On the 30th of March, 2013, FoEME, in conjunction with Wild and Free Adventures and the Jordan Triathlon Federation will be organizing a triathlon at Ziglab Lake. By having this event at the Sharhabil Bin Hassneh Ecopark FoEME hopes to create a greater awareness of the EcoPark, while Wild and Free Adventures also hopes to encourage more people to realize the beautiful landscape that Jordan has and how it is prime for adventure racing.
The triathlon will consist of two courses.
One for those new to adventure racing and one for the more seasoned athlete. The entry level course is called the “Super Sprint”. This course will include a 400 m swim, a 10 km road cycle and a 4 km run. In all, this course should take around an hour to finish. The longer course, called the “Sprint” should present a challenge to any athlete. With a 750 m swim, a 15 km cycle (3 km which will be off road on steep terrain) and a 6 km run. By having two separate courses Wild and Free Adventures hopes to attract individuals from all ages and athletic abilities. For both courses there will also be a team relay option, where 3 people form a team and each one does only one of the race disciplines of swim, cycle and run. This team option is generally very popular, as it allows people to race together with their friends, but also takes into consideration that some people are naturally stronger in one of the events.
Matt Loveland, the owner of Wild and Free Adventures, formed a partnership with FoEME after camping at the Sharhabil Bin Hassneh EcoPark. Matt and his friends were actually the first people to have ever camped at the EcoPark. During his stay there, Matt came to realize that the Sharhabil Bin Hassneh EcoPark was a beautiful site that would be a great location for organizing a triathlon. From there, he began coordinating with FoEME and the partnership was established.
Wild and Free Adventures has been born from a combination of love for the outdoors and the desire to build more cohesive work environments through effective leadership training and team building. It is the goal of Wild and Free Adventures to develop these leadership training and teambuilding courses through non-traditional exercises outside of the office, pushing people out of their comfort zones to achieve things they didn’t think possible. In addition to its leadership and team building courses, Wild and Free Adventures is seeking to introduce adventure racing to Jordan, hoping to realize this goal through a variety of multi-disciplined events including: Running, Cycling, Canoeing, Swimming, Climbing and Orienteering (navigating).
Prices for this event have yet to be set. However, check Wild and Free Adventures website frequently for registration information and other details for this event, as well as news on other upcoming events. Wild and Free Adventures can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.
This blog was written by FoEME intern Bryant Lippert, who is based in the Amman office.