The inaugural ITERA-lite Adventure Race, staged by Durty Events, will see competitors arriving in Selkirk in the Scottish Borders from all around the UK, France, The Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand and Ireland. They will gather at Selkirk Rugby Club on Thursday and Friday, and the 345km race will start at an undisclosed location at 4pm on Friday 28th after registration, safety checks and the race briefing.

In ITERA-lite (so called because it’s the little brother of the epic ITERA 5-day Expedition race) teams are comprised of either pairs or fours, and there is the option to go for a full course finish or take short course options along the route. Mixed sex teams of 4 will be competing for ARWS Europe ranking points and the race winners will claim a place at the ARWS European Championship, to be staged in the French Alps at the end of September. (The winners there gain a free place at the 2024 AR World Championships in Ecuador.)

Durty Events, whose HQ is in Selkirk, are the leading off-road multi-sports event organiser in Scotland, and Event Director Paul McGreal has worked on previous ITERA expedition races (and competed in some). He said, “ITERA-lite has been meticulously designed to offer a manageable stepping stone for aspiring adventure racers, a valuable training opportunity for seasoned teams, and a stand-alone thrilling adventure in its own right. In our first year we’re proud to be a member race of the Adventure Racing World Series (ARWS) Europe and to welcome international teams.”

Competitors can expect a course with 345km of non-stop multi-sport action with stages comprising trekking, mountain-biking, kayaking, navigation, as well as two challenging special stages. The course will take competitors to some hidden gems across the South of Scotland, which was recently announced as one of Lonely Planet’s best travel destinations for 2023.

The anticipated winning time is approximately 40 hours and all teams will aim to complete the race within the 60 hour time limit. The race will cater to both competitive and novice teams. For the teams seeking a more accessible route, shortcuts will be available, ensuring that the thrill and excitement of expedition adventure racing is open to all.

Nineteen teams of 4 will be racing, including Karlstad Multisport Green of Sweden, Team ZigZag from The Netherlands and 3 teams from Ireland. The Irish team called ‘Ladies First’ is the only all female team taking part. Many of the top British teams and racers of recent years are taking part. Two teams have members who are former World Champions and there are several racers who took part in Amazon Prime’s epic Eco-Challenge race in Fiji.

Twenty-two pairs are expected on the start line, and if anything the competition in this category could be even more intense. Four experienced Irish pairs will be racing, there is one pair from France racing and Team DanJana Banana is listed as coming from Bangladesh.

Team UK/NZ are brothers Dave and Ali Dixon. Dave is travelling from New Zealand to race with Ali, who lives in Keswick and after the Covid disruption this is the first chance they have had to catch up since 2019! Another pair of Brothers are Kenneth and Allister Short, racing as the ‘Short Brothers’. They will have far less distance to travel to the start as they are from Hawick in the Borders (10 miles away from race HQ), so they will know the area and have some local support.

Commenting on this exciting addition to the adventure race scene, Durty Events Founder and ITERA Race Organiser, Paul McGreal, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "We’re very excited that we have been able to introduce ITERA-lite as an accessible introduction to adventure racing and a stepping stone to ITERA. We believe adventure racing is really going to take off in the UK, and we’ll be at the forefront of that. The Scottish Borders is the perfect playground for adventure racing so prepare for an unforgettable experience! ITERA-lite is the gateway to the heart-pounding world of adventure racing.”

For further information see the official ITERA-lite website at www.itera.co.uk, where you’ll also be able to follow the live tracking of all of the teams throughout the race.

You can see all of the teams and the live tracking at: https://live.durtyevents.com/iteralite23/

You can follow updates on the race on Facebook at;

- @durtyeventsadventureracing
- @arwseurope
- @sleepmonsters