Rat Race | Santorini Circuit

Fitness level

You can do this. This adventure is for anyone with a good level of general fitness.

Pace

This is a 60km challenge set over a chunky day out, with an early start with the ethos of extraordinary challenges for ordinary people. You do not need super-technical skills or to be a seasoned endurance athlete. You need a good base fitness and train for a big day out on foot and boat. It’s a big day for sure, but it is definitely designed to be ‘doable.’ It is not a suffer fest. You do have it in you. And everyone should see Santorini once in their life. This is certainly a very memorable way to do so!  There is enough time to trek the whole thing if you are on foot; and unless you really are off the pace, you will be able to complete the entire circuit.

You get a very early start to allow the very best possible window for route completion. However if you need to stop for whatever reason, the team is there for you. The absolute key is that you enjoy this amazing journey around this world-famous volcanic caldera and that you do so within your own limits. On the kayak legs, the group will travel together as a flotilla for safety reasons.

Accommodation

Two places will be used over the event weekend. Both locations are very close together and will create the base for the duration.

The nature and style of accommodation in Santorini is apartments and studios. This means that there are two rooms with some shared communal space: bathroom, small kitchen and lounge. Accommodation is typically always offered on a shared basis, You can expect to have 3/4 people per studio/apartment.

If you are taking part on your own, you will be paired with another participant of the same sex in a twin room. If you wish to share a room with a fellow racer, you will have the opportunity to request this on your event participation form, which will be sent to you 3 months ahead of the event.

Meals

In a nutshell, plenty of food is provided on challenge day itself, day 3. The rest of the time you will provide some of your own meals.

Kit list

A comprehensive kit list with mandatory and recommended kit for both disciplines (on foot and by kayak) is available.

Season

• Jan
• Feb
• Mar
• Apr
• May
• Jun
• Jul
• Aug
• Sep
• Oct
• Nov
• Dec

Meeting point

Santorini Airport
Fira
847 00
Greece

You can either:

• 14:00 | Arrive into Santorini International Airport where you will be greeted by the team and transferred to the accommodation.
• 15:00 | Alternatively, if you have stayed overnight elsewhere you can make your own way to the accommodation slightly later.

Itinerary

• Day 1 | Arrive

  You can either meet the team at the airport or the hotel - it's up to you. Either way you have the afternoon to yourself with a drinks gathering to get to know the team.

• Day 2 | Briefings, GPS, explore Santorini, kayak refresher

  After a leisurely breakfast there's registration and briefings including heat management, style of event, intro to the route and loading the route onto GPS watches if you require. Also kayak safety points with an optional refresher session. The day is then mostly your own to explore Santorini. Enjoy an optional dinner as a group, prior to what many will hope will be an early night. Set those alarms for tomorrow as it’s an early one!

  

• Day 3 | Santorini Circuit adventure!

  Kayak Start | Oia to Thirassia (5km)
  It’s an early start to ensure you can have a decent breakfast and get ready for the mass kayak flotilla start from Oia, which will take place at Dawn. This avoids some of the heat of the day later on and gives the best chance of a calm sea state, with minimal boat traffic. It will also be an utterly spectacular way to start your journey. You will be collected from the accommodation and be transported to the startline, where the group will amass the boats and head off for the initial 5km crossing to Thirassia.

  Thirassia Foot Stage (13km / 285m ascent)
  Coming ashore on Thirassia you will run or trek 10km, enjoying incredible early morning views back to the ‘mainland’ of Santorini, before jumping back in the kayaks.

  Kayak back to Santorini (8km)
  For this next kayak stage, amass the kayaks again as a flotilla as this is a committing sea leg, where it is safest for the group to travel together. If you have been fast on Thirassia, shake out the legs and enjoy the peace and quiet of the early morning before taking back to the boats. If it takes you a while longer to do the distance on foot, no problem. Kayak back to the Northern tip of Santorini, where you will come ashore and have the option to access your transition bag to change clothes or shoes and have a Pit Stop ready and waiting to feed and fuel you.

