Video: Riding the Liguria Mountain Divide Race in Italy

This short video is the latest from our friends over at Teton Gravity Research. It takes us to Italy where we follow endurance mountain biker Jay Petervary as he attempts to ride the Liguria Mountain Divide Race, a grueling competition that features a 311-mile course with more than 55,000 feet (16,764 meters) of vertical gain. Most riders take nine days to finish, but Jay did it in 4 days, 12 hours. Check it out for yourself and get a taste of what this event is all about.

Video: Running the Red Bull K3 Mountain Race

The Red Bull K3 Mountain Race is a grueling event held on Rocciamelone, a mountain located in northwest Italy near the town of Turin. Participants start the race at an altitude of about 500 meters (1640 ft) and must run up a mountain route that covers 10 km (6.2 miles) and features 3030 meters (9941 ft) of vertical gain. Yep, you read that right. Runners must cover more than 3000 meters on their way to the summit, in what looks to be incredibly tough terrain.

The video below was shot at the 2015 version of the event, which took place on the 8th of August. As you'll see, this is a sufferfest of monumental proportions, pushing athletes to their absolute limits. It is not a race to be taken lightly for sure, but it looks like quite the experience to say the least.

Video: Scenes From the Tromsø Sky Race

The 2015 edition of the Tromsø Sky Race went down last week, with top trail runners from around the world descending on Norway to take on an epic mountain running challenge. The video below gives you an idea of what this race is about, sharing two-minutes of footage of the runners as they make their way along a trail that looks both challenging and beautiful. This is not a race for beginning trail runners to say the least, but it is a rewarding experience for those who take part.

Tromsø SkyRace 2015 from TromsoSkyrace on Vimeo.

Australia's XPD Adventure Race Underway in Queensland

The 2015 adventure racing season continues to unfold in various parts of the globe, as teams compete in the Adventure Racing World Series for a chance to go head-to-head in Brazil in November, where a new world champion will be crowned.

The latest major race in the ARWS is now set to get underway in Australia, where the 2015 edition of the XPD will begin tomorrow. 36 coed teams of four from across the globe have descended on the tropics of Queensland, where they will be running, mountain biking, and paddling their way across a course that is 648 km (402 miles) in length, and is expected to take between 5 and 10 days to complete.

The full course was revealed to the teams yesterday, and includes some great highlights from the area. The route will take the teams on a stunning coasteering course along the Magnetic Island, as well as trekking up Mount Spec and through the Paluma Range. They'll also mountain bike through rainforest around Paluma Dam, go paddling down the Burdekin River, and pass through remote towns along the way. As usual with the XPD, it should be a tough but fair course, that delivers plenty of excitement and beautiful views.

All of these elements should lead to an outstanding race, with teams that manage their navigate efficiently, work well together, and manage their sleep schedule properly will rise to the top. In a race of this length, it isn't always about being the fastest or most physically fit. It is also important to be smart, think strategically, and take advantage of team strengths along the way too. The winning team will no doubt have a combination of those qualities, plus a bit of luck on their side.

You can follow the race as it unfolds on the XPD website, Facebook page, and live tracker.

The 2015 Badwater Ultramarathon is Underway

The 2015 edition of the Badwater Ultramarathon got underway yesterday with 90 runners setting out from the tiny town of Badwater in Death Valley. The classic race takes endurance athletes across 135 miles (217 km) of some of the harshest environments imaginable as they run to the Mt. Whitney Portals in temperatures in excess of 100ºF/37ºC.

As with most ultramarathons, the distance is a big part of the challenge. But with the Badwater, it is also about the vertical gain. The race starts 280 feet (85 meters) below sea level, and rises to 8300 feet (2530 meters) above sea level at the finish line. Along the way, runners must negotiate their way across demanding desert landscapes, through difficult valleys, and up mountain passes. Those that complete the grueling run will end up with a cumulative vertical gain of more than 14,600 feet (4450 meters), with the fastest runners completing the run in less than 24 hours.

