Video: What Exactly is Adventure Racing?

I write about adventure racing regularly on this blog, but not everyone knows exactly what the sport consists of. Thankfully, the fine folks over at the Adventure Racing World Series have put together this excellent and helpful video to help explain the sport to newcomers and to remind long time fans just how awesome it is. For my money, adventure racers are amongst the best endurance athletes in the world. Don't believe me? Check out the clip below to find out why I feel that way.

Australia to Host the Biggest Expedition Length Adventure Race Ever

In about three weeks time, the best adventure racing teams in the world will make the pilgrimage to Australia to take part in what is shaping up to be biggest adventure race of all time. That's because this year, the country plays host to the Adventure Racing World Championship, and the entire AR community is looking to get in on the action.

The XPD Expedition Race is this year's ARWC event and is scheduled to run from November 8 - 18. It will take place in the Shoalhaven region of New South Wales, and will cover approximately 600 km (372 miles) of tough backcountry terrain. As usual, coed teams of four will have to run, mountain bike, paddle, climb, and trek through a challenging course that most will be happy to simply complete, but the teams looking to stand on the podium will finish in about 4.5 days.

Of course, this is all standard fare for the world of adventure racing, which has been staging some of the toughest endurance competitions on the planet for years. But what makes this year's AR World Championship so special is that the starting list for the race includes 99 teams – the largest field ever for an event of this kind.

According to reports, those teams hail from 20 different countries across six continents. What's more, at least three of the four members of a given team must be from their country of origin in order to claim that home country. That means that this race isn't just about winning the championship, it is truly a competition between rival nations as well. With the tops teams coming from the U.S., Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil, this should indeed be one of the most competitive races ever as well.

While the course for the race won't be revealed until just before the start of the race, we're told that it is a very straight forward affair. The course designers promise "no mandatory stops, no dark zones, no optional controls – pure adventure racing at its best!" Because of this, the race course will be open for just 8 days, making it one of the shortest and fastest World Championship events ever.

Right now, the teams that are competing in the race are in wrapping up their training, planning their travel, and packing their gear. They still have a couple of weeks before they set out for Australia, but those weeks will go by quickly, and the'll be setting off before they know it. It should definitely be a fun race for fans of the sport to follow. With so many great teams on hand, the competition should be fierce. Of course, I'll share updates once the race is underway as well.

Good luck to all of the athletes, event organizers, volunteers, and support crew who will be at the event. I know from first hand experience how challenging and demanding these races can be for everyone involved.

Help Expedition Alaska Crowdfunding Efforts, Get Some Cool Gear

Last summer I was part of the team that put on the Expedition Alaska adventure race, during which we hosted some of the best AR teams in the world on a grueling 400+ mile (643 km) course through the Alaskan wilderness. It was an epic event, held in an epic location, that was both thrilling to watch unfold and rewarding to be a part of.

The race was filmed by a talented crew of faculty and students from the University of Cincinnati, which has a unique and innovative Production Master Class that is taught by CCM Professor Kevin Burke, DAAP Professor Yoshiko Burke and UC/CCM Alumnus and Emmy award-winning producer Brian J. Leitten. That group spent days in the field filming the race, capturing some amazing footage in the process. Now, they're looking to crowdfund a documentary, offering adventure racing fans a look at this amazing event. 

A few days ago, the team behind the documentary launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise $25,000 that will allow them to finish the project and produce 4 half-hour long episodes that show the drama and challenge of Expedition Alaska. There are multiple levels of pledges to be had - starting as low as $5 – which deliver some great perks to those who contribute to the cause. Those perks include everything from copies of the finished product, digital downloads of a "making of" documentary, and even some excellent outdoor gear. 

In an effort to help out the cause, I am donating some gear to help raise funds. In fact, there is a special "The Adventure Blogger" perk for someone who is willing to donate $500 to the campaign. If you select this perk, I will send you a mystery gear package that will definitely exceed the amount that you are contributing. You'll also receive all of the other perks that fall below that funding level too. 

The video below is the trailer for Expedition Alaska, and gives you a good idea of what to expect from this project. If you'd like to learn more, check out the Indiegogo page here.  

