What is Adventure Racing?

Adventure racing is an off-road multidisciplinary sport that involves biking, paddling, running/trekking, and other special challenges, all while navigating with a map and compass (GPS is not allowed). It is a team sport in which groups of 2-4 racers must stick together for the duration of the entire event and cross the finish line together. While some races do allow soloists, the premier division is usually comprised of 3-4 person mixed gender teams.

Every race course is different. Teams might do each discipline multiple times throughout a race and the order in which they are required to do them varies from race to race. Most often the official race course is kept a secret until the morning of the race, when racers arrive and are given maps detailing the locations (check points) they must navigate to, which order they must find them in, and which disciplines they will need to do during the event.

Team Skills Training

The skills for effective Search and Rescue are also needed in adventure racing: navigation, orienteering, trekking, biking, paddling, and teamwork in stressful situations. Adventure racing is unique in that racers must be proficient in many different disciplines, and strength and speed are not the only factors determining the race outcome. Elements of strategy, navigation, route choice, outdoor survival skills, knowledge of local terrain, and teamwork are equally important. Teams win when they reach more checkpoints in the allotted time than any other team (sometimes, they are the first to get them all!).

Where and When are the Races?

The Wisconsin Adventure Racing Series is a collection of adventure races in Wisconsin and nearby states. The first race in the series is April: The Stubborn Fool, in Black River Falls, WI. Races in this series occur about once per month with the final race being in December.

Adventure Racing Team

Join us as we hone our skills for thrilling adventure races in Wisconsin's beautiful landscapes.