to Howl at the Moon. And for those who are finished running, or who just want to go for the party, there will be many other mini-competitions and events. And yes, there will be prizes!!

This event is perfect for the novice runner to the ultra-marathoner and for the entire family. Please check out www.Trailapalooza.com for complete details for the weekend, how the trail competition works, and all other events/competitions taking place.

When you sign up, be sure to use the promo code TRLPZA12 for $10 off registration!