EXPEDITION ALASKA TRAILER from Hyperion XIII Productions on Vimeo.

Video: A Thin White Line - A Documentary of the Iditasport Adventure Race

In terms of impressive feats of human endurance, the Iditasport trail race has always been intriguing one. It pits athletes against one another as they travel on bike, skis and foot to follow the entire 1000-mile route of the Iditarod sled dog race. It is a grueling and demanding race, which you'll discover for yourself in this hour-long documentary on the 2001 edition of the race. This is one you'll want to grab a snack and get comfortable for. It is definitely well worth watching!

A Thin White Line from Brüdder on Vimeo.

Patagonia Expedition Race Now Underway in Chile

The legendary Patagonia Expedition Race returned from a three-year hiatus yesterday when 18 coed teams of four embarked on what promises to be one of the most challenging adventure races of their lives. Over the course of the next ten days, the competitors will run, pedal, climb, and paddle their way across more than 600 km (372 miles) of the most spectacularly beautiful, and incredibly grueling, terrain on the planet.

Anyone who follows adventure racing has no doubt heard about the Patagonia Expedition Race. For years it set the standard for the sport, offering some of the most physically demanding courses ever. The famously bad Patagonia weather often played a role, with cold conditions, heavy rains, rough seas, and high winds often impacting the outcome of the event. Sadly, the race was off the schedule for the past two years, but has now returned bigger, and badder, than ever.

The teams arrived in Punta Arenas, Chile over the weekend where they went through mandatory gear and skills checks prior to the start of the race yesterday. As usual with an adventure race like this one, the competitors received their route information 24 hours before the start of the event, allowing them to plot their navigation points ahead of time. After the gun went off signifying the start of the race yesterday, they'll now spend somewhere between 6-10 days racing non-stop, 24/7 until a winner is crowned.

You can follow the PER on the race's official website or at SleepMonsters.com. It should be an interesting race to watch unfold.

Adventure Racing World Series a Success in China

Earlier this week an epic adventure race took place in a remote region of China, marking the debut of the the Adventure Racing World Series in Asia. By all accounts it was a successful first race with just minutes separating the top teams in what promises to be an exciting new addition to the ARWS in the years to come.

The Xtrail Expedition race took place in the Altai Mountain region of China, not far from the border with Mongolia. The event covered 300 km (186 miles) or rough terrain, which the top teams were able to complete in just a few days time. In fact, in a sport that requires hours and days to complete, the three podium finishers were separated by less than 20 minutes, which is a testament to how strong the 28 teams competing in the race truly are. Of those 26 were international squads, while the other two were local Chinese racers.

The winners of the race were the Thule Adventure Team, which completed the grueling route in just 36 hours and 16 minutes. They were followed closely by Team Adventure Medical Kits, who were 14 minutes back, with Haglofs Silva coming in third another 4 minutes behind. The rest of the teams staggered in over the hours that followed, with the course officially closing on Wednesday of this week. Yesterday, the coed teams of four left the region and began the long journey home.

After such an auspicious debut, it seems that the Xtrail race may be a great new addition to the AR World Series. Having visited the part of the world where the event took place myself this summer, I can attest to how beautiful, rugged, and remote it truly is. With the addition of this race to the schedule, the ARWS now has events on six continents, which is an impressive feat in and of itself, and an indication of just how healthy the sport of adventure racing is at the moment.

Now, all eyes will turn towards Australia in November. That will be the host country for the Adventure Racing World Championship, where the 2016 world champs will be crowned. At the moment, it looks like it could be quite an interesting showdown between the best teams on the planet, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out.

Expedition Idaho Adventure Race Website Online!

Awhile back, we announced the return of the Expedition Idaho adventure race for 2014, which is scheduled to take place August 10-16 near beautiful Coeur d'Alene. At the time of that announcement, the website for the 500+ mile long race was still under construction, so there was very little news or information available for teams and AR fans alike. Earlier this week, the full website went live, providing more insights into what teams can expect when they had to Idaho later this year.

On the site, you'll find a list of the mandatory gear required for the event, some thoughts on the race's format, information on the course, and much, much more. Registration for the event is still coming, but should be online soon, so interested teams will definitely want to watch for the announcement of when they can reserve their spot in the race.

