"There were two things I was sure of when I decided to race "the toughest adventure race in Europe". First, that I would be overwhelmed by the Outer Hebrides; second, that this would be the hardest race I've done.  On both counts, I underestimated "
	- Robert Nagle, winner of the Eco Challenge, Raid Gauloises and Southern Traverse.  Runner up twice in the Solo Challenge

The Western Isles Challenge Solo Event is unquestionably one of the world's toughest athletic tests, involving around 10-13 hours of sustained physical effort per day for three consecutive days over some very inhospitable terrain (the equivalent of an "ironman" a day for three straight days).

Disciplines required are hill-running, road and mountain biking and sea-kayaking.  With an expected winning time of around 30 hours, no one who does not expect to complete the event in under around 40 hours (i.e. +30%) should enter, as cut-offs on each day will be enforced.

An outline map of the 1999 route is here. It basically follows the Team Event route, but with less hill-running and more biking. There is also usually only one canoe leg per day, instead of two or more for the team competitors. Distances in this year's event will vary according to the options chosen, but as a guide, approximate distances in the last event were:

Jo McLintock on Beinn Mhor, South Uist

The race was attempted and completed by its first female competitor, Jo McLintock, in 1999.  From 2000 there will be both men's and women's categories.

The solo event attracts some of the world's top adventure racers:  the '99 event was won by John Jacoby of Australia...	and the '98  field included Robert Nagle, Adrian Crane and Ike Wilson (L to R above)

Rules for the Individual Event are essentially the same as for the Team Event, e.g. in respect of qualifications, sea kayak experience, clothing requirements etc. The main differences are here

The fee for the solo race will be £150, including VAT.

There will be a cash prize pool, details of which are yet to be finalised.

A maximum of 20 individual competitors will be accepted for the event, so please get your entry in early!  You can enter here

For a great account of the solo event, read Robert Nagle's 1996 Race Diary here or Matt Fitzgerald's report of the 1998 race here

Mark Laithwaite, 1998 solo event winner and British champion quadrathlete, crosses the finishing line	Adrian Crane takes a short swim following a squall in the Sound of Barra