The runners departed last night in three different waves, with the first setting out around 8:00 PM local time. The second set of athletes took to the course at 9:30 PM, with the final wave hitting the road at 11:00 PM. Traveling at night helps to lessen their exposure to the heat, but today temperatures are expected to hit 113ºF/45ºC out on the course.

If you have followed the Badwater over the past couple of years, you probably remember that in 2014 the race was forced to take an alternate route because the National Park Service had implemented a bad on endurance events taking place within national parks while it evaluated safety requirements. This year, the Park Service allowed the runners back in, but mandated the overnight start to help mitigate the danger.

Some critics have said that this could put the athletes under more stress however, as now they'll be heading into the hottest part of the day already fatigued. In the past, runners would start fresh, but take on the heat early, with the cooler temperatures arriving just at the most opportune time to refresh the runners. That won't be the case this year however, as they'll now be 50 miles (80 km) into the race when things really start to get hot. How this impacts the results remains to be seen.

If things go according to form, the first runners should reach the finish line as early as this 7:00 or 8:00 PM this evening. Others will stagger in over the next day or two. As always, it'll be interesting to see how things play out in an event that has been called "the toughest footrace on Earth."

Tour de France 2015: Chris Froome Claims Second Tour Victory

The 2015 Tour de France came to an end yesterday on the streets of Paris, where the peloton arrived after three weeks of racing, covering more than 3000 km in the process. During that time, there were a lot of ups and downs for the riders, with plenty of high drama and incredible feats of strength and endurance. At times, it seemed that this was a race that was going to go exactly by the numbers, with little in the way of excitement. But the final days in the Alps proved that to be completely wrong, and gave us a new contender for future editions of Le Tour.

Heading into the weekend, Chris Froome continued to hold on to the Yellow Jersey worn by the race leader, and for the most part it seemed like he'd ride into Paris with little resistance. The Tour had moved into the Alps, and once again the British rider was showing his strength in the mountains. But on the final two days, two riders rose up to challenge the Froome, and in turn showed that he was a bit more vulnerable than we suspected.

On Friday of last week, 2014 winner Vincenzo Nibali went on the attack and showed that his legs still had plenty of strength in them. He ended up winning the stage and gaining back precious time on his rivals, although it didn't help to get him on to the podium in Paris. Still, it gave fans an idea of where Froome stood, and showed that he could be dropped on a major climb by a determined rider. That was something that Nairo Quintana took to heart on Saturday, attacking on Alp d'Huez – the most storied mountain stage in the sport. Quintana wasn't able to overcome the 2+ minute difference between him and Froome, but he did make it interesting, while managing to put the Sky rider in a world of hurt on the final climb.


In the end however, Froome proved once again to be too much for the peloton, and on Sunday's ceremonial ride into Paris, he claimed his second win in the Tour in three years. It was a strong performance once again by the Brit, although it also showed that he wasn't unassailable. The young man has quite a career ahead of him on the Tour, but his rivals will be emboldened by the fact that he showed vulnerability in the final days, proving that some will be able to ride with him given the chance.

For his part, Quintana showed that he has a bright future ahead of him as well. At the age of 24, he rode away with the White Jersey for the Tour's best young rider, finishing second overall. Probably most importantly, the Colombian rider seemed to gain confidence as well, and I would expect him to give no quarter next year when he and Froome meet again.

Peter Sagan managed to claim the Green Jersey that is awarded to the race's best sprinter, despite the fact that he didn't win a single stage for the second year in a row. This is the fourth consecutive year that Sagan has won this competition, although I suspect he'd like to get a few stage wins too. The big German sprinter Andre Greipel was clearly the fastest man in the peloton this year, but Sagan was easily the most consistent over the three weeks of racing.

