What is adventure racing?

Adventure racing at its core is a multi-day, non-stop, multi-sport, mixed gender event. It has been called 'an expedition with a stopwatch.' The goal is to be the first group to cross the finish line as a team. Courses typically take place in remote wilderness where teams may not see race officials or other teams for hours at a time. Navigation decisions are left to the team; they simply have a map and directions telling them where the next checkpoint is.

Navigation, pace, and choice of supplies all play crucial roles in getting to the finish quickly. Race information is not given ahead of time; often teams do not even know the start line until the day before or the day of the race. As a result, actual decision making must happen under pressure during a competition.

Adventure racing is the chance for people to challenge themselves. Racers learn early on that the competition is less with the other teams and more with the course, less about beating the competition and more about beating your own goals. Less than a quarter of first time racers finish an adventure race, and it is this level of difficulty that drives and excites many adventure racers.

There are three main ways to learn more about competing in adventure races. Taking any of these actions will dramatically increase the odds of success for first-time racers.

Join an Adventure Racing Club - The best way to learn is to be involved with other adventure racers. Most clubs host regular learning events where you can pick up a new skill as well as brush up on old ones. Chatting with club members who have experience is the single most valuable step a potential racer can take to become more knowledgable and improve their chances of success.

Research - There is a great deal of information on the web relating to adventure racing, as well as several excellent books. Check out our Adventure Racing Resources for more information.

Volunteer at an Adventure Race - Witnessing a race first-hand is a fantastic way to witness why teams succeed and fail. Volunteers sometimes have a better view than teams in a race, that only see glimpses of other teams and their strategies, while a volunteer sees all the teams' progress. This is also a great way to get to know other adventure racers, making the search for teammates that much easier.

Also see the wikipedia article on adventure racing.