The North Face, The Tourism Authority of Thailand, and Active Management Asia Co., Ltd., are pleased to announce the next River Kwai Trophy adventure race at Saiyoke, Kanchanaburi. Scheduled for Saturday, March 1, this three to eight hour wilderness adventure race will take teams of two through a 40-km to 50-km unmarked course of running, mountain biking, swimming and paddling.

“The River Kwai Trophy course is very exciting as the route travels along scenic trails exploring the mountains, farmlands and the magnificence of the Kwai river valley in the Sayoke district,” said Serge Henkens, Amazing Thailand Adventure Race Series Manager. “The Kwai river valley is an ideal location for this type of event. It’s the perfect recipe for a great race: thick jungle, steep mountains, lakes, caves and picturesque trails, all very challenging terrain indeed.”

“In the last few years we have seen adventure racing grow in popularity in Thailand, with more and more people looking to get into the sport. This is the third time we’ve held the race and it’s seeing more attention from local and foreign participants. In 2006, we saw 46 teams join, growing to 80 teams in 2007. This year we expect over 100 teams,” said Henkens.

“Anyone with a minimum fitness level can participate. But beware, adventure racing is the most addictive sport you will ever try, and once you get sucked in, there's no going back,” said Henkens.

“We are truly pleased to be a leading supporter of the fastest growing new sport in Thailand. We launched North Face in Thailand under the concept of providing adventure outdoor products for the Thai market. Adventure Racing is a perfect opportunity for us to promote our products to inspire and enable our customers to never stop exploring,” said, Ms. Achana Rattana, Assistant General Manager, Thai Outdoor Sport Co., Ltd., the sole distributor of the North Face in Thailand.

“Thailand’s beautiful and stunning scenery are showcased to perfection at the River Kwai in Kanchanaburi province. The Amazing Thailand Adventure Race Series is attracting attention and participation from sports tourists from all over the world, said Mr Jamlong Rattanaphan, Executive Director of the Advertising and Public Relations Department of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. “We are very excited to see that a record 200 competitors made up of both Thais and foreigners are seeing Thailand from this totally new perspective.”

Two divisions are available to participants:
Adventure
For the weekend warriors. Not too difficult. Requires a minimum level of physical fitness. A good intro to the world of adventure racing. Three to five hours to complete.

Extreme
For serious athletes, experienced racers or very fit people. Serious training is required. Four to eight hours to complete.

Race details:
Level
adventure-extreme

Disciplines
mountain biking, running, swimming, kayaking and more…

Categories
men, women, mixed, masters (80 years combined), seniors (100 years combined)

Teams
The race is open to anyone 16 years of age or older and each team must consist of two athletes.

For more details please take a look at our web site www.riverkwaitrophy.com or www.active-asia.com

About Active Management Asia
Adventure racing is the fastest growing sport in the world and Active Management Asia is leading that growth in Thailand with its incredibly popular races and training programs. Now in its third year of operation, Active Management Asia has established an international reputation for solid logistics and challenging race courses. These non-stop races, ranging in length from 4-8 hours, require teams to run, trek, mountain bike and paddle, while navigating an unmarked course through the wilderness. Likened to an expedition with a stopwatch, adventure racing requires teamwork, perseverance and strong navigation and wilderness survival skills.

Contact information:
Active Management Asia Co., Ltd
Tel: +66 (0) 2676 3869, +66 (0) 2718 9583
Fax: +66 (0) 2718 9583
Race Director: 08 1922 7100
Web site: www.active-asia.com
E-mail: info@active-asia.com

Media contact Vivaldi Public Relations:
Mr. Joseph Henry (English)
Mobile: 08 5834 5557
E-mail: joseph.henry@vivaldipr.com

Ms. Pattaranit Imampai (Thai)
Mobile: 08 9893 4819
E-mail: pattaranit.imampai@vivaldipr.com