CUMBERLAND, B.C. – The Atmosphere Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race (MOMAR) returned to Cumberland on Vancouver Island on Sept. 24, for its 17th season. Six hundred racers from near and far participated in the MOMAR, gathering on the shores of Comox Lake early Saturday morning to take on either the 50 km Enduro Course or 30 km Sport Course.
Tanya Chapman and Christy Kjenstad of Clearwater placed second in the team of two, female category for the Enduro Course, crossing the finish line at 6:37:01. This is the second year in a row that the two racers 
have made the trek from Clearwater to Cumberland to participate in the MOMAR – last year as part of a team of four.
Tyler McCallan and Clay Ward of Cumberland, Derek Vinge of Courtenay and Brad Crowe, formerly from Courtenay, made MOMAR history in becoming the first team of four to take an overall win for the Enduro Course, crossing the finish line 4:25:23.
Mat Hewitt of Vernon and teammate Tim Musselman Bell of Penticton were the first team of two to cross the finish line, with a time of 4:39:12, putting them in second place overall. Simon Lamond of Victoria placed first solo male category (4:44:10), and third overall.
Victoria’s Scott Sheldrake and Brett Carter took top spot in the Sport course, with a time of 3:31:28.
The MOMAR has partnered with the Cumberland Community Forest Society (CCFS), an organization dedicated to preserving 150 acres of mature forest bordering the Village of Cumberland, from Comox Lake to the Trent River. Over the MOMAR weekend, over $4,000 was raised for the CCFS.
The MOMAR is an off-road mult-sport sprint adventure race that requires participants to navigate their way to a series of checkpoints within an eight hour limit. The disciplines include mountain biking, paddling, orienteering and trail running over scenic and rugged west coast terrain. The MOMAR series has staged 37 races in British Columbia, Canada over 17 race seasons.
Inset photo: Tanya Chapman checks for her position on a map while under a bridge.
Below: Christy Kjenstad runs through the woods on the endure course at MOMAR.
