Adventure Racing (AR) is a multi-discipline endurance sport, combining mountain biking, cross country running/trekking, paddling, such as kayaking, canoeing or white water rafting, and often some form of ropes course (e.g., rappelling, ascending, rock climbing). Additionally, Adventure Racing requires orienteering and land navigation skills to navigate the race course. Therefore, there is typically not a set course which competitors must follow, rather, racers have numerous checkpoints (CP) which they must find using topographical maps and compasses. Racers must determine which path they will use to get to each CP.

Adventure Races range from a sprint race to an expedition race. Sprints can be completed in a matter of hours, whereas expedition races can last up to 7 days. Because there is no dark period during an Adventure Race, competitors must decide for themselves if and when to sleep. Racers are required to be fully self-sufficient, providing themselves with adequate hydration, nutrition, and medical care throughout the race.

Adventure Races can be completed solo or in teams of 2, 3, or 4 persons. Unlike any other sport in the world, Elite (professional) teams must consist of 3 or 4 persons and be co-ed.

Competitors typically receive topographical maps, UTM coordinates, and clue sheets the night before the race so that they can plot the CPs and devise a strategy. In addition to the mandatory CPs, races normally include at least one orienteering course. An orienteering map with pre-plotted points is given to competitors during the race. Orienteering points (OP) are optional, so competitors must decide as part of their strategy how many OPs to collect. Unlike checkpoints, orienteering courses are usually in a Rogaine format, which means they can be collected in any order.

Competitors are given a passport which they must carry throughout the race and stamp/punch at every CP. At the end of the race, passports are collected to determine that competitors made it to every CP. Because CPs are mandatory, racers who miss any CPs are considered to be unofficial. At the end of the race, placement is determined by points. Each CP counts as one point, and each OP counts as one point. If teams are tied for points, the team who completed the course the fastest places higher.

HISTORY OF ADVENTURE RACING

Although there is not one agreed upon origin of Adventure Racing, we believe there are several founders who greatly contributed to the start of modern day Adventure Racing.

First, the two-day Karrimor International Mountain Marathon (KIMM) was started in 1968 in the United Kingdom. Designed by Gerry Charnley, the KIMM was intended to test orienteering skills in extreme conditions. The course, which requires competitors to carry all of their gear, is a double-marathon in length. Now called the Original Mountain Marathon, this race still exists today. Next, in 1980, Robin Judkins created both the Alpine Ironman and the Coast to Coast race in New Zealand. The Alpine Ironman included skiing, trail running, and paddling, while the Coast to Coast featured running, cycling, and kayaking.

The first race to include all aspects of modern day Adventure Racing is credited to the Raid Gauloises. Created by Gerald Fusil in 1989, this expedition-style race was first held in New Zealand and moved to a different country every year since then. Unlike races before it, the Raid required racers to fully rely on their own strengths and abilities to navigate and traverse the challenging terrain. The Raid is often recognized as the first adventure race because it encompasses all elements of modern day Adventure Racing, including mixed-gender teams. The Raid Gauloises was last held in 2003.

The term “Adventure Race” was coined when Mark Burnett, after reading an article about the Raid Gauloises and subsequently competing twice in the race, was inspired to bring a similar race to the United States under the name the “Eco-Challenge” in 1995. The race was promoted as a series of Emmy award-winning documentary films. Martin Dugard, a journalist and author, first used the term “Adventure Race” when describing the Raid Gauloises and the Eco-Challenge.

The last Eco-Challenge was held in 2002; that same year, the next major televised expedition race, Primal Quest, was introduced. Primal Quest spanned 10 days and challenged racers to navigate their way across over 600 miles of some of the most diverse terrain on the planet. Along with orienteering, disciplines included mountain biking, trekking, horseback riding, kayaking, white-water swimming, and technical rope skills. The most recent Primal Quest was held in 2009.

Since the start of adventure racing with Gerald Fusil’s Raid Gauloises, Adventure Racing has expanded to reach every continent in the world and grown to include racers of all backgrounds, every type of environment and terrain imaginable, as well as a varying set of disciplines and rules. Both Adventure Racers and AR Producers continue to push boundaries, while keeping AR the most exciting sport in existence.