Five days, countless miles, and more than 92 hours of competition through rough terrain, trails, mountain side, fields and waterways.

It’s what makes up the brutal race, which took runners over the past week from the northern parts of Tioga County down through Clinton County and into Lycoming County, finishing at Lycoming College.

The five-day full course was won by the team Bend Racing, which comprised of Karine Corbeil, Jean-Yves Dionne, Alexandre Provost and Daniel Tauxe Staudigel. The foursome completed the course with a time of 92 hours, 11 minutes and 46 seconds, winning by an impressive 10 hours over the next team of Rib Mountain Racing (Tim Buchholz, Joel Ford, Anna Nummelin and Jarrod Shoemaker).

In total, 33 teams competed at the race’s start on Monday morning.

PHOTO PROVIDED Competitors get into a pack raft to complete a portion of the 2023 Endless Mountains Adventure Race this past week in this photo by Randy Ericksen. The grueling course took those who participated through hiking, biking, paddling and top-roping portions for points and time.

With the win, Bend Racing qualifies for the the world championships, which will be held in Africa in October.

The Endless Mountains Adventure Race took its competitors through trails on foot, bike and included pack rafting 30 miles down the Susquehanna River at one portion of the race. It also included top-roping challenges to collect points.

All in all, it’s a challenging course and race that Brent Freedland and Abby Perkiss, founders of Rootstock Racing, put together in the second Endless Mountains Adventure Race in history.

Last year’s race took part in the western part of the state.

“It was just a combination of everything we love to do,” Trust the Compass’ Kristian Randt said. “You can do it and chase each other.”

PHOTO PROVIDED Competitors get into a pack raft to complete a portion of the 2023 Endless Mountains Adventure Race this past week in this photo by Randy Ericksen. The grueling course took those who participated through hiking, biking, paddling and top-roping portions for points and time.

Trust the Compass finished with 65 points and ended with a time of 103 hours, 7 minutes, 15 seconds. And while the group comprised of three members from near Philadelphia and a Missourian didn’t win a spot for worlds, they still got to see some amazing views along the way. And ultimately, that was part of the goal entering last week.

“We’re looking to try and see as much of it as we can, try to be a full-force team. These guys are brand new to us, we all just kind of met,” Randt said. “I’ve been hanging with him (Jared Krefski) for a long time, but just work on team work and make sure we can all get through this together.”

Trust the Compass is comprised of Jason Glenn, Krefski, Jason Madey and Randt.

Glenn and Madey ran in the 2022 version of the Adventure Race, and given the courses don’t repeat and are in different locations, it presented new challenges for the duo.

“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 said.

PHOTO PROVIDED Adventure Racers hike a trail to complete a portion of the 2023 Endless Mountains Adventure Race this past week in this photo by Randy Ericksen. The grueling course took those who participated through hiking, biking, paddling and top-roping portions for points and time.

One team that finished inside of 110 hours was No Complaints, who crossed the finish line in 109:55:08. That team was made up of Amanda Bohley, Jennifer DeBruyn, Brandon Hopkins and Douglas Ritzert. While they didn’t win, they also got to enjoy some of the scenery along the incredibly difficult race like Trust the Compass did.

“Our biggest goal is to see as much of the course as possible,” Bohley said last Sunday. “I think we’re all looking forward to relief of turning in gear and getting ready to move and race.”

How exactly does one get into racing at a level of this magnitude? You don’t casually get into Adventure Racing. But for DuBruyn, it was simple: she’s still a kid at heart.

“I loved playing outdoors. In my heart I’m really just an 8-year-old who wants to run around in the woods with her friends, so this is a way we can do exactly that but as an adult,” DuBruyn said.

The Adventure Race is something that challenges its competitors not just physically, but mentally as well. As anyone who competed, and they’ll agree. It takes its toll on those who run it, but it’s a challenge they love partaking in.

PHOTO PROVIDED A cyclist fixes their bikes to complete a portion of the 2023 Endless Mountains Adventure Race this past week in Renovo in this photo by Kevin Rauch.

“There’s a different pace to it than a shorter, one-day race. We’re hoping to race hard and be as competitive as possible, but we want to make sure we still have fun and recognize the privilege of the race and also take a look around and enjoy the scenery,” Bohley said. “Brent and Abby are so good at making a course that adds so many special places in it. We don’t want to miss that.”

And it’s safe to say no runners who competed miss anything on the trail in terms of views and nature.

“There’s something to be said about modern day adventure and not having the opportunity in our regular day-to-day life just explore,” Bohley said. “So this is just a perfect outlet for it. Travel by map or compass. It’s exciting.”