Adventure Sports Week Offers Economic Assistance!

Adventure Sports Week is still on track to be one of the top events of the year in terms of endurance events, adventure racing, and just plain fun! Running from June 5-14, in Farragut State Park, near Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, ASW will offer 24 unique races and other competitive events over the course if one very busy week.

In the latest press release from even organizers, it was announced that have reduced the entry fees for the adventure races and orienteering course in an effort to make them more affordable for the competitors. Race Director David Adlard says “We wanted to do something so that folks can come and race even in this tough economy, so we lowered the price of the Adventure Races and the Orienteering meet to make them more affordable.”

This is good news for the AR community, which is having a tough year, with a number of events being put on hold until 2010, and some dropping off the schedule altogether. The economic climate has been challenging for all of us, and it's a nice gesture by the ASW crew to make their event more accessible to those who want to compete.

In addition, they've also announced that adventure racing legend Robyn Benincasa will be on hand to promote Project Athena, a non-profit organization she helped start that offers women with breast cancer, or other medical conditions, the opportunity to pursue their athletic and adventure dreams. Robyn, along with one of the recipients of an "Athenaship" will be racing, alongside two members of the media, in the event. If you're a member of the media, and would like to join the team, drop David an e-mail at dave@adventuresportsweek.com to submit your application. Hmm... am I considered a member of the media?

In addition to Robyn, Adventure Sports Week has an outstanding list of endurance athletes who will be on hand. Dean Karnazes is in, as is Team Nike captain Mike Kloser and former teammate Ian Adamson. The "Queen of Pain" Rebecca Rusch will put in an appearance as well, rounding out the all-star cast.

To check out all the events, and register for a race or three, click here. There really is something for everyone, and it promises to be a great time.

America's Best Races

Awhile back I mentioned that Outside Magazine had selected their list of America's Best Races, pulled from suggestions from readers, and compiled to give you a full year of competitive events to set your sights on for yourself. There really is something for everyone here, even if I do still contend that an obvious choice was left off the list.

Now that the full list is online, along with a brief description of why it made the cut, you can have a look for yourself. Each of the races is now placed in chronological order, beginning with the Pole Pedal Paddle race in Jackson Wyoming on April 4 and ending with the American Birkebeiner in Cable, Wisconsin next February.

In between you have a dozen other races on foot, bike, and more, that will give nearly everyone the opportunity to get out and challenge themselves. Races are found all over the country and at various lengths, making one of these American classics accessible to more athletes.

All in all, it's a very good list, with a nice variety of challenges and disciplines. I wonder who will be the person to step up and run the Gauntlet trying to complete all of them.

Top Ten Toughest Races

The National Geographic Adventure blog has put out their list of the Top 10 Toughest Races in the world, with some really interesting, and grueling, events making the list. These races cross a number of disciplines, and are pretty much guaranteed to punish the competitors.

Some of the races that managed to make the cut include the just completed Iditarod, which has garnered the moniker of "The Last Great Race". The iconic dog sled race covers more than 1100 miles across Alaskan wilderness in the dead of winter. The Furnace Creek 508 earns a place of honor as well. This cycling event covers 500+ miles through the heat of Death Valley, throwing in more than 36,000 feet of vertical gain in the process. For foot races, the legendary Marathon des Sables, which starts in just two days, makes the list for its grueling six day, suffer-fest through the Sahara Desert.

I won't spoil the rankings or the top selection as the toughest race in the world, suffice as to say that several of the races making the list are ones that i write about regularly. Of course, a certain race that I have a bit of a soft spot for continues to be snubbed by these recent lists of "best" and "toughest" races. I think I need to talk to Don Mann, my boss at Primal Quest, and discuss making the race a bit more challenging. Obviously ten days of non-stop racing over a 600 mile course just isn't enough to cut it any more.

PlanetFear Brings Us The Most Extreme Races

Adventure website PlanetFear has a cool list of the World's Most Extreme Races, naming off some of the top endurance event on the planet, or as they call the list, "the thigh quivering guide to some of the world’s most outrageous races…"

The author of the article, Ben Winston, determined the "extremeness" of each race by giving them a label, such as "The Most Northerly" or "The Highest", and then follows up with a photo from the event, and a brief description of what you can expect to endure while competing.

For instance, they name the legendary Marathon des Sables as "The Hottest". The race takes place annually in the Sahara Desert of Morocco, with competitors racing 150 miles over six days in a stage event format. Average temperatures tend to hover around 120ºF.

But if the heat isn't that rough on you, perhaps you'd rather face the humidity. Yep, they have a winner in the "Most Humid" category, with the prize going to The Jungle Marathon, a seven day event that covers 120 miles across Brazil's dense jungles. Competitors have to carry everything with them, with the exception of their water, which is replenished each day, and hammock to crash in when they reach the nightly camps. And if that humid jungle wasn't enough of a challenge, they'll have to deal with poisonous snakes and insects, not to mention an array of fungal infections and disease.

Great list of top races from around the planet. Still no love for Primal Quest though. I'm starting to feel a bit disrespected. We seriously need to make PQ more challenging.

New Trail Run Pits Man vs. Nature, Perhaps Literally!

A new endurance trail race is gearing up to take place later this year in the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve, located in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The 50km (31 mile) race will cover some very remote, demanding terrain, as top adventure athletes challenge each other across the course. But that may be the least of their worries, as they'll be running through territory that is inhabited by dangerous game animals, including Black Rhino, Cape Buffalo, and Cape Cobra!

The inaugural Baviaanskloof Trail Run is scheduled to get underway on Saturday, Sept. 12 of this year. Each of the runners expected to be self sufficient while out on the course, and very little support will be provided. The race promises to be an event like any other, with beautiful landscapes, demanding trails, and the potential to pass a wide variety of wildlife on the course.

The Baviaanskloof National Reserve is a World Heritage Site that is well known for the diverse wildlife that exists inside its boundaries, which are accented by colorful cliffs and rock formations. In addition to the animals mentioned above, racers can expect to encounter Baboon, Bushbuck, Tortoise, Kudu, Bush Pig, Caracal, Mountain Zebra, and even possibly Leopards.

The event is now taking entries, with the majority of them being on a "first-come, first-served" basis, although there will be some sponsor exemptions to allow for event organizers to invite special guests. The entry form can be found here, just in case you would like to participate yourself. They'll continue to take entries up until the end of June.

Looks like a great event, and it really plays well to the old joke "I don't have to out run the rhino, I just need to outrun one of the other racers"! :)

Thanks to Darrell Raubenheimer for sending this my way! Much appreciated Darrell.