22 places adventure racing people travel for: the towns to base a trip in, and the famous spot at each one.
Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand
Base of GODZone Chapter 13 (Twizel, Feb–Mar 2027) and the Spirited Women race at Tekapo
Open the guide arrow_forward
Top of the South Island, New Zealand
Home region of world champions Sophie Hart and Nathan Fa'avae; trails, rivers and coast close together
Destination guide →South Island, New Zealand
Hosted GODZone Chapter 12 (2025), finishing at Shelly Beach, Picton
Tasmania, Australia
Rugged wilderness used by the Legend expedition race in 2025
Destination guide →Jindabyne, New South Wales, Australia
Alpine Quest expedition race returns in October 2027
22 places adventure racing people travel for: the towns to base a trip in, and the famous spot at each one.
Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand
Base of GODZone Chapter 13 (Twizel, Feb–Mar 2027) and the Spirited Women race at Tekapo
Open the guide arrow_forwardTop of the South Island, New Zealand
Home region of world champions Sophie Hart and Nathan Fa'avae; trails, rivers and coast close together
Destination guide →South Island, New Zealand
Hosted GODZone Chapter 12 (2025), finishing at Shelly Beach, Picton
Tasmania, Australia
Rugged wilderness used by the Legend expedition race in 2025
Destination guide →Jindabyne, New South Wales, Australia
Alpine Quest expedition race returns in October 2027
Peak adventure racing season by region. Plan the trip around the best conditions.
15 legendary races. Pick one to read about it.
The 2027 Adventure Racing World Championship, hosted by Adventure Race Croatia. Race director Igor Dorotić has called it a long-held goal; the venue was still to be announced.
How the disciplines fit together, how the grades work, and where to start.
Most racers start with a sprint race of a few hours as a team of two. From there you go longer (12 and 24 hours, then multi-day and expedition races), get better with a map, or sharpen the paddling, biking and rope skills that every course needs. Tap a branch to see what it takes and what comes next.
Sources: Wikipedia: Adventure racing (formats, disciplines) · Wikipedia: Rogaining · Adventure Racing World Series: race calendar and categories · ARWS: Estonia ACE / La Sportiva win the 2026 World Championship · ARWS: Adventure Race Croatia - ARWC 2027 · USARA: 2026 National Championship results · ARWS: First Junior Adventure Racing World Championship winners · International Rogaining Federation: WRC 2027 press release
The second version of NNormal's light trail racing shoe, with more stack and rocker than the original and a Vibram Megagrip outsole.
GearJunkie Best Trail Running Shoes 2026: Best Lightweight · gearjunkie.com
Maker's pageA 12-liter running vest with soft flasks that carries mandatory kit for long trail and multi-sport races without bouncing.
GearJunkie Best Running Vests 2026: Best Overall · gearjunkie.com
Maker's pageA rechargeable 1,200-lumen headlamp that replaced GearJunkie's previous top pick in 2026.
GearJunkie Best Headlamps 2026: Best Overall (updated Nov 2026) · gearjunkie.com
Maker's pageA 500-lumen headlamp with a rear battery pack that balances the weight for comfort on long nights.
GearJunkie Best Headlamps 2026: Most Comfortable High-Performance · gearjunkie.com
Maker's pageA 1,500-lumen headlamp with swappable rechargeable batteries, built for running and racing through the night.
GearJunkie Best Headlamps 2026: Best Headlamp for Distance Running · gearjunkie.com
Maker's pageGarmin's premium running and multisport watch with full-color maps, a built-in flashlight and long battery life.
Singletracks Editors' Choice 2025 · singletracks.com
Maker's pageEach row is one grading system, the way it looks on the trail. Read down a column to convert. Pick a level to see the terrain.
Pick a level to see what adventure racing terrain looks like there.
The athletes to watch, the organizations that run the sport, and the events on its calendar.
New Zealand
Seven-time world champion and longtime captain of Team Seagate and Team Avaya; won Eco-Challenge in 2002 and again in Fiji in 2019
New Zealand
Eight-time world champion and one of the sport's best navigators; won GODZone Chapter 12 (2025) with Team Rab
New Zealand
Nelson doctor who won world titles with Seagate; six-time GODZone champion and Eco-Challenge Fiji winner
Sweden
Captain of Team Peak Performance, the first Swedish team to win an international ARWS race; adopted Arthur, the stray dog that followed his team in Ecuador in 2014
Sweden
Captain of the Swedish Armed Forces Adventure Team, world champions in 2021, 2023 and 2025
Where and when they run, on a world map, by month and format, with each race's official site.
Photo: Romanterik · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsDiscover the world of adventure racing across 22 destinations. From discovery to mastery: find your spot, build your skill, send your project.
The beginner's guide, the channels, podcasts, sites and apps worth your time, the brands behind the gear, and the people who run the sport.
Everything you need to know to get started — gear, safety, common mistakes, and the language of adventure racing. Built for first-timers, useful for everyone.
Curated channels, podcasts, and apps from coaches and pros.
13 brands shaping the adventure racing world.
Grippy trail and fell shoes; Team New Zealand raced mainly in X-Talons when winning Eco-Challenge Fiji (2019)
Mountain running shoes; co-title sponsor of Estonia ACE / La Sportiva, 2026 world champions
Trail shoes and soft-flask race vests used across long-distance racing
Baseplate and thumb compasses for orienteering and adventure racing
Compasses and GPS sports watches
Headlamps for night stages; harnesses, descenders and ascenders for rope sections
GPS watches, bike computers and inReach satellite messengers
Lightweight packrafts that teams carry on treks and inflate for river legs
Packrafts and inflatable paddling gear
Lightweight carbon kayak and packraft paddles
Trail running and raid packs, vests and ultralight gear
High-calorie freeze-dried meals for multi-day racing
Map view, filtered by grade, season, discipline. Plan your year — or just your next weekend.