The Dirt on Adventure Races
Friday, July 14, 2006; Page WE27
Adventure racers run on dirt, not pavement. Their bicycle tires are thick and have nubs. Sometimes they swim and paddle. And often their most important piece of equipment is a compass -- because it's not always clear where the finish line is.
Adventure races are more like a reality television show than a traditional triathlon. They often involve teams of people who help each other navigate obstacles and the terrain. In the VentureQuest Adventure Race, put on by EX2 Adventures on Sept. 24 in Fountainhead Regional Park in Fairfax Station, teams have to make their way through a series of checkpoints -- by foot, bike or kayak -- in an event that can take as long as nine hours.
  A competitor races in June's Nissan Xterra East Championship in Richmond. (By P. Kevin Morley -- The Richmond Times-dispatch Via Associated Press) |
Teamwork is one of the main reasons the races have become so popular, said Jim Harman, the race director for EX2 Adventures, which sponsors races in the D.C. area. "I think people miss being part of a team when they get older," he said.
In VentureQuest, racers have to make sure they pack enough food and water. "They have to be completely self-sufficient," Harman said.
The Muddy Buddy race, on Sunday in Richmond, is much more low-key and not a true adventure race. But still, organizers say, it's a way to get a taste of the outdoors.
Also coming up:
EX2 is putting on an off-road triathlon with the Nissan Xterra USA Championship Series, another adventure race organizer, in Rocky Gap State Park in Flintstone, Md., on Sunday. Participants will swim three-quarters of a mile, mountain-bike 14 miles and then trail-run five miles. Online registration is closed, but if you show up at the park the day before the race between 4 and 7 p.m. you can sign up.
EX2 is also sponsoring several "Cranky Monkey" mountain bike races in Northern Virginia. They are July 30 and Aug. 6, 13 and 27. For more information, visit http:/
In Pennsylvania, Pretzel City Sports organizes outdoor events such as the off-road "Half Wit Half Marathon" Aug. 13 in Reading. It also sponsors a "Mud Fest" in the spring. See http:/
-- Christian Davenport
