Before The Warrior Dash...

...there was (and is) adventure racing.

Events like the Tough Mudder, Warrior Dash, and Spartan Race have become wildly popular in recent years, but all of these day-long challenges build on a concept that has been around for much longer - adventure racing, also known as "multisport."

One of the many possible obstacles and ways of
navigating it during an adventure race

Described by Ian Adamson as "an unusual sport, part adventure, part race, part human experience," adventure racing was born in New Zealand in the 1980s with the Raid Gauloises (now the Raid World Championship). Even prior to that, there were events like New Zealand's Alpine Ironman and the Karrimor International Mountain Marathon, which many consider the first modern adventure race. Today, adventure races of every length, collection of disciplines, and level of difficulty can be found.

Adventure races are generally qualified by a few over-arching characteristics: competition across multiple disciplines, team is almost always a component, gear is usually carried by the competitors as they proceed through the competition, and no GPS, motorized travel, or outside assistance is allowed. Past that, the creativity of the course designers is the limit, and there is certainly an adventure race to suit everyone.

Teams kayaking during an adventure race

If the thought of getting a group of friends together, training across a number of disciplines, and traveling to some of the world's most beautiful places to push yourself to your limit sounds exhilarating,  then find a race and start training! (Who knows, you may even decide to try one of the World's Toughest Endurance Challenges)

The following websites are a great place to find an adventure race that suits you:

• Asia - Action Asia Calendar of Events
• United States - United States Adventure Racing Association
• UK/Europe - CamRacers Adventure Race/Ultra Run Calendar