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What is Adventure Racing?

Adventure Racing has evolved since its inception in the 1990s, however in its purest form adventure racing can be defined as a non-stop multisport event where mixed gender teams of four compete in in a wilderness expedition. Possible disciplines may include, but are not limited to rock climbing/rappelling, trail running, mountain biking, land navigation, swimming, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, paddling, and other watersports. In addition teams do not know the course until the start of the race. Teams must use strategy to determine the best route, equipment, food and pace to maintain to insure all team members cross the finish line together. If a team member drops for any reason, the team is disqualified. The races range from a few hours to several days in length. It is often better not to think of an adventure race as a sporting event, but instead a wilderness expedition with a stop watch.

Since its humble beginnings, many events have changed team configurations to allow single gender and mixed gender teams of three, two, and in some cases participants can also complete solo. Urban adventure races have grown in popularity, leveraging the concrete jungle as the event venue. In addition the genre has birthed other similar events such as mud and obstacle runs.