EMA 1999 - THE RACE

EMA 1999 The 1999 Expedition Mata Atlantica Adventure Race kicked off its second edition with great success in exotic Brazil!!! EMA Race Directors promised a multi-day, non-stop, 410K - adventure race over the rugged terrain of Sao Paulo and Parana and they came through on all accounts. The course was designed as an expedition race with no dark zones or mandatory stops, with two time cutoffs that, if not met, sent racers to compete in either the alternative or the adventure race categories. As a result, almost every team competing was able to finish one of three races!!
The grueling course, covering trails and roads of the Mata Atlantica, encompassed 165K of mountain biking, 110K of trekking, 125K canoeing, 1,7K caving, 6.5K white water tubing and an epic 125M rappel into the mouth of a cavern. For the first time ever, the competitors could opt (prior to race start) in which manner to negotiate a particular leg; choosing either trekking or mountain biking. The race covered over 24,000 feet of elevation. The 33 teams were comprised of three members each (composed of both sexes), with a 2 person support crew. The race included an elite field of noted international and American adventure racers such as Team New Zealand's Aiden Craig (1st place 1998 Southern Traverse), Tania Pearce and John Knight (winners of EMA98). Competing against the favorites were 3 American teams: Team Outlast/Mountain-Quest with Barry Siff, LizCalwell and Jack Crawford, Team GMAC/KPG Brasil consisting of Kip Richards, Jim Hertz and Elise Harrington, and Team Agrias/Gail Bodie(US/Brasil) with Shane Michel Nachin, Arnold Dale Blankenship and Brazilian Anja Oest, and 2 Argentinian teams: Team Rio de la Plata and Team Argentina (EcoChallenge Competitors). The rest of the field consisted of Brazilian nationals and one local favorite Team Pedal Power/CanAir (2nd place EMA98).
At 8 AM, on August 18th, the race kicked off with an exciting mass individual start to the 6.5K white water tubing leg. The white water tubes challenged each of the 99 competitors through level 1/11 rapids, interspersed with a few intimidating rocky sections. All in all only one minor injury occurred, a dislocated finger on Team Outlast/Mountain-Quest Barry Siff. Following the challenging tubing trip, the teams transitioned to a short but challenging 17.5K mountain bike leg. The racers continued from here, trekking 17K to checkpoint 3 and then yet another grueling 19K to checkpoint 4. Leaving checkpoint 3, as expected, the pre-race favorite Team New Zeland was leading the pack by a few minutes at 10:55PM on Day 1, as they headed to the mouth of the cavern section at checkpoint 4. This particular leg decided the entire race for many teams as they struggled to make the 70 hour time cut off in order to continue in the Expedition Race. The next team to reach the entrance to the cave was Brazilian Team Endurance at 5:45AM Day 2. This leg ended the race for 10 teams while another 11 teams were diverted to the Alternative Race due to time constraints. Out of the unfortunate 10 teams that were forced to retire at this stage, Team Neblina never made their way out of the brush and had sounded the Personal Locator Device for emergency rescue. Race management acted immediately with support and rescued the troubled team the morning of Day 3. Luckily, the team was not severely injured and only one racer suffered a minor case of hypothermia.
After reaching the exit of the cavern at checkpoint 5, the racers negotiated a short .5K trek to checkpoint 6, where they chose either to continue trekking or change to mountain biking for the next leg of 23K through checkpoint 7 (which included the epic 125 meter rappel in to the mouth of a cavern), checkpoint 8 and then onto checkpoint 9 which brought them to the first time cutoff of 70 hours. Team New Zealand at this time had already built a significant lead but had lost many hours on the trekking leg to checkpoint 9. Leaving checkpoint 9 and onto a 65K mountain bike leg, it looked like the race was the Kiwi's once again unless a fatal error occurred. At this time only 7 remaining teams were still competing in the Expedition Race. The Kiwi's reached checkpoint 10 by mountain bike and then began the grueling 24K mountain trek to checkpoint 11 in first place. This particular leg was agonizing for the Kiwi's and pushed Team New Zealand into 4th place. Here the struggle to catch the 3 Brazilian teams was now as real as it could ever be. At checkpoint 11, the 27K canoeing leg began. This particular leg proved fatal for Team Max/Track and Field who crashed their canoe on some rocks and had to portage 20K to checkpoint 12. Following checkpoint 12, another 81.5K mountain biking leg tested the competitors through the next few checkpoints to checkpoint 15 and the second time cutoff of 90 hours. The intense competition for first place continued and only 4 teams were able to make the time before cutoffand continue the Expedition Race. They then faced a trekking 26K leg, which began by swimming 110M across a river and then wandering through a bug infested swamp to checkpoint 16. During this leg, all 4 teams had trouble navigating through the night and the three Brazilian Teams decided to reach checkpoint 16 together and start the last canoeing portion to the finish together. The biggest surprise of the race was the withdrawal of Team New Zealand who opted to return back to checkpoint 15 and call it a day.
On Day 4 at 3PM, 2 Brazilian teams, Quasar and Lontra Radical arrived at checkpoint 16 and the 3rd Team, Pedal Power, arrived 2 hours later, exhausted but content to have only the long 98K canoe section remaining. Race management shortened the course by 20K so that the Expedition Race could still finish in 5 days.
The first team to reach the finish line in Costa Azul in a total time of 114 hours was Team Quasar consisting of the oldest competitor 56 year old Guido Lorenzo Botto, a 19 year old Brazilian Woman and Rafael Reyes de Campo. The second place team was Team Lontra Radical consisting of Victor A. Teixera, 20 year old Karina Bacha and Admir Gomes de Moraes. The third place team was Pedal Power/CanAir with Eduardo Coelho, and couple Marcelo and Simone Maciel. At the awards ceremony, the father of adventure racing, Gerard Fusil, of the Elf Authentic Adventure offered to the first all Brazilian Team, Lontra Radical, a free slot to compete in the Elf which will take place in Northern Brazil April 2000.
The title sponsors for this years EMA99 race were Sintese Asset Management and RED BULL - The Energy Drink. Public interest and media exposure grew exponentially this year and live updates were provided by WebAdventure during the event. Numerous print journalists were on hand covering the event with countless publications pending from every major newspaper and magazine in Brazil: Trekking, ESPN Brasil, Playboy, and Outside magazine to name a few.
All the racers were extremely pleased with Race Director Alexandre Freitas and Staff. Aiden Craig stated at the finish "I have never not finished an adventure race in my entire career competing. Our largest challenges in this race were the maps and the inability to communicate with locals during the race.
Next year I'll brush up on my Portuguese." This years race placed the EXPEDITION MATA ATLANTICA on the map as one of the top adventure races in the world. Next year were looking to have more at least 15 international teams competing. Next year's EMA2000 promises to be yet another epic adventure racing event. The field will be limited to 50 teams and information on registration will be provided after the millenium.
Congratulations to the Brazilian Teams who put up a valient effort to the finish.

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