I’ve had countless people ask me over the years what adventure racing is all about, and what makes it different than other multi-sports like triathlon. I’ve come up with my favorite five attributes of adventure racing that make the sport incredibly awesome! This is the third of five posts. We’d enjoy hearing from you, so please feel free to leave a comment. Who knows…maybe with your input we can develop the comprehensive list of why AR rocks!
So here we go…Reason #3: Navigation.
In a triathlon you swim, bike, and run on a set course. You may go uphill, downhill, left, and right, but you always follow the same path as every other athlete competing in the event. After all…those are the rules and cutting a course is…well…cheating.
In stark contrast adventure races provide no course markings at all…no directional arrows, no volunteers pointing the way, no police officers directing traffic…nothing. At the beginning of a race each team is given a map with checkpoints on it and an instruction sheet with clues to help you find each checkpoint. The instruction sheet also tells you the order in which the checkpoints must be found and how you will travel to each point (e.g., by mountain bike, foot, or canoe). It does not tell you, however, the way to each checkpoint. Your team will have to decide the best route to take as you travel through the course. You’ll have to NAVIGATE your way! In some cases it might be best to take a paved road, while in others a trail may be faster…in others perhaps cutting through the woods is the best route. What will be your strategy? What path will you take?
As an example look at the map below (North is up). What route would you take from the start (triangle) to CP 1? Would you take the road to the west and then south and cut through the woods at the top of the hill? Or would you take the road farther west to the trail that leads right to the point? Or perhaps you would take the the trail to the east and then cut through the woods at the top of the hill.
Choose wisely because it may be the decision that wins your team the race!
The requirement to navigate from checkpoint to checkpoint sets adventure racing apart from other multi-sports. Good adventure racing teams understand the value of having an excellent navigator(s) on the team. The teams that consistently win races are those that combine excellent physical fitness and teamwork with spot-on navigation.
In case you are wondering how to learn about navigation and get better…well, it’s simple really….you practice! The best way I’ve found to practice navigation in a non-adventure race environment is to participate in orienteering events through the Quantico Orienteering Club (QOC). Check them out!
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