Entry for the Wilderness ARC, the 2007 Adventure Racing World Championship, taking place in Fort William and Lochaber in the Scottish Highlands from 24 May until 3 June 2007, has now closed.

The race has been heavily oversubscribed with more than 80 of the World's leading adventure race teams from more than 20 nations applying to secure one of only 45 coveted places. Race organisers, ACE Races and Detail Events, the UK's biggest and most experienced adventure race providers, have been so overwhelmed by this unprecedented response they have not only reviewed and revised their entry criteria, they have also overcome some logistical obstacles in order to increase the field from 45 to 60 mixed teams of four extreme endurance athletes.

Race Director Phil Humphreys said:  "The volume of entries from the very best racers and teams in the world has been phenomenal and we are delighted to have been able to increase the number of participating teams despite a number of logistical challenges.

"Over the past 2 months we have completed a rigorous selection process based on the ARWorld Series criteria. We need to be sure the teams coming to the Outdoor Capital of the UK have the experience and skills for a gruelling week long World Championship course that will test them to their absolute limits, both physically and mentally!"

Being staged in and around Fort William and Lochaber, the Outdoor Capital of the UK, the AR World Championship, the exciting climax of the Adventure Race World Series, is also a major event in the Highland 2007 programme – Scotland's Year of Highland culture - and builds on the massive success of the two previous Wilderness ARC races staged in 2005 and 2006.

The event is already attracting a huge response from the international media and adventure racing enthusiasts and is expected to boost tourism and visitor numbers to this spectacular and dramatic region of the Scottish Highlands.

The course will be kept a closely guarded secret until the eve of the event by course designer Gary Tompsett, who has devised many of the UK's most demanding and memorable endurance events, including the two previous Wilderness ARC races.

Jim Mee, Managing Director of Detail Events and co-creator of Wilderness ARC said: "The professionalism of our experienced event team and the massive potential of multi-discipline, expedition-style adventure racing to showcase the huge range of outdoor activity opportunities available to visitors in the Highlands and Islands has once again attracted the unique and vital partnership of EventScotland, VisitScotland, Highland 2007, The Highland Council and The Outdoor Capital of the UK. The financial backing and logistical support of these partners helped Scotland win the race to host the Adventure Race World Championship for 2007.

"This race contains nothing short of the very best that Scotland has to offer. With the variety of the terrain, the weather, the sea and the mountains, we will be able to put the World's best to the test here in the Highlands. We aim to deliver the best World Championships yet, that competitors will remember not only for the adventure but for the warm Highland welcome they will receive and the memories of the hugely evocative landscape."

The next stage of entry is for teams to accept their places and pay initial deposits. A final entry list will be published on 19 February on the event website - http://www.arwc2007.com  

Teams on the waiting list may still have the chance to take part, as the difficulties of preparing for a major race and the possibility of injury could mean that some accepted squads may have to withdraw.

Ends

Media contacts:
Paddy Cuthbert for Podge Publicity  T: +44 (0)131 477 2037 / M: +44  (0)7968 699636 / E: paddy@podge.co.uk
Jim Mee – Media Director – AR  World Championship 2007 – M: +44 (0)  7790 900 354 / E: jim@allinthedetail.com

Editor's Notes:
The Wilderness ARC 2007, THE ADVENTURE RACING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, one of the most demanding and eagerly-awaited events of the 2007 international adventure race calendar, will be staged in Fort William and Lochaber, the Outdoor Capital of the UK, in the Scottish Highlands from 24 May until 3 June 2007.

The Adventure Racing World Series is an international circuit of premier adventure races representing eight countries,creating a 12-month calendar of professional events around the world and acting as qualifiers for the Adventure Race World Championship in Scotland 2007. The AR World Series is proud to partner with Casio: 'Official Watch of the AR World Series'.

Since entries opened for the 2007 Adventure Racing World Championship in December there have been five 'waves' of selection; 10 teams have been accepted in each of the first 4 waves and 20 in the final wave (an extra 15 teams have been accepted in the final wave due to the increased field).

The 60 mixed teams of four include the world's finest adventure racing squads from round the World; the field includes teams from 22 countries including the UK, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Trinidad, South Africa, Sweden and the United States.  The current hot favourites, at this early stage, are the awesome Team Adventure Sport (NZ) and Team Nike (USA).

Top UK team, Aberdeen Asset Management, have won the Wilderness ARC for the last two years. Despite strong competition form top international contenders such as Team SOLE (USA), Team Merrell Wigwam (NZ), Team Rubicon (USA), Team Buff Coolmax (multi-national) and Team Lundhags (SWE) they will be going for the hat trick and the World Championship title on home soil.

The teams will race unsupported over a 500km course, with over 25,000m of ascent through the spectacular and rugged landscape of the Western Highlands of Scotland, one of Europe's last great wilderness areas.

They will be guaranteed an epic adventure with a mix of uncompromising challenges involving navigation, mountain biking, mountain running, kayaking, climbing, abseiling, mountaineering, river crossing, canyoning and open water swimming, with the terrain and unpredictable weather throwing up many surprises.

As with all adventure races, dedicated team-work, meticulous planning and cunning strategy, coupled with awesome mental and physical stamina, will be key requirements of this massive test of mind, body and spirit.

Wildnerness ARC 2007, The Adventure Racing World Championship, has been supported by the Highland 2007 Regional Events Programme which is funded by EventScotland.