In another display of just how good Chris Froome is as a rider, he also managed to win the Polka Dot Jersey given to the winner of King of the Mountains competition. That means he was the best climber in the race this year in addition to leading the General Classification for most of the past three weeks as well. No rider has managed to claim both the Yellow and Polka Dot Jerseys in the same year since the great Eddy Merckx did it back in 1970. So while Froome may have shown some signs of vulnerability, he still managed to put on a show for the ages.

The Tour is always one of my favorite events each year, and I'm always sad to see it end. Unfortunately for me, my schedule this year didn't allow me to see as much of it as I would have liked, nor cover it as completely as I typically do. Still, it was fun to watch where I could, and catch up with race reports on the days that I could not view the stage in its entirety, if at all. Now, on the Monday after the final stage of the 2015 Tour, I am already going through withdrawal and starting the countdown to 2016. The make-up of that race will be very different, and it will be a fascinating one to watch for sure.

Tour de France 2015: Things Get Testy Out on the Road

We have now entered the final week of the 2015 Tour de France, and at this point it looks like it will be nearly impossible for anyone to catch Chris Froome. But there is a lot of riding to go just yet, and the mighty Alps still lie ahead. So, while Froome and his Sky team look unbeatable at the moment, there is a lot of riding yet to come, and anything can happen before the peloton arrives in Paris next Sunday.

Over the past couple of days we've started to hear a number of disturbing reports from Tour officials about how things have gotten somewhat testy between the riders on Team Sky, and some of the spectators along the road. This past weekend it was revealed that not only was Ritchie Porte punched in the ribs by on the first stage in the Pyrenees last week, but both he and Luke Rowe were spat on as well.

If that wasn't bad enough, team leader Froome had a cup of urine thrown in his face while the offender in question proclaimed him a "Doper" in French. That incident occurred on Saturday on the ride between Rodez to Mende, and resulted in increased security around the Team Sky bus following the stage.

The success of Froome and Team Sky has led some members of the media – particularly in France – to question whether or not the cyclists are achieving their wins by fair means. There has been no indication that any members of the team are actually doping, but their dominance of the race has caused some to question just how they can be so much better than the rest of the peloton. Whether or not there is any use of performance enhancing substances on Team Sky remains to be seen, but based on what we know right now, they are winning the race based on good team tactics, exceptional cycling talent, and a unified presence out on the road.


As we head into the second rest day tomorrow, the riders are preparing to enter the Alps later in the week. It is on those massive slopes – including a mountain top finish on the legendary Alp d'Huez on Saturday – that the 2015 edition of this race will be deiced. But heading into those final days, Froome has a 3 minute and 10 second advantage over second place rider Nairo Quintana, and an additional 22 second lead over third place rider Tejay Van Garderen.

Since he is the race leader, Froome is wearing the Yellow Jersey, although he is also leading the King of the Mountains competition which gives him the Polka Dot Jersey as well. That particular shirt is actually on load to Joachim Rodriguez, who wears it each day out on the road.

Peter Sagan continues to dominate the competition for the Green Jersey, despite the fact that he has yet to win a stage in this year's Tour. At the moment, Sagan has a large point lead over second place sprinter André Greipel, and it is now starting to look like he will ride into Paris in Green for the fourth year in a row.

Finally, the White Jersey remains on the shoulders of Quintana. This jersey is given to the best young rider (under the age of 25) in the Tour, and the next closest cyclist is nearly 8 minutes back. It would take a massive collapse on the part of the Colombian rider to not finish in second place in the General Classification, and ride onto the Champs Elysees in White.

The rest day tomorrow gives everyone a chance to catch their breath before the real race begins. The rest of the week should be filled with lots of excitement as the competition unfolds on the slopes of the Alps. It should be interesting to see if anyone can challenge Froome. It will take a herculean effort to unseat him at this point, but there are a few riders who may be up to the challenge.

Adventure Racer Looking to Set Record for Youngest to Complete Expedition Race

The Cameco Cowboy Tough expedition adventure race is set to get underway today in Wyoming. The 360+ mile long event will take place over four days, with teams of two and four going head to head against one another on foot, mountain bike, and kayak. The race, which is a qualifier for the Adventure Racing World Championships in Brazil this November, features some of the top teams in the world, including the YogaSlackers, NYRA, and Team Tecnu, which recently won Expedition Alaska.

