Adventure racers get their highs in many different ways (Corbis)
With adventure racing now a fixture on sporting calendars all over the world, premier events like the Raids and Eco-Challenge can deliver racers to some of the most stunning and challenging landscapes on the planet—from the sere, bushy scrub of the Aussie Outback to Fiji's jungle wilderness to Patagonia's mountain fortresses.
Consequently, it can be an exotic and sometimes expensive hobby. In fact, the sport's newer Subaru Primal Quest, now in its third year of competition, was devised exactly to counter the prohibitive costs of competing on such a scattered international playing field.
"I was talking with friends about what a shame it was that there was no expedition-style adventure race that gave U.S. teams a fair chance to compete. Everybody had to travel abroad," race organizer Dan Barger remarked in a 2002 interview with National Geographic Adventure.
Like geocaching enthusiasts, however, it's not essential that adventure racers have a generous trust fund or the privilege of living in one of those stunningly gorgeous outdoor towns that always make magazine top 10 lists. The United States Adventure Racing Association (www.usara.com) lists clubs in all 50 states and more than 140 races peppered across the nation (in 2004). Next year will probably be even bigger as the sport continues to grow.
Worldwide Competition | 
