I'm a big fan of adventure racing. Especially the longer, expedition length races. I first watched the sport years ago on Discovery Channel when they first started showing Eco-Challenge. Later I would follow The Raid, Primal Quest, and others online, and watch them on TV when ever possible. I've even particpated in a few shorter, sprint races. One of the websites that was most useful in helping to track these races online was, and remains, Checkpoint Zero.

Yak, the site administrator, is clearly a huge fan of the sport. His site has been on the cutting edge in introducing new technology for following adventure racing and helping us to get to know the racers better for a number of years now. And now, after a lot of planning and preparation, he's about to see a dream come true, as tomorrow marks the first ever CheckPoint Zero Adventure Race gets underway.

63 teams will take part in the inaugural race, with a wide range of experience between them. You can follow the race online at CheckPointTracker.com and it should be a fun, exciting race. I wish all the competitors luck and hope everyone races hard and safe. But most of all, I'd like to congratulate Yak for going out and pursuing his dream, and now finally seeing it come to fruition. I hope the race is a smashing success for you and that there will be many more to come!

ThePoles.com has posted a new Polar Update with some news on the still ongoing arctic expeditions.

Rosie Stancer continues to make progress in her bid to go solo to the North Pole. She spent much of the day yesterday in white-out conditions, gaining 8 nautical miles in the process. After 13 hours of trekking though, the conditions began to improve and the clouds lifted. Hopefully conditions are much clearer for her today. Her last reported position was at 86 54 00N 56 21 22W, which means she still has some work ahead of her.

Meanwhile, Thomas Ulrich and Børge Ousland continue their epic voyage as well, but have reportedly run into a polar bear already. The pair of arctic explorers were surprised to see a bear so far North, and it has prompted them to set up a fence around their camp at night to keep hungry bears away. They've made steady progress as well, despite their own whiteout conditions, having notched 17km over the weekend.

The Polar First Team has made it into Iqaluit on Baffin Island, where they bumped into Will Steger's Global warming 101 Team who happened to have British Adventurer (and Billionaire) Richard Branson along for the ride. Jennifer Murray reports that the record weather delay in Iqaluit is 42 days, a record they don't really want to break.

Finally, the results for the Polar Race are in and you can check to see how your favorite team did. I don't know about you personally, but I was rooting for "The Blue Tits".

While we were celebrating the long weekend here in the States, teams of adventure athletes were battling it out in the Mark Webber Tasmania Challenge in Australia. The five-day, stage race featured plenty of running, mountain biking and paddling as competitors challenged each other across a course that was more than 340 km (210 miles) in length. The video below, which includes highlights from the final day of the competition, is a good indicator of what this race is all about.

After five days of racing, the race was won by the team of Richard Ussher and Braden Currie. They completed the entire course in 18 hours, 54 minutes, which was more than two hours faster than the second place team that consisted of Alex Hunt and Mark Hinder. Third place went to Jarad Kohler and James Pretto, who finished in 26 hours, 52 minutes and 2 seconds.

This was the 10th annual Tasmania Challenge and over the year the race has become a staple on the adventure racing calendar each season. With another strong turnout this year, it appears that the race is poised to continue well into the future.

The Adventure Race World Championship officially gets underway on Saturday in in the Lochaber region of Scotland, a remote area along the countries West Coast. The race will run through June 2nd, as co-ed teams of four will run, bike, paddle, and climb their way through forests and valleys, over ridges and down rivers for the right to proclaim themselves World Champs.

You can get a full list of teams here. You'll see it's full of the usual suspects, with tops teams from all over the World showing up to compete. There are a few interesting storylines that will be fun to watch. For instance, Team Nike's shadow has fallen across the AR landscape for a number of years, but with Ian Adamson retiring, and Richard Ussher forming his own new team, it'll be interesting to see if Nike can maintain it's dominance. Team Captain Mike Kloser is tough to beat though, and he'll have his team ready to go. Speaking of Ussher, he's put together a great team to compete as well, with AR legend Nathan Fa'avae returning to action. That was a short retirement Nathan! Richard himself is seen as one of the strongest young racers to come along in years, and his Balance Vector team will be one to watch.

Of course, there will be others to reckon with as well. Team Merrell/Wigwam, captained by Robyn Benincasa are always a threat. As are Salomon/Crested Butte, Team Feed the Machine, and wilsa hellyhansen.

With Primal Quest on the shelf for the year, and The Raid changing formats, this will be THE big race of the year. I can't wait to see how it plays out, as the future of several teams will be on display over the coming week. I'll bring updates once the race gets underway and we can get word on what's happening on the course.

In the mean time gear heads can check out the equipment list here and learn more about the region of Scotland here.

