Adventure Racing 101
Do you wonder what exactly Adventure Racing is? Are you looking for that basic bit of info about the sport? Hopefully we've answered your questions here!What is Adventure Racing?
Adventure Racing is a multi-sport event which consists of a team that races from the start to finish line as one unit using human-powered locomotion only. There is no set course layout, format, or requirements for an Adventure Race. Most races require the racers to navigate with a map and compass from one check point to another, allowing the teams to take any route they choose between checkpoints. Checkpoints must be visited in the order as designated by the race director.
Teams usually comprise two, three, or four racers, in either all male, all female, or co-ed categories. The traditional format for Adventure Racing is a four person co-ed team.
Have you ever seen Eco-Challenge, Primal Quest, Discovery World Adventure Races, or Balance Bar Adventure Sprint races on television? Those are all various formats of Adventure Racing.
What are the rules of an Adventure Race?
The main rule is you must race together as a team. Often race rules and regulations will state that all team members must stay within 50 to 100 yards of each other at all times. You must also finish the race with the same set of team members you started the race, all members completing the course in its entirety. You must also progress through the race in order, as prescribed by the race directors.
Beyond that, you should receive a race rules and regulations sheet from the race director prior to the race. This will layout any of the specific rules and requirements for that race. Some things you may enounter will include out of bounds areas, illegal routes, minimal environmental impact requirements, time cutoffs, etc.
What types of race formats and lengths (duration) are there?
One of the most interesting aspects of Adventure Racing, is the "adventure" part. Most of the details of a race course are a secret until immediately before the race begins. Racers will be provided basic information about the race prior to the race with rough estimates of the length of each race discipline, gear requirements, and general outline of the race duration. Beyond that, the order of the events, exact durations, course the racers will be travelling, and any special elements to the race will be secret.
There are two main elements to a race that will determine it's makeup:
Wilderness or Urban Race?
- Wilderness
The original race format was primarily a Wilderness based expedition race. The race occured in the wild places of an area, usually encompassing the most rugged and tough terrain around. The majority of races today still revolve around the wilderness. However many races occur in local parks and areas that are much closer in to populated areas.
- Urban
The Urban race format is a relative newcomer to the Adventure Racing scene and it primarily occurs within the boundaries of a large city. Many of the elements of an Urban race are the same as a wilderness race, however there are often several unique features to an Urban race, not usually found in a Wilderness race. These include:
- features unique to a city are often incorporated (historic landmarks, historic buildings, parks, etc)
- often aspects of Urban city life are added (riding a Metro bus or train, etc)
- many Urban races incorporate Inline Skating as a large element of their race
Urban races also tend to be very popular because they have a lot less required gear, are closer into major cities and are logistically easier to race in, and are fun and exciting because of the unique elements of a cityscape.
Race duration or length
Most races break down their race length based on duration of time, rather than distance since the percentage of each discipline in a race can vary dramatically, thus effecting length of the duration. The primary race durations are broken down into three basic categories:
- Short or Sprint Length
These races usually last from 2 to 12 hours, and frequently do not include a lot, if any, navigation requirements. Many Sprint class races have marked courses, or the majority of the course will be marked, leaving only a small portion of the race course length to be navigated with map and compass skills.
- Medium or Endurance Length
The majority of Endurance class races last from 12 to 36 hours and generally require some level of compass and map skills. The level of skills necessary to navigate successfully through these races varies from race to race, depending on the specific interests of the Race Directors.
- Long or Expedition Length
Expedition class races are generally 2 days to 10 days in length and invariably require excellent navigation skills with a map and compass.
What sports (disciplines) does Adventure Racing encompass?
The primary five race disciplines are:
- Bicycling (mountain biking, road biking)
- Trekking (walking, hiking, running)
- Paddling (flat-water, sea kayaking, white water, kayaking, canoeing, rafting)
- Land Navigation
- Ropes (ascend, descend, traverse)
Some additional disciplines that can be found in races include:
- inline skating
- push bikes/scooters
- horse back riding
- canyoneering
- coasteering
- riverteering
- hydro boarding
- special tests
How do I find teammates to race with?
Simple! Join PDX Adventure Racer today! Come out to our training events and you'll soon have many new AR friends to race with.
Many event management companies host "teammate finders" on their websites to help racers find others interested in attending a specific race. In addition, several generic Adventure Racing websites contain basic teammate finder databases.
How do I find others to train with?
Simple! Join PDX Adventure Racer today! We host training events for first time racers to Elite Expedition class racers. Our membership is diverse in both range of skills, interests, and racing ability. You should be able to find many others at the same level as you that are interested in training.
More Resources on Adventure Racing
Adventure Racing is the fastest growing sport in the US right now. There are many websites that cater specifically to Adventure Racers, and there is a growing list of published books on the topic. Check out these links to find out more on the web, and in print.
Books about Adventure Racing and related topics
Website Resources
All of the below links are found via the "links" menu link above:
