The greatest challenge in recent months faced not only by us, but by the entire population, is how to adapt and stay functional during this era of living with Covid19. Unfortunately, several of our biggest and most popular events such as the Keilder500, IOM500 and Wales500, had to be cancelled this year due to the restrictions on numbers and locations imposed under the new Covid guidelines. However, with careful route planning, new health policies, and a flexible approach we continue to be able to host events whilst adhering to the guidelines put in place. So what is it exactly we are doing to stay safe and adjust to these ever evolving and unpredictable times?
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Social Distancing: Fortunately, once out on the trail, social distancing is not an issue. Plus the adventure routes that we plan are aimed to be as far off the beaten track as possible, so you could even say we go one step further and practise self isolation in motion! As for the starting points, where the riders gather before setting off, we select large carparks and wide open locations to allow plenty of space for parking and preparing, and kindly ask that during registration participants maintain their 2m distancing, which is very easy in this scenario.
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Sanitisation: We now have purpose made sanitary kits made up of hand sanitiser, gloves and face masks. Any kit that is handed out and returned, such as the GPS trackers, is thoroughly cleaned between events.
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Limiting Numbers of Participants: We have had to adjust our calendar of events for this year and cancel our larger events of 180+ riders and plan more frequent, smaller events of up to 30 riders to stay in line with the new restrictions on gatherings. We stay up to date with the evolving situation and are able to adjust the structures of our events if the guidelines change.
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Route Planning: As previously mentioned we choose the start and end locations to allow for plenty of space between participants. This is also the case for the checkpoints and any fuel stops, although naturally once the riders have set off from the start location they spread out along the course, which staggers their arrival at these stops anyway.
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Food and Drink: Being independent is the key here, and in a way it adds to the adventure aspect! We encourage riders to carry their own food and drink that they’ll need for the journey and have not included any cafe/restaurant stops along the route. Of course at the fuel stops the riders have the opportunity to purchase any sustenance they might need, but dining in a social manner is not a part of these events during these times.
As is always the case with our ride outs and events, safety is of the utmost importance, both on and off the trail. We are lucky enough to be involved in a sport which already requires the wearing of gloves and face coverings, and that encourages maximum isolation and distancing. We will continue to stay vigilant in this regard to minimise any risk at all. We realise that one acknowledges the risks involved in Adventure Rallying and motorsports in general, and we appreciate the cooperation of riders to minimise the extra risk we now are all living with. We also appreciate the health benefits of being out in the open air on an epic motorcycle adventure, and we will continue to operate as long as we can to keep the good times rolling on.
