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It’s not a race for casual hikers or bikers, that’s for sure.
A five-day, 120-hour race gets underway in the area today as part of the 2023 Endless Mountains Adventure Race will take roughly 100 competitors through all sorts of terrain and trails between Lycoming and Tioga counties.
Thirty-three teams competing in Endless Mountains Adventure Race, the second edition. It’s the only US qualifier for the 2023 Adventure Racing World Championship.
On Sunday, all competitors were gathered at the Krapf Gateway Center at Lycoming College for a briefing on the course, stages, transition areas and checkpoints they’ll encounter along the excursion. When the map was unveiled with the legs, checkpoints and transition areas, adventure racer Kristian Randt of the team Trust the Compass had one thought.
“Holy Moley,” he said with a laugh.
It’s likely a sentiment many of the adventure racers had upon seeing the course, which will take competitors through Wellsboro, Mansfield, Renovo, Lock Haven and Williamsport throughout the five days and includes hiking, biking and paddling through the West Branch of the Susquehanna River and elsewhere.
“Kristian and I have raced a lot of 24-hour, 36-hour races and have done a lot of Rootstock Racing, so we kind of know how Brent (Freedland) and Abby (Perkiss) put on the races,” Trust the Compass team member Jared Krefski said “This is me and Kristian’s first five-day expedition race, this is Jason (Madey) and Jason (Glenn) second expedition race. My expectation is just kind of a team camaraderie event and kind of being able to take a slower pace because we do have five days to race to see some vistas and views and see Pennsylvania.”
The Adventure Race is a qualifying Adventure Racing Series, the only one in the United States for the world championships which will be held in Africa in October. The race also serves as a regional championship for the United States where the top team wins entries to the U.S. championship. This year is the second such Adventure Race for Endless Mountains and the organization saw roughly 80% of competitors/teams back from last year’s race.
“We’ve been through this once, so you have a general idea of how this goes, but each race brings its own set of challenges,” Glenn of Trust the Compass said. “It’s more doable than you think, but very hard to accomplish. Just crossing the finish line tells you this is totally doable, now it’s figuring out how to do it better.”
The race is comprised of eight stages, and none are particularly easy. It begins with the Tioga Hammond Lakes and Crooked Creek as part of Stage A before going into Tioga County and the state forests for Stage B. There, teams will have to partake in four top-roping portions which can include ascends up to 50-feet high.
Stage C runs through Pine Creek Gorge, Stage D is through Cedar Run Valley and Stage E is in Hammersley Wild Area. The Whiskey Springs ATV Trail consists of Stage F and Stage G is a 30-mile paddle down the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, taking the competitors to the final Stage H which is the Water Authorities and Loganton Valley.
While stages can be intense, one thing that’s consistent throughout most of the race is beautiful views of nature and the wilds. It’s something that Freedland and Perkiss think about when putting together the course.
“You learn a lot about yourself in these races,” Medey said, noting the mental aspect of the Adventure Races.
Each stage can involve taking a pack raft, biking, hiking or even some climbing and roping. While the race is timed, there are also areas throughout the course where competitors can earn points.
Competitors on Sunday going through the briefing were eager to get out on the course and compete today.
“That’s what we’re looking forward to most. Our biggest goal is to see as much of the course as possible. Right now, we spent the week and yesterday and today doing gear organization, still doing it, so I think we’re all looking forward to relief of turning in gear and getting ready to move and race,” Amanda Bohley of the No Complaints team said.