Team OrionHealth Adventure

We had a great day yesterday joining Stu and Fleur on the trek leg, with a high point of 2400m and some amazing views. Brent rejoined the team for the leg, and Emily and myself came along to take some photos. There was even a quick dip in one of the tarns to cool off at one point! We left them heading into TA19 in Bejar planning to sleep in the sportshall there. On the tracker it looks like they had a good 3 hours, so that should stand them in good stead for today. They have finished the final bike ride, and look to be making good progress on the trek leg at present. Brent and Nathan will join them for the final paddle, which they should hopefully start mid-afternoon today. Because of the dark zone at 830pm tonight the team will camp out somewhere along the river, and should finish on Friday midday/early afternoon.

Buff was the first team out on the water at 330am this morning. They reached the dark zone at the end of the lake, and got an hour and a half sleep before heading off down the river at 730am. Next was Blackwater, who left in the kayaks at 730 this morning. They looked in good form, although expressed frustration at not being able to close the gap on Buff despite pushing hard overnight. With Buff's stop at the darkzone, Blackwater are about 2 hours behind.

These are the only team to start the final paddle so far, although Silva are coming through on the final bike ride and we expect them to arrive in the next hour or so to get on the water soon after 10am. Their crew indicated that they thought they might have stopped for some sleep over night – at this end of the race the lack of sleep can really start to take its toll. With the paddle expected to take 11 hours it will be touch and go whether they reach Salamanca before the dark zone begins at 830pm tonight – there may be many teams camping out along the banks of the Rio Tormes tonight!

Outdry are also on the final bike ride, a couple of hours shy of Silva. They will not make the end of the paddle stage tonight, so team mate Jacob Roberts will hopefully having someone rearranging his travel arrangements – he told me before the race he was so confident of a Thursday morning/afternoon finish he had a flight booked from Madrid first thing Friday morning!! Teams camping out overnight can restart on the river at 730am, so we expect teams to trickle into the finish all tomorrow morning and early afternoon, hopefully looking their best after a good nights sleep on the river!

Sonya Clark and Warren Bates of team adidas Terrex are having a solid race, at present halfway through the final trek and looking like they have gained an hour or so over Swedish team Thule who they have had a good battle with for the race so far. We estimate that they are in 8^th place.

We will keep you updated as the leaders come in and start the paddle stage – the tracker will be slightly confusing as many slower teams are taking short course options and leapfrogging up the field.