Brains and brawn on show at the Outward Bound Adventure Race
Competitors kayaked, swam and were quizzed in the annual Outward Bound Adventure Race
Taxi drivers, firemen, bankers, "desperate housewives" and other adventure racers gathered yesterday for a test of brains as well as brawn at the annual Outward Bound Adventure Race.
In teams of four, with names like the HK Sea Cucumbers, YOLO, and Desperate Housewives, they ran, swam, kayaked, and answered quick-fire questions along the 15 to 19.5 kilometre trails across Hong Kong Island to Stanley.
"There was a lot of bushwhacking. As you can see everyone is scratched," said Magdalena Cvetkovic, a 30-year-old associate director at Swiss bank UBS, pointing at the red criss-cross marks on her legs. Others around her were also nursing battle wounds as they lay about Stanley plaza recuperating from the race.
The conditions were favourable this year, with the skies blue and a balmy breeze blowing through the morning.
In the elite category tackling the 19.5 kilometre route, the fastest team, CORES, finished in three hours and 34 minutes.
On the 15km challenge route, Operation Breakthrough finished an impressive three hours and 26 minutes after they started.
The race is the 12th in a series of annual fundraisers for Outward Bound Hong Kong to raise money to help underprivileged groups in the city take part in its outdoor education and adventure programmes.