First and foremost, I am a racer. May not be the fastest or the strongest guy out there, but I am a racer at heart. Each one of our Series events has been designed with the racer in mind. The adventure aspect of pushing beyond our perceived limits had to be a major factor in each venue. Let’s be honest, adventure racing can be a cashy sport with all the gear and travel required. We have tried to make our Series affordable. Most of us have a rule on how far we will drive to race. An hour of drive time for two hours of racing seems to be common. Our venues have been selected to meet this guideline.

I started adventure racing during a time when the sport was border-line mainstream. Network television, national and regional races, prize money galore and enough sponsorship that a select few could make a decent living. When that money left in the mid-2000’s, our beloved sport all but died on the mainstream level. Since then organizations like USARA, Checkpoint Tracker and NAARS have slowly breathed life back into the sport. The gang at Rev 3 created an incredible event in Cowboy Tough. Gold Rush Mother Lode has stood the test of time as a premier event over the years. Perpetual Motion has brought some creative ideas into the sport. Sea 2 Sea is a racer favorite each season. The return of Primal Quest this summer was huge for US adventure racing. We hope to continue building the sport as these other events have done.

The plans for the HMAR Series have been laid out for the past five years. We have scouted several areas that fit the Affordable, Accessible Adventure criteria. Some venues will be annual, others will change but they will always be held on those traditional three-day weekends to minimize the time away from family and work. It was simply time for a national adventure racing series to become a reality.

Nov 30, 2015