One of the racers taking part in Cowboy Tough is looking to do more than just race with those top teams however. 14-year old Hunter Leninger – who is a part of Team Florida Xtreme – wants to set a new record for being the youngest person to complete an expedition length adventure race, something that is challenging for racers more than twice his age.

Hunter is no stranger to AR. He has taken part in more than 20 shorter events over the past seven years, and even completed a three-day race at the age of 12. During that time he has been gaining valuable experience, and we're told that his goal has now shifted away from simply completing the race to actually winning it.

You'll be able to follow Hunter's efforts on his Facebook page, and the race itself on the Cowboy Tough website. Good luck to Hunter and all of the other racers too.

Man Completes Virtual Bike Ride Up Everest

So here's an odd, but interesting story. On Sunday, cyclist Frank Garcia became the first person to complete a bike ride to the summit of Mt. Everest, although he did so without ever stepping foot in Nepal. Garcia completed his monumental task onboard a stationary bike that had been programmed using Zwift to recreate similar slopes and distances he would encounter had he been on the mountain – minus the incredibly low levels of oxygen of course. The ride was than verified by an organization called Hells 500, which has created a new activity called "Everesting."

It took Garcia 17 hours and 18 minutes to complete his virtual ride to the summit, as he faced an average grade of the slope of 7% along the way. He burned approximately 18,000 calories en route as well, which should give you an idea of just how difficult this undertaking was, even if it didn't take place on the real mountain.

Everesting is apparently a relatively new phenomenon amongst cyclists who are picking a mountain road to ride anywhere in the world, and continually doing it over and over again until they rack up 8848 meters (29,029 ft), the exact height of Everest. The rules say that they are allowed to take breaks along the way, but they can't sleep. Several people have successfully done it already, including a man by the name of George Mallory (I can't make this stuff up!) who completed his attempt by cycling Mt. Donna Buang in Australia. Garcia's version of Everesting is the first to do so in the virtual realm.

Obviously this is nothing like climbing the real Everest, but it is still a pretty tough feat to accomplish. Gaining 29,000 feet of vertical in a single go is always going to be a challenge, no matter when and where it is done. According to the Everesting Hall of Fame however, it has been done on a number of occasions already.

This is pretty crazy stuff, and interesting to think about. I guess no matter how many people summit the real Everest, it will always remain the standard by which endurance activities are measured.

Everesting Mt Donna Buang from Simon Atkinson on Vimeo.

Off to Alaska for ExpeditionAK!

Tomorrow I'll depart for Alaska, where I'll be serving as part of the team that is putting on the 2015 Expedition Alaska adventure race. As I write this, we're still more than a week away from the start of the event, but it is time to begin prepping for the arrival of the teams, wrapping up scouting of the course, and getting ready for gear and skills checks. There is a lot to do before the start of this epic event, which promises to be an amazing experience for everyone involved.

For those who aren't familiar with Expedition Alaska, it is a 7 day race that will take place in the wilds of Kenai Peninsula. We'll have 25 teams of elite adventure racers competing on a course that will stretch for more than 350 miles (560 km). They'll be competing against one another in a wide variety of stages that involve trail running, mountain biking, kayaking, climbing, and more. The action is non-stop, which means once the gun sounds at the start of the event, the clock will be constantly running, and it will be up to the teams to decide when they stop for a rest, when they press on, and just how they navigate from one checkpoint to the next.

Expedition Alaska is also a part of the Adventure Racing World Series, and a qualifying event for the AR World Championships that will be held in Brazil this November. As you can imagine, we are pretty excited to be a part of that organization, and we're hoping to put on a great race that it worthy of the ARWS.

While I'm in Alaska, I will be posting regular updates on the progress of the event, and sharing some of the things that are happening there. But, as is typical with an AR race, time may be in short supply, so blog articles may not come as regularly as I would typically like. On top of that, I won't return home until July 6, which is just five days before I get married. That means there could be further disruptions to the blog content for a few weeks. Please be patient with me until I can get back to a more typical schedule.

Thanks and stay tuned for lots of great things to come!

The Annual Race Across America Bike Ride Begins Tomorrow

For many cyclists the RAAM (aka the Race Across America) is one of the best annual events to take place in the sport. The ride begins in Oceanside, California and proceeds 3000 miles (4828 km) across the United States before ending in Annapolis, Maryland. Typically it takes about a week to ten days for the solo and team riders to complete the journey. Challenges along the way include climbing over the Rocky Mountains, battling unpredictable weather, and dealing with endless miles of open road on your own.

Tomorrow, the RAAM solo start will take place in the morning, and teams will get underway from the same starting point on Saturday, staggering the different categories to allow single riders to have a bit of a head start. Tomorrow will also mark the start of RAW (Race Across the West), which is a shorter race that covers 860 miles between Oceanside and Durango, Colorado. That event serves as a qualifier for the much longer RAAM.

This year there are approximately 45 teams taking part in the event, as well as 41 individuals. They'll all be competing in their various categories, while also helping the RAAM organizers raise funds for charity. 

Amongst the teams is a four-woman squad from Australia called Team Veloroo who are riding in support of the Amy Gillette Foundation, which is dedicated to ending cycling deaths on the road. The 'Roos will also be a part of a documentary about their RAAM experience, as they push themselves to ride all the way across the U.S. as quickly as possible. You'll be able to follow their progress on Facebook as they launch their journey, and get a taste of what the ride is actually like. The video below also gives you an idea of how the four ladies have trained in preparation for this epic challenge.

Good luck to Team Veloroo and the rest of the riders setting out on the RAAM and RAW over the next few days. It will be an amazing experience for sure. 

Veloroos Training-Day from NothinButShorts International on Vimeo.

2015 Expedition Africa Adventure Race Begins This Weekend!

One of the toughest adventure races in the world will get underway this weekend when 23 coed teams of four take to the starting line on Sunday to begin the 2015 edition of Expedition Africa. The race is the premiere AR event on the African continent, and a qualifier for the Adventure Racing World Championships to be held in Brazil this November.

As usual, Expedition Africa will be held in the remote and wild regions of Swaziland, a sovereign state found inside South Africa. This year's course will cover 450 km (280 miles) as the competitors run, ride, and paddle their way across the harsh, and unforgiving landscape. It is estimated that it will take the winning team approximately 72 hours of non-stop racing to reach the finish line, with the final teams taking as much as six days to complete the course.

There are 11 countries represented in this year's race, including teams from Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Israel, New Caledonia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States. They'll be competing in a wide variety of disciplines that range from trekking and mountain biking, to climbing and white water rafting. As usual, navigation will play a key role as well. This year, the race has unfettered access to all regions within Swaziland, which means the racers can choose any route that they can find in order to reach Checkpoints and Transition Areas.

This year's field is a deep one, with talented teams from all over the world. Early favorites include Team Peak Performance from Sweden and home-town favorites Team Cyanosis and Merrell Adventure Addicts. Last year's winner – and eventual world champs – Team Seagate, aren't competing in Expedition Africa this year.

Once the race begins on Sunday you'll be ale to follow all the action at the Expedition Africa website, with news, race reports, and updates being posted regularly to ar.co.za as well.

Good luck to all the teams!

Long Distance Swimmer Prepares to Attempt Pacific Ocean Crossing

Back in 1998, long distance swimmer Ben Lecomte became the first person to swim across the Atlantic Ocean without using a kick board, covering 3716 miles (5996 km) in 73 days. That was a grueling exercise in endurance and determination that cemented his place in the record books. But now, Ben is looking to take on an even more impressive challenge. In July, he'll set off on an even longer swim, as he attempts to become the first person to swim across the Pacific Ocean, a journey that will cover more than 5500 miles (8851 km) between Tokyo and San Francisco.

The Longest Swim, as Ben has aptly named this project, will be undertaken to help raise awareness of climate change. In order to accomplish this feat he'll need to swim 8 hours a day, 7 days a week for 180 days, burning as much as 10,000 calories per day. A support will be with him at every stage of the journey of course, and he'll rest and take his meals aboard that boat as he progresses. In a recent interview with Red Bull, Ben says that his boat will be a special one too. Made completely out of wood, and 24 meters in length, it was built back in 1940, and fits well into his mindset of protecting the environment and recycling.

In that same interview, Lancomte talks about how he trains for such a long distance swim, how he manages to keep pushing himself forward for hours on end, and for days at a time, and what his goals are for the project. Namely, he hopes to attract as much attention to the challenges our planet faces due to climate change, and he thought the best way to achieve that was to undertake this massive challenge.

The Longest Swim is still a few weeks away from getting underway, and Ben will wait for the optimal conditions before he starts. You'll be able to follow his progress on his website, through Twitter, and on Facebook. It should be quite the journey to say the least.

92-Year Old Woman Becomes Oldest to Complete Marathon

Looking for a dose of inspiration before your run today? Then check out Harriet Thompson of Charlotte, NC. This past weekend, 92-year old Harriet became the oldest woman to complete a marathon when she crossed the finish line at the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. 

Harriet completed the event with a time of 7:24:36, which was more than two hours faster than the next oldest woman to finish a marathon. According to Runner's World, back in 2010, Gladys Burrell ran the Honolulu Marathon in a time of 9:53:16. At the time, she was 19 days past her 92nd birthday, which is 74 days younger than Harriet. 

The grandmother of 10 isn't new to running. This is actually the 16th time she has completed a marathon, running each of the Rock 'n" Roll races in San Diego over the years, save the 2013 even when she was battling cancer. She even olds the marathon record for 90-94 age group, which she set last year with a time of 7:07:42. That's pretty impressive all things considered. 

Harriet says that she has no intentions of slowing down either. She says she'll be back for future races as long as she can continue to run. Hopefully that will be for many more years to come, as I'm sure she serves as a great inspiration to many people who are much younger than her. 

Think about Harriet the next time you're considering skipping a training run. If she's out there on the road putting in her miles, we can be too. 

Ultrarunner Sets New Solo Speed Mark On South Africa's Drakensberg Grand Traverse

Endurance athlete Andrew Porter has set an impressive new solo speed record on South Africa's tough Drakensberg Grand Traverse, a 220 km (136 mile) route through some of the most difficult and demanding terrain that the country has to offer. The trail runs up and down numerous peaks, through deep valleys, and across rugged territory that typically takes trekkers upwards of 10 days to hike. Despite those challenges however, Porter managed to do it in just 45 hours and 8 minutes.

You may recall that two South African ultrarunners took on the Traverse last year, which is when Ryan Sandes and Ryno Griesel managed to complete the trek in 41 hours and 49 minutes. Their attempt took just about every ounce of energy they had just to reach the finish line, and they were working together to accomplish their speed run.

In Porter's case, he not only went alone and unsupported, he also ran the route south to north, the opposite direction of Sandes and Griesel. This allowed him to be more aware of potential dog encounters along the trail, but also added 900 meters (2952 feet) of extra climbing to his run as well. Despite those challenges however, he still managed to wrap up the attempt in an incredible time.

Just how impressive was Andrew's performance? Consider this. Back in 2009 he set the first solo record on the Grand Traverse by completing it in 61 hours, 24 minutes, and 11 seconds. This time out he managed to shave more than 16 hours off that previous record. That is a serious improvement to say the least.

To get a better understanding of what this challenge is all about, check out the film that was made about Ryan and Ryno's run from last year. You'll come away with an even greater appreciation of what Andrew has accomplished. Well done and congratulations to him.

And thanks to my friend Lisa de Speville for sharing this info!

Ultrarunner Scott Jurek Attempting Speed Record on Appalachian Trail

Ultrarunner Scott Jurek has been a legend in the endurance running community for years. Not only has he won both the Badwater and the Western States Ultras, he has scored wins in numerous other major races as well. Additionally, back in 2010 he set a record for the 24-hour run, covering 165.7 miles during that time period. To say he has had a stellar career would be an understatement, and although he has started to hint at a possible retirement, he isn't quite ready to hang up his running shoes just yet. In fact, he has just set off on his greatest challenge of all – an attempt to set a new speed record for completing the Appalachian Trail end-to-end.

Last week, Jurek began what he hopes will be a record-breaking run on the AT. He's chasing the record set by Jennifer Pharr Davis back in 2011, when she managed to cover the entire length of the 2160 mile (3476 km) trail in 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes. In doing so, she managed to travel about 47 miles (75 km) per day. Jurek hopes to be closer to 50 in his pursuit of a new speed mark.

The ultrarunner launched his record bid on Spring Mountain in Georgia last week. He'll now head north toward Katahdin, Maine, where the trail officially ends. Along the way, he'll pass through 14 U.S. states, and face enough vertical gain to climb Everest 16 times over. He'll also be attempting to run the equivalent of two marathons per day for a month and a half. If everything goes as planned, he will wrap up the speed attempt on July 6, although he'll need to stay healthy and have the weather cooperate along the way. He is, of course, making this attempt in supported fashion, with a three-person team providing resupplies throughout the journey. Pharr Davis did the same thing on her record-setting trek as well.

You can follow Scott's efforts on his Facebook page and official website.

International Teams Preparing to Race to the North Pole

Staying on the topic of the North Pole today, a unique athletic competition is preparing to get underway in the Arctic, and it is certainly worth drawing some attention too. The 2015 Mamont Cup will begin next week with five teams of  athletes from across the globe racing one another to the top of the world. The event will cover 60 nautical miles (111 km), crossing the "last degree" to the North Pole in the process.

The five teams consist of 4-5 athletes each, and are all led by veteran polar explorers and guides. The racers come from Sweden, Italy, Russia, Germany, Switzerland, Canada and the U.S. and will be led by their team captains across the frozen Arctic Ocean to the finish line located at 90ºN. Those captains include David Hemplemam-Adams who leads an All-British team, as well as French explorers François Bernard, Christian de Marliave and Jean Gabriel Leynaud. A fifth squad consisting of all women will be lead by Denmark’s Bettina Aller.

The race is scheduled to get underway on April 15 and last until April 21. Most of the competitors are expected to arrive in Longyearbyen tomorrow for a flight to the Barneo Ice Camp, where they'll first acclimatize to the conditions, and undergo rigorous training before setting out. While covering the final degree to the Pole they'll be traveling on skis while pulling sleds filled with their gear and supplies behind them as they go.

The Mamont Foundation, which is sponsoring this event, was established in 2007 to help fund exploration to our planet's polar regions. The goal is to learn more about the Earth by advancing our understanding of both the Arctic and Antarctic. Projects include the study of animal migrations in these areas of the world, as well as the impact of climate change on these bellwether places.

Hopefully the competitors in the race will be able to catch their flights out to Barneo as expected. With delays due to weather, there have been no aircraft departing for the Ice Camp from Longyearbyen for the past few days. They have a bit of cushion in their schedule before they start their dash to the North Pole, but things haven't been going entirely smoothly in the Arctic so far this year.

Team Seagate Wins GODZone Adventure Race in New Zealand

The home team favorites and defending adventure racing world champions Team Seagate proved that they are still a formidable force in the sport this week by taking first place in the GODZone Adventure Race in New Zealand. The team managed to hold off a field of 52 teams to claim the top of the podium once again, completing the 550+ km (340+ mile) event in just 4 days, 8 hours, and 28 minutes.