One of the highlights of this race is the finish. Adventure races aren't known for having great finishes, but at Expedition Idaho, all of the time teams come across the finish line on the final day amidst a large beer party that creates a raucous atmosphere unlike any other in the sport. It will be something to behold for sure, and teams that competed in the 2011 version of the race were amazed by the reception they got as they came across the line. The 2014 version of the race should be even better.

In the previous announcement about the return of EXPID, it was all announced that Expedition Alaska would be coming in 2015. We'll have to wait for more news on that race in the months ahead, but just the location alone should be enough to get most people excited about the possibilities. We'll share more insights into that one when they become available as well.

Video: Crisp - A Film About Mountain Biking The Iditarod Trail

Yesterday I posted a video from the 2001 Iditasport adventure race along the Iditarod sled dog trail. In the years since that video was made, the event has morphed into the Iditarod Trail International, which is amongst the most grueling endurance events in the world. Last year, European mountain bikers Ausilia Vistarini and Sebastiano Favaro took on the 1800 km (1100 mile) trail in the dead of winter. It tested their resolve and pushed them to their limits as they rode their bikes through one of the harshest winter environments on the planet. The creative team and Explore MediaLab made a documenter about that experience and the trailer for the film can be found below. It looks amazing.

Thanks to Filippo Salvioni for sharing this with me!

Crisp - Official Trailer from Explore MediaLab on Vimeo.

Video: Adventure Racing Through the New Zealand Wilderness

The Red Bull Defiance is a two-day long adventure race held in the country that invented the sport – New Zealand. Over the course of those 48 hours, racers run, mountain bike, and paddle their way across some of the most rugged terrain imaginable, on a 142 km (88 mile) course designed to push them to the limits. As you'll see in this video, it seems that that mission was accomplished. If you're not familiar with adventure racing, this clip will certainly make a good introduction to the sport.

Cotopaxi Just Might Be Hiring for Your Dream Job

Looking for a job that will allow you to travel and play outdoors? Are you savvy with social media, technology, and blogging? Then Cotopaxi just might have an opportunity for you. The company is currently hiring  new Road Warrior to join the team for the upcoming year.

And what exactly are the duties of the Road Warrior? They'll be tasked with driving the company's mobile pop-up retail store throughout the U.S. as Cotopaxi expands its Questival adventure race series in 2017. The person hired for the job will also share their experience in a variety of social media outlets, while crisscrossing the U.S. on a 30+ city tour. The job won't be easy, but it should be fun. And it will be a great opportunity for someone who is looking for a creative outlet that involves adventure, gear, and exploring the country.

How does the job break down in terms of statistics? Cotopaxi has crunched the numbers and here's what they've come up with: Over the course of the year, the Road Warrior will take one truck and trailer, drive more than 25,000 miles, visit more than 30 cities, cross 88 state borders, spend 370+ hours on the road, and pass through numerous state, national, and city parks in the process. Oh yeah, they'll also get the chance to meet tens of thousands of like-minded people along the way.

Sound like something you'd be interested in? Than click here to start the application process. And good luck! You're probably going to need it!

Adventure Racing World Championships Come to the U.S. for the First Time

The Adventure Racing World Series has announced the dates and location for the 2017 World Championships revealing that the event will be held in the U.S. for the very first time.

The Cameco Cowboy Tough Expedition Race will serve as the championship event, which will take place from August 13-20, 2017 in the wilds of Wyoming. As usual with this race it will pit coed teams of four against one another over a course that will be hundreds of miles in length that they'll cover on foot, mountain bike, and kayak. As always, navigation will play just as important of a role as speed and endurance.

This will be the earliest in the year that the AR World Championship will have taken place, with the best teams from across the globe descending on Wyoming to take part in the race. Expect dozens of teams from places like Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, France, Switzerland, Canada, and of course the U.S. to be on hand to battle it out for the win.

For those of us who are fans of adventure racing here in the U.S. this is great news. Previous AR World Championships have been held in Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, and other great locations, but it will be good to have the race taking part stateside. I know that a lot of my AR friends will be looking forward to this as well.

Check out the announcement video below for an idea of what to expect from Cowboy Tough and start looking ahead to August of 2017 with the official race website.