So, you're thinking about Untamed New England?
Untamed New England is an amazing event, but it is not for everyone.
Modern life is very comfortable. There are video games that let you play a sport without breaking a sweat. You can explore a new location with your TV
or computer, and never move from your couch. The most "adversity" people encounter in a day might be reaching a cell phone dead zone.
Against this backdrop, adventure racing stands in stark contrast.
The premise is simple: get from Point A to Point B . . . but in between could
be any kind of terrain: mountains, rivers, forests, marshes, cliffs, lakes, you name it. Sometimes there are trails and roads showing an obvious route, but
often route choice falls on the shoulders of the teams and is anything but obvious. It's not enough to be fast at Untamed New England, a team must
also be smart and work together. The racing is non-stop, for days, and the distances can be vast.
Navigating a wilderness course can be tricky, but that's just the start of the challenges associated with Untamed New England. Race management stages
equipment for racers where necessary, but there are no aid stations on the
course. This means teams must be self-sufficient for the duration of the race, which can have teams purifying water from mountain streams and carrying
4000 calories or more of food depending on the distances of each leg.
There are no designated rest periods, so sleep management is another dimension of the challenge to competitors at Untamed New England.
Teams carry tents not just because it's required race gear, but because these shelters are valuable tools against the elements.
New England weather is notoriously unpredictable. When it's 1 AM on the third day of racing, and temperatures drop while your team
traverses an exposed ridgeline high in the White Mountains, and the freezing rain starts pouring from the sky, your team is grateful for the
tent -- this is, in fact, an exact situation from the 2009 Untamed New England.
If the previous few paragraphs pique your interest more than they scare you away, if you're intrigued by an event where reaching the finish line
is often more satisfying than figuring out who finished ahead or behind you, then this might be your kind of thing.
The sense of accomplishment upon reaching the Untamed New England finish line can bring tears to your eyes. It's
overwhelming, addictive, and life-affirming in a way that no other event can achieve. It's also very hard.
Our tagline at Untamed Adventure Racing is "more an adventure than a race" and if that's what you're looking for, you're in the right place.
To conclude, we thought we would share some photos showing some of what Untamed New England looks like from inside:
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