The shortest qualifying race for the RAAM is 375 miles long, so expect to spend a few years getting to the starting line. The winners average about 22 hours a day on their bikes (which equates to about 250 to 350 miles per day), in order to complete the ride under the 12-day limit. From Oceanside, California, teams and solo-riders pedal 3,000 miles to Annapolis, Maryland, climbing 170,000 along the way. Vargas)įrom Oceanside, California, teams and solo-riders pedal 3,000 miles to Annapolis, Maryland, climbing 170,000 along the way. Since 1993, 450 riders a year ride from the Pacific to the Atlantic, tracing the path of three 16th-century Spanish conquistadors-except it took the latter 20 years to do it. From the Costa Rican jungle to high-altitude peaks and active volcanoes, bikers must battle knee-deep mud and sand (and poison dart frogs) over four stages on a course that climbs 29,000 feet over 161 miles. (Luc Mehl/ )įrom the Costa Rican jungle to high-altitude peaks and active volcanoes, bikers must battle knee-deep mud and sand (and poison dart frogs) over four stages on a course that climbs 29,000 feet over 161 miles. This year the Classic had its first fatality when a race veteran died while forging the Tana river. “If you can't get off the couch right now and do an ultramarathon, you shouldn't even think about doing this race,” reads a post on a blog for the event. Some have compared it to combat, and race veterans are quick to caution the unprepared and overzealous. There’s no route or GPS, and participants must be skilled in self-rescue (and carry a SAT phone). Since 1982, roughly 15 people a year attempt to find the path of least resistance across more than 100 miles of wild Alaskan terrain. “As you are in the jungle you will face humidity levels reaching near 100 percent, making sweating useless in maintaining your core body temperature,” reads the website. The course drops 10,500 feet to the jungle floor and crosses some 70 rivers and streams as it winds through the jungle. Runners cover 142.6 miles through the humid Peruvian jungle in a five-stage, self-supported race-all while battling temperatures in the 90s and plenty of bugs. But if a challenge that teeters on the precipice of possibility is the goal, look no further than these thirteen grueling competitions. Nearly all races market themselves on the same superlatives: toughest, hardest, coldest, craziest. These races cover terrain from the jungle floor of the Amazon to spiny ridgelines in Wales, but one thing holds true across the board: none of the events are for rookies. But what happens when you take away the road, the cheerful volunteers handing out energy gels, and most of your sanity? You get some of the gnarliest races out there, where mistakes can be fatal and merely crossing the finish line in one piece counts as victory. The popularity of road marathons and obstacle racing has skyrocketed over the past few years.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |