I've never been disappointed with a Rootstock race: great course design and logistics, great pre and post race organization, and always challenging. Looking forward to competing in their first expedition-length event: the five-day Endless Mountains Adventure Race!
-mark lattanzi, Team tanz navigation
The Endless Mountains Adventure Race is the culmination of our nearly thirty years of combined experience in the sport as race directors, mentors, racers, and working board members of the United States Adventure Racing Association.
Pennsylvania offers endless mountains to explore, filled with wildlife, sweeping vistas, cascading waterways, rich history of our nation's complex industrial past, and rugged (and often rocky) terrain. It is a perfect setting to challenge veteran adventure racers, and it offers a great entry point for those ready to take on their first expedition race.
Teams of 2-4 will have five days to complete a 342-mile/550-kilometer course, exploring the sprawling, majestic PA Wilds region of Pennsylvania, which is comprised of more than two million acres spanning one national and eight state forests, twenty-nine state parks, fifty state game lands, and countless towns and villages nestled in the mountains and valleys of north-central PA. Teams will encounter local history, paddle scenic waterways, climb and traverse rocky ridges and mountainsides, and trek and bike through some of our state's most remote forests.
Along the way, teams will work together to overcome the challenges that only expedition races can bring: being tested to the physical and mental limits with challenging overland navigation, wild terrain, and weather that can tame even the most hardened outdoors enthusiasts. Everyone will encounter the rich wildlife of the PA Wilds, and the lucky ones will cross paths with some of the 1400 elk that make up one of the only herds in the eastern United States.
Pennsylvania offers endless mountains to explore, filled with wildlife, sweeping vistas, cascading waterways, rich history of our nation's complex industrial past, and rugged (and often rocky) terrain. It is a perfect setting to challenge veteran adventure racers, and it offers a great entry point for those ready to take on their first expedition race.
Teams of 2-4 will have five days to complete a 342-mile/550-kilometer course, exploring the sprawling, majestic PA Wilds region of Pennsylvania, which is comprised of more than two million acres spanning one national and eight state forests, twenty-nine state parks, fifty state game lands, and countless towns and villages nestled in the mountains and valleys of north-central PA. Teams will encounter local history, paddle scenic waterways, climb and traverse rocky ridges and mountainsides, and trek and bike through some of our state's most remote forests.
Along the way, teams will work together to overcome the challenges that only expedition races can bring: being tested to the physical and mental limits with challenging overland navigation, wild terrain, and weather that can tame even the most hardened outdoors enthusiasts. Everyone will encounter the rich wildlife of the PA Wilds, and the lucky ones will cross paths with some of the 1400 elk that make up one of the only herds in the eastern United States.
Dates |
Saturday, June 18-Saturday June 25
Preliminary Schedule:
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Teams |
While we honor the desire to explore on your own, our event is not open to solo racers.
If you are a solo competitor looking for a team, consider posting on the Adventure Racing Discussion Group, on our facebook page, or contact us directly. Team Composition: Single-gender and mixed-gender teams of 2, 3, and 4* *Top prizes (cash purse, full podium prizes) and USARA rankings points will only be available to the premier division teams: 4-person, mixed-gender. |
Location |
The small, vibrant, university town of Clarion, Pennsylvania will serve as the host site for the inaugural edition of the Endless Mountains Adventure Race. The race itself will largely route teams through the incredible PA Wilds!
Race logistics and the event finish will take place on Clarion University's campus. We will bus teams to the start. We will reveal the start location during onsite registration and map distribution. |
Disciplines |
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Prizes |
Premier Division (4-Person, mixed-gender teams):
Other Divisions:
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Safety and required certification |
Required
During the Endless Mountains, teams will be in remote wilderness environments, sometimes far from EMS assistance, and may need to be self-sufficient for extended periods. As a result, we are requiring that at least one member of each team hold a WFA certification or higher (standard Red Cross First Aid will NOT suffice). WFA (Wilderness First Aid) and WFR (Wilderness First Responder) are industry-standard wilderness-based first aid courses for outdoor enthusiasts and professionals. Being able to take care of yourself or a teammate is critical, and in a multi-day expedition race each team should know how to manage a variety of common wilderness-relate scenarios that may unfold in remote settings. WFA courses are commonplace and typically take a weekend to complete. WFR courses are quite a bit longer in duration but are truly incredible experiences and prepare you to more fully respond to backcountry emergencies. A number of organizations offer WFA and WFR courses, but the recommend industry-leaders are: SOLO, NOLS, and WMA. Collectively, these groups organize hundreds of courses across the country every year. Recommended We encourage teams to consider investing in river-paddling safety and skills courses such as the American Canoe Association's (ACA) Level 3 River Safety & Rescue course and ACA Level 3 River Kayaking (or equivalent). The conditions are such that we are not requiring proof of training or skills, but we recommend building such skills into your toolbox. Friend of Rootstock Racing and fellow adventure racer Eric Caravella is an ACA-certified River Safety and Rescue instructor, who offers packraft-specific skills and river safety training courses through his company, Packrafting Adventures. We are working with Eric to coordinate training weekends that are geared towards teams or individual participants competing in the Endless Mountains Adventure Race. Stay tuned for more information on this collaboration! |
