From Endless Mountains Co-Director Brent Freedland:
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​So, you’re considering signing up for your first expedition-length adventure race! One day, you feel excited, adrenaline already pulsating even though you are three seasons (or more) away from race day, the next you are nauseous, waking up in cold sweats, wondering what broke to make you think this would be a good idea.
 
The good news: what you are feeling is totally normal! True, a few hardened - or totally carefree? - adventurers sign up for their first multi-day race without a care in the world, but for most adventure racers, signing up for an expedition race for the first time marks a monumental leap of faith. There are the expenses, the training time, and the time away (especially for those of us with little adventurers at home). For most of us, though, those cold sweats arise from questions about the distance to travel, finding the right teammates, wondering what the race directors have in store, and uncertainty about whether we’ll able to make it through.
 
To be honest, even as a seasoned and successful adventure racer, I still get the nerves every time I click that “Register” button. I think of how my entry fee could be accruing money in my kids’ college savings account or earmarked for some long-delayed home improvement project. I worry about my ability to train and prepare, about who I might line up with at the start line, and whether the race director will deliver an event worthy of the time I am committing to prepare and the vacation time I’m agreeing to sacrifice.
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Bend Racing in Oregon, Rootstock Racing in Pennsylvania, and Hoodoo Adventures in British Columbia announce a new partnership to grow the sport of multi-day expedition racing in the United States and Canada: The North American Expedition Race Series.
 
The series brings together premier race organizations in the US and Canada for a two-year cycle of expedition-length adventure races across the continent. With several decades of collective experience as both racers and race directors, Chelsey and Jason Magness of Bend Racing, Abby Perkiss and Brent Freedland of Rootstock Racing, and Nathalie Long of Hoodoo Adventures look to combine their diverse experiences to highlight the unique terrain, wildlife, history, and culture that reaches across the great expanse of North America.
 
"It is very exciting to be a part of a series of expedition races that will not only showcase the amazing and diverse terrain we have in North America, but that will combine the decades of race experience we all have." says Long, Race Director for Hoodoo Adventures and Expedition Canada. "We believe that by bringing that experience together with the inspirational and challenging landscapes each region can offer, we can provide confidence and consistency for racers and in turn assist with the growth of the sport."  

multi-sport athletes to test their physical and mental limits, and they will create the space for newer adventurers to make the jump to multi-day racing in a supportive and accessible way Each race will have a robust media presence and be broadcast through live event tracking, social media, and professional photo and video - allowing the public to watch incredible stories unfold over several days of racing.
 
In addition to live tracking and robust media coverage, each event in the series will:

• Pledge free entries to partner events as part of podium prize packages
• Prioritize a cash podium at all series events
• Offer prizes to top non-elite teams in the series rankings
• Develop a standardized on-boarding program to assist newer racers ready to take on expedition racing
• Standardize rules, gear lists, and safety protocols
• Standardize select branding and marketing resources
• Feature multi-disciplined courses designed to challenge and inspire racers from around the world
• Work together to raise awareness of and increase participation in the sport of expedition adventure racing
• Work in conjunction with the Adventure Racing World Series (ARWS)
• Partner with the United States Adventure Racing Association (USARA)

​“Expedition-length events have long been the pinnacle of the sport of adventure racing,” says Heidi Muller, International Events and Brand Director for ARWS. “The international racing community is excited to see North America step back onto the world stage with consistent high-level opportunities for teams from around the globe to explore the magnificent terrain and culture of the USA and Canada.”
 
In its inaugural season, the series brings together Expedition Oregon and Expedition Canada as fully-sanctioned ARWS events and the Endless Mountains Adventure Race as an ARWS demonstration race. The top North American team from each of these events will receive free entry to a series race in 2023.

​In 2023 and beyond, Expedition North America will include events hosted by longstanding and emerging race directors from the US and Canada, all with substantial international and multi-day experience as racers as well. 

“Expedition Racing demands incredible commitment from the teams of athletes, and our vision is to collectively create race experiences that are 100% worthy of that investment,” says Jason Magness of Bend Racing. “Races that both prepare continental teams to take part in some of the biggest events scattered across the world, and also races grand enough to draw adventure athletes from Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, and Australasia.”
 
Chesley Magness adds, “It’s about damn time!” 
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