Ok, let me preface what I'm about to say with a huge disclaimer that this is just a big fat rumor that I've had a little birdy whisper in my ear. I have no idea if it's true or false, it's just a rumor. However, I've had someone mention to me that the big Primal Quest announcement that is said to be coming "soon" will be that the race will return in 2008 (Duh! Kind of late for 2007!) and that the location of the race may be Argentina. Furthermore, there are rumors of a shake-up of the leadership of the race, which will probably have an impact on how and where it's run.

Interesting stuff if true. I'd love to see a big race run in Patagonia, one of the most amazing, and remote, places on Earth. Up until now, all PQ's have been held in the United States, so that would certainly make for a departure from that tradition. As I said earlier, this is just a rumor however, so we'll see what happens when an actual announcement is made.

Update: Yak at Check Point Zero has updated his blog entry on this subject and it's not positive. His sources, which I'm sure are far better placed than mine, say that the Primal Quest announcement that was to come next week has fallen through, and we're back in the "holding pattern". Hopefully something will break soon on this subject. All fans of adventure racing would love to see this issue resolved. Updates as they come.

The Denver Post posted an article on the evolving state of adventure racing with a nice look at how the sport is moving away from the longer expedition length races and more towards the shorter sprint, 24 hour, and weekend races.

The days of Eco-Challenge, Primal Quest, and The Raid seem to be behind us, and this has led many to believe that the sport is on life support. However, it is, in fact, thriving. There are more people taking part in races then ever before, they're just not participating in these gureling, 300+ mile long races, preferring to go after the shorter races instead. Many racers don't have the time to train, nor run, an expedition length race, which are also more gear intensive and physically demanding. But they can run spring races of 4-8 hours or move up to 12-24 hour races, and beyond to two day, weekend races.

I'm torn by the direction that the sport has moved. While I'm a big fan of AR, and have followed teams and athletes since Eco-Challenge first hit the air. The distinct lack of a "crown jewel" for the sport makes me a little sad. However, it is still encouraging to know that the sport is growing in popularity and that more and more people are taking part. It bodes well for the future of adventure racing, even if it may mean the end of the epic challenges of the expedition length races.

Thanks Check Point Zero.

Wednesday marks the start of the 10th annual Mark Webber Tasmania Challenge, a 341 km (211 miles) adventure race held in the remote Tasmanian wilderness. The event is hosted each year by F1 star Mark Webber, who happens to be a huge fan of endurance sports and adventure racing in particular. Webber ended his long racing career last Sunday after competing in the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The course for this year's Tasmania Challenge runs along the West Coast of the Australian island. The five-day race features coed teams with some incredible athletes mixed into the field. While Webber himself is unable to compete this year, fellow F1 driver Mitch Evans is giving the Challenge a go for the first time. He's joined by Olympians Emma Snowsill, who competed in the triathlon, and Kenny Wallace who is a world class kayaker. As is usual with an adventure race of this kind, the stages will include mountain biking, trail running, paddling and various other disciplines.

The elite teams will be competing for a piece of the $30,000 purse, while others will be taking part in the charity fundraiser. Most of the proceeds generated from the Tasmania Challenge goes to Whielion, an organization which provides a number of service for at-risk youth in Australia. Additionally, some of the funds also go to the Save The Tasmanian Devil fun as well.

Once the race gets underway you'll be able to follow the progress of the teams and get updates on daily standings from the official website.

Yesterday this little message appeared on the Primal Quest Website


"Primal Quest 2008

Details about Primal Quest 2008 coming soon.

May 17, 2007

Stay tuned for more info..."


So, it looks like the biggest, baddest adventure race on the planet will be returning next year. But will the format remain the same? Where will it be held? What can we expect? I guess we'll have to wait and see. And hope this isn't another false start. But seeing as how it's on the PQ News page, I think we can expect some concrete details soon.

The Adventure Racing World Championship is still ongoing in Costa Rica, but as I write this, two teams have crossed the finish line, claiming first and second place respectively. The winners of the race, and this year's world champions are Thule Adventure Team, who finished in 168 hours,  27 minutes. That translates to a little more than seven days or non-stop racing. Second place went to Columbia Vidaraid, which came across the line at 171 hours, 34 minutes. Right now, it appears that Adidas TERREX Prunesco is in position to claim third place, although they aren't home yet.

The race got underway last weekend with the four-person, coed teams facing a 700+ km (435 mile) course designed to test their endurance, skills and determination. At the time, it was thought that the top teams could potentially complete the route in about 4 to 5 days. But, it turns out that was a very optimistic estimate. Thule is perhaps the best team in the sport today, and it took them 2-3 days longer than projected.

As is typical in adventure racing, this course mixed trail running, mountain biking and paddling. It started on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica and finishes on the Atlantic Coast. In between there were miles of rainforest to cross, rivers to kayak and mountains to climb.

Congratulations to Jackie Boisset, Mimi Guillot, Stuart Lynch and Albert Roca, the athletes who make up Team Thule. This win continues a great run for the team, who have been very tough to beat on an international level over the past few years.