The GODZone race is the premiere AR event in New Zealand, a country that is synonymous with the sport. It is also part of the Adventure Racing World Series, which means that is serves as a qualifying race for the AR World Championships to be held in Brazil later this year. As is typical with all ARWS events, GODZone pits coed teams of four against one another in a non-stop endurance event that mixes trail running, mountain biking, paddling, and various other disciplines including climbing and abseiling.

While the race is still ongoing at this time, many of the teams have reached the finish line and the podium spots are now secure. Coming in second was Team Columbia Vidaraid with a time of 5 days, 3 hours, and 57 minutes, while Team Tiki Tour claimed third place by finishing in 5 days, 7 hours, and 52 minutes.

For Seagate this was just another opportunity for the team to flex its muscles on its home territory. The team has now won all for editions of the GODZone race and doesn't appear to be slowing down in any way. The squad, which consists of AR legend Nathan Fa'avae, Sophie Hart, Chris Forne, and Stu Lynch are now poised to defend their world championship in Brazil this November. By winning the GodZone they automatically receive an entry into that race months before it is set to take place.

You can find out more about this race, and check out the full standings, at GODZoneAdventure.com.

Video: Promo for the Tromso Sky Race in Norway

This video was shot as a promo for the Tromso Skyrace, a series of trail runs that will be held in the Tromso, Norway region this summer. The evens will be run through some of the most spectacular scenery in Europe, at a time of year when the midnight sun will provide light for nearly an entire day. The setting looks spectacular and the trail looks suitably challenging, which should make this an incredible experience for all who enter. It seems like Tromso is an amazing place to go trail running, and the organizers of this event are putting together something special.

Tromso SkyRace 2015 from TromsoSkyrace on Vimeo.

Sky Runner Kilian Jornet in The New Yorker

Kilian Jornet's amazing success in the mountains continues to earn him plenty of mainstream press. We've seen the Spanish sky runner garner attention from a number of unexpected sources as word of his exploits has spread to more traditional media outlets. The latest such outlet is The New Yorker, which recently published an excellent profile of the man who is setting new standards for speed on some of the world's most challenging peaks.

The article catches up with Kilian on Aconcagua, a mountain that he summited back in December, setting a new speed record in the process. It discusses his previous speed records on mountains Denali in Alaska and Mont Blanc in France. It even mentions his attempt at Elbrus, which was turned back due to high winds. The New Yorker says he'll give that mountain another go later this year, but at the moment he is squarely focused on training for Everest in the spring. The tallest peak on the planet will bring new challenges to Jornet, not the least of which will be the extreme altitude.

This profile takes us to Aconcagua Base Camp where we get a glimpse of Kilian's routine while on the mountain. His needs are simple as he shares the campsite with his girlfriend Emelie Forsberg, who is an accomplished mountain runner in her own right. The two make their own meals, boil water for tea, and generally keep each other company as they both prepared to challenge the speed records on the mountain. Due to the high altitude of Aconcagua, the tallest peak outside of Asia at 6962 meters (22,841 ft), both athletes had to take their time with the acclimatization process.

The story offers some good details about Kilian's speed record on the mountain, as well as his intentions for the year ahead. In a few months, he'll head to the Himalaya, where he'll be attempting to set a new "fastest known time" on the North Side of Everest. That makes good sense, as the Tibetan side of the mountain is far less crowded than the busy South Side in Nepal. The route is just as challenging of course, but he also won't have to contend with the tricky Khumbu Icefall, a traditional bottleneck for climbers that can cause progress to slow to a craw at times. On the North Side he'll still have to contend with plenty of obstacles however, not the least of which will be the Second Step.

Still, if anyone can set a new speed record on the Big Hill, it'll probably be Kilian. And you can bet that we'll be following his progress closely this spring. We're two months away from the arrival of the first teams in Nepal, and the anticipation for another season is already starting to grow.