Page 58 - RADC Bulletin 2022

RACE THE SUN – Brecon
LCpl May Fox
RACE THE SUN is a triathlon-based event with the aim of beating the sun in a dawn to dusk timeframe. The annual event hosted by ACTION MEDICAL RESEARCH, found competitors cycling 55-miles, hiking 8 miles and kayaking 2 miles across the open hills and countryside of Brecon, Wales.
Who is ACTION?
ACTION MEDICAL RESEARCH is a leading UK charity that provide vital funds and research to help defeat the diseases affecting sick and disabled babies, children and
young people. It was founded in 1952 by a gentleman named Duncan Guthrie in his quest to find a cure for polio, a condition that affected the lives of many thousands of children including his own daughter, Janet. Early research funded by the charity helped to develop the first oral polio vaccine which eradicated new cases of the disease in the UK. Since then, they’ve continued to fund vital research projects to save and change lives through medical research. This year they are celebrating 70+ years in saving lives.
Event day
There was x3 military teams entered into the event: “RADC Dragons”, “We thought they said RUM” and “Chafing the dream”, all made up of dental staff, x4 persons to
a team. Training started at least 4 months before the event, where individuals took charge of their training and preparation ready for event day. Due to all team members being dotted around the country it was near impossible for a team training session to occur.
Saturday 11th June saw a very early start for our teams. At sunrise, teams set off around 06:45 in the saddle from the event base for the first leg. This consisted of a 15-mile bike ride around the incredible winding roads and lanes of the Brecon Beacons to Cwm Gwdi. This provided us with the first real test for our teams, roughly 300m into the ride
we faced an almighty hill which seemed to never end, there was certainly a few shocked faces to say the least, this hill was just the beginning. However, our teams were full of energy, enthusiastic and high spirited, which
set the mood for the next phase.
After dropping our bikes off with event
marshals and a quick wet/dry drill change we were ready to tackle the hike phase. Setting off at 08:30 our teams filtered through to begin the 8-mile hike up and around Pen Y fan. We picked up our packed lunches on the way and started tucking into a Tuna sandwich with crisps, high energy gels and Haribos all before 09:00. Having our bags stashed with snacks and sweets
to keep us going all day but being dental professionals... oh the guilt... but let’s not tell our patients!
The ascent began immediately as we followed well walked paths, supported by the mountain leader marshals along the way. During this phase we experienced every weather type, but after a long and slow hike to the summit with an altitude of 886m we
56 RADC BULLETIN 2022
CHARITY