  Run/Trek Santorini (36km / 1580m ascent)
  Having refreshed and left the water behind you, there is now 36km of foot travel standing between you and the finish, back in Oia where you began all those hours ago. A mix of trail, road and rocky paths will take you to the high point of the island, Mount Profitis Ilias (567m). From there, having enjoyed phenomenal views and spotted the impressive monastery of the Prophet Elias, it isn’t quite ‘all down hill’ but you will gradually descend to the Caldera rim, high above the Ocean. This will afford stunning views back out to Thirassia. At all times, Pit Stops will be positioned approximately every 5km on the run route to assist with hydration and fueling as the day gets hotter. As you rejoin the volcanic rim itself high atop the cliffs that flank the island, you will pass through the stunning white-washed ‘main town’ of Fira. After Fira at 40km the route will take a short out and back to Skaros Rock, which offers superb 180 degree views of the Caldera’s rim. With 10km to go, you will make your way along the coastal path back to Oia, where you will descend again all the way to sea level and end up back at the spot where you jumped in the kayaks several hours (and 60km) before. This makes Journey’s End and a full circumnavigation of the entire Volcanic Caldera of Santorini!

  Once you have finished, event vehicles will transport you to the accommodation. Cue food, beers and revelry (and maybe showers!)

  

• Day 4 | Travel

  After a big hearty breakfast you will be transferred back to the airport. If you wish to stay around, no problem. There are options for extending your stay on Santorini or simply make your own plan to hang around or go island-hopping to some other Aegean gems. There is no shortage of options in the Cyclades.

Included

• Accommodation

  3 nights B&B accommodation within an apartment or studio in Oia.

• Meals

  Some meals included.

• Transfers

  Includes airport transfers at the beginning and end.

• Guides and support

  Professional support vehicles, safety staff, medical and welfare.

• Safety

  Professional local and UK safety staff, medics, drivers, route safety staff and experts on hand throughout. Audited and accredited to BS8848 expedition safety standard.

• Equipment

  Includes kayak and associated equipment rental.

• Transfer policy

  Flexible event transfer policy up to 12 weeks before your departure.

• Extras

  High quality medal, rat rag and premium t-shirt for all participants.

Trip leader

Abbi is your leader for this adventure. She's a highly experienced Expeditions Manager with more than 10 years of exploring under her belt.

Environmental pledge

This adventure has made a firm commitment to really elevate its approach to a sustainable and environmentally aware way of working. Each activity has been assessed to improve its environmental impact, including:

• race t-shirts to be collected at the event and not shipped across the world
• wooden medals instead of metal
• phasing out single-use plastics
• local event catering
• tighter recycling activities

This event is on track to achieve carbon-neutral in its day-to-day business activities and is making progress with carbon off-setting for worldwide travel, including ground-breaking ways to make a difference in some of the host locations.

Age

16 and 17 year olds will be considered on an individual basis, if taking part with a responsible adult.

Instalment plan

eg. Pay £119.90 in 10 instalments.

Choose how many months you want to spread the cost over, totally interest free. There is no credit check required to use this facility. When you sign up to the instalment plan a recurring payment will be set up and your card will be debited on the same date each month.

Refund protect

Add Refund Protect to your booking during purchase and receive a full refund of your entry fee if you are unable to attend the event due to a qualifying unforeseen circumstance.

Costs

Harder than anything I had done before in terms of ultras but more amazing than any event I had completed previously. Just the best adventure with friendly, supportive crew who had your back at every stage, making sure we were safe. You fostered a great vibe within the group. It was humbling to be amongst some incredible people and adventurers. Debbie 2022

The route was great. Pit-stops were well placed and greatly supported. What a blast. All of the staff were amazing. Support from the group was brilliant. Communication was great. I loved all of it. Thank you to Abby and the rest of the crew. I would recommend this event. Dan 2022