I've bemoaned the recent state of affairs in Adventure Racing a number of times on this blog, and even mentioned how things have been changing in the sport, especially with the big races at the top like The Raid and Primal Quest. The most recent news on PQ was that it was being put on hold indefinitely, with a glimmer of hope that it might return at some point in the future. The outlook was not optimistic.

Today we get this short and cryptic post in the Yak Blog over at Check Point Zero that says that there may be a big announcement from the Primal Quest team soon with word on the next edition of the expedition length race. This is encouraging news to all the fans of the sport. I'm hoping PQ returns in a similar format and length, with perhaps a more international location, but we'll have to wait and see. Here's hoping we get good news soon!

Adventure Racer Danelle Ballengee returned to action over the weekend, winning a 12 hour race held in Buena Vista, CO, in the solo women's category. Check Point Zero notes that her time was fast enough to beat the fifth place male competior of the race as well.

This marks a remarkable comeback for one of the top female racers in the sport. You might recall that last fall Danelle fell sixty feet while training near moab, and broke her pelvis in four places. She was stranded out on the trail for more than two days. In the end, it was her faithful dog Taz who went for, and returned with, help.

At the time, it was estimated that it could take up to six months before she would walk again, and at least a year for a full recovery, but obviously Nelly had other ideas in mind. This is some amazing rehab to say the least, and it's a testament to her abilities as an athlete that she can return so quickly and start winning races.

Congrats on the win Danelle, it's good to see you back!

The Mark Webber Tasmania Challenge wrapped up a week ago, and at the time I mentioned how it has become a staple on the adventure racing calendar each fall. Turns out I spoke a bit too quickly, although the future does continue to look bright for the event.

Late last week I received word that the Challenge will go on hiatus for 2014 as race organizers prepare for the future. Details are a bit light right now, but I'm told that they are preparing for a "significant step up" when the race returns in 2015. The press release accompanying the note that I received indicated that the race has positioned itself nicely to move into a premium position moving forward. It also indicated that Webber, who has now retired from F1 racing (although not automobile racing completely), will have a bit more free time that he'll use to grow the Tasmania Challenge further.

It seems that there is something big in the works and the race will return with a vengeance in 2015. Until then, we'll have to wait to hear more once the details emerge. Considering the Tasmania Challenge has now been around for ten years, finding out where it is headed next should prove very interesting.

The Adventure Racing World Championship is set to get underway in Costa Rica this weekend when coed teams of four take part in this year's Costa Rica Adventure Race. The official start of the event is scheduled for Sunday, when a field of 60 of the best AR teams from 26 different countries line up at the starting line.

The race is scheduled to last up to nine days, although the winners are projected to finish in just four. It will begin on Costa Rica's Pacific Coast and end on the country's Atlantic side. In between, the competitors will run, bike, paddle, climb and raft through 700+ km (435 miles) of dense jungle and mountain terrain.

The Costa Rica Adventure Race is the final event on the AR World Series calendar for 2013. The teams that are competing in the race have all had to qualify by racing in other ARWS events throughout the year. This event will crown this year's world champs, with teams such as Seagate, Adidas TERREX Prunesco, and the Thule Adventure Team expected to be in the mix. It should be quite the event for fans of the sport and be sure to check out the Costa Rica AR website for regular updates and team tracking.

Adventure racers looking to fill out their race schedule for next year can now add Expedition Idaho to the list of events they'll want to compete in next year. The race, which held its inaugural run back in 2011, returns on August 10-16 and will once again feature a fantastic finish amongst a cheering crowd of onlookers at a 2000-person beer festival. As you would expect, the race will include running, mountain biking and paddling sections, with a few extra surprises thrown in for good measure. This is a 500+ mile, expedition style race through some of the most spectacular backcountry in North America and I have it on very good authority that the mountain biking sections in particular will be amongst the best ever in an adventure race.

Find out more at the Perpetual Motion Events website, which is still under construction but has some preliminary information about all of their upcoming events.

Speaking of other upcoming events, the race management staff has also announced another exciting race that will take place in 2015. Not content to simply punish racers on a tough course in Idaho, the team has also announced the first ever Expedition Alaska adventure race, which will take place in June of 2015. That event will let 20 lucky teams compete for seven days in a wild and beautiful frontier that will push them to their limits.

And last, but certainly not least, Adventure Sports Week Idaho will also be back in 2014 offering more events than ever including an off-road tri, more trail runs and 52-mile ultra. The official dates have not been announced just yet, but ASWI will take place near Labor Day. As usual, the various races and events that make up Adventure Sports Week will be held in Farragut State Park near beautiful Coeur d’ Alene. Stay tuned for more information as the schedule unfolds. 

So there you have it. Adventure races and endurance athletes will certainly want to take note of these three great opportunities to compete in 2014 and beyond. I'm super-excited to see Expedition Idaho return next year and I can't wait to see what is store for Expedition Alaska in 2015.