Untamed New England crowned the ATP/Salomon team as champions when they crossed the finish line 68 hours and 43 minutes after starting the race. ATP/Salomon, a team of 3 Canadians and 1 American, won in decisive fashion when factoring in their 16 hours of time credits they
earned by visiting 4 extra “bonus” checkpoints over the course of the event. Second place honours went to Team Kinetic, a team from Quebec, Canada; Team Kinetic crossed the finish line 66 hours and 50 minutes after the race began, but did not accrue any time bonuses.

The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel made for a luxurious finish line to the arduous 3-day test that was Untamed New England 2009. Teams negotiated muddy and rocky trails on their mountain bikes; racers paddled and battled through churning white water; the event featured hours of orienteering through the mountains of the Crescent Range and the Percy Peaks Wilderness, including miles of off-travel navigation; spanning the states of New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine, the 2009 Untamed New England was a
showcase of the beauty, challenge, and variety this region has to offer.

“A true world class course,” commented ATP/Salomon’s Scott Pleban, “you couldn’t let your guard down at all.” Other racers described the course as fun, but relentless: Andrew Reeder from rookie team Had No Plans explained, “I thought we’d come closer to finishing than we did. Now, I have no choice but to come back next year with the aim of doing much, much better!” Only half of the teams that started the race reached the finish line 3 days later; fatigue, injuries, and the weather forced some teams to withdraw prematurely from the course.

Team ATP/Salomon trekking through the Percy Peaks Wilderness on Day 2

The field of 44 teams assembled for Untamed New England 2009 made this the biggest expedition race (The Untamed New England Adventure Race) ever for the Northeast.

The official race podium results are as follows:
• 1st Place: ATP/Salomon
• 2nd Place: Team Kinetic
• 3rd Place: Berlin Bike / Eastern Mountain Sports and NYARA (tie)

Photo at top: Big whitewater on the Androscoggin River on Day 1

Photos by Luis Moreira