Adventure Racing World Series

Endurance racing series

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The Adventure Racing World Series (ARWS)[1] is an endurance racing season where adventure racing teams compete in a range of disciplines including, for example, navigation, trekking, mountain biking, paddling and climbing.[2]

## Format

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Mixed sex teams of four competitors compete in a series of up to a dozen non-stop, multi-day expedition adventure races held in locations spread across the globe. These races culminate in the staging of the Adventure Racing World Championships, the winner of which is crowned World Champions.

The competition's format provides that each of the individual events of the World Series function as a qualifier for the World Championships. The winning team at each event secures the opportunity to compete in the World Championships. The field of event winners is then supplemented by the reigning world champions, who are given the right to defend their title, the winners of regional championship races and the remainder of the field comes from open entry round out the number of starters.

The World Championship race rotates each year. One of the qualifying events is singled out and designated as the World Championship event and this event provides a dramatic conclusion to the end of the World Series racing season.

In addition to the World Championship race, points are assigned to results from each of the qualifying races in the series to determine a World Ranking. Points are allocated on a team's best four results over a two-year period (with heavier weighting given to World Championship results), with the ranking cycle refreshed every 4 months.

## History

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The Adventure Racing World Championship was the brainchild of Geoff Hunt and Pascale Lorre, long-time adventure racers who sought to "lend badly needed structure to the sport".[3] Hunt and Lorre's vision was first brought to fruition in Switzerland in 2001 where 41 teams contested the Discovery Channel World Championship Adventure Race[4] with the controversy-plagued event eventually won by Finland's Team Nokia Adventure.[3] A team from New Zealand, including Kathy Lynch, came second that year,[5] US Team GoLite (became Nike ACG the following year) was 3rd.

After a two-year hiatus the Adventure Racing World Championships was next held in Canada in 2004 and has subsequently been held every year since.

In 2011 management of the race was passed to the Australian event management company Geocentric Outdoors.[6] The 2011 World Championships - won by Thule Adventure Team - were staged at the XPD Expedition Race in Tasmania, Australia, where 90 teams drawn from 21 countries made for the largest starting field in the event's history.[7] This is testament to the fact that the World Series hosts some of the best expedition adventure racing teams in the world and "continues to grow and become more prominent".[8] Geocentric Outdoors also instigated a number of new initiatives for the world series, including standardized equipment lists and logistics across the races, restrictions on mixed nationality teams at the World Championship race each year as well as the introduction of the World Series ranking system. These initiatives have encouraged larger international fields at the various races by lowering the logistical barriers for participation and rewarding participation in multiple events.

In 2012, the World Championships was held at Raid in France and were won by Team Seagate from New Zealand.[9] The title of World Champion returned to the Thule Adventure Team at Costa Rica in 2013, before again being reclaimed by Team Seagate in Ecuador in 2014. Despite having never won a World Championship, Spanish team Columbia Vidaraid held the number-one position in the World Series ranking through 2014 and 2015 due to their string of wins in World Series qualifying races in addition to their second-place finishes in the 2013 and 2014 World Championships. Seagate regained the top position in the rankings in 2016 after dominating at the incredibly demanding 2015 World Championships, held in the Pantanal in Brazil, as well as in the Shoalhaven area of Australia in 2016.

In the absence of a world governing body, and after the cessation of the dominant world level events in the mid 2000s like the Raid Gauloises (Raid World Series and World Championships) Eco-Challenge, Primal Quest, and Outdoor Quest, the Adventure Racing World Series remained as the only series in the sport.

## World Championship results

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Year | Country | Race | World Champion | Nationality

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2001 | Switzerland | Discovery Channel World Championships | Team Nokia Adventure  | Finland
2004 | Canada | Raid The North Extreme | Nike ACG Balance Bar  | USA
2005 | New Zealand | Southern Traverse | Balance Vector  | New Zealand
2006 | Sweden | Explore Sweden | Nike PowerBlast  | USA
2007 | Scotland | Wilderness ARC[10] | Nike  | USA
2008 | Brazil | Ecomotion[11] | Orion Health  | New Zealand
2009 | Portugal | Portugal XPD[12] | Helly Hansen Prunesco  | Britain
2010 | Spain | Bimbache Extrem | Buff Thermocool  | Spain
2011 | Australia | XPD Expedition Race | Thule Adventure Team  | Sweden
2012 | France | Raid in France | Team Seagate  | New Zealand
2013 | Costa Rica | Costa Rica AR | Thule Adventure Team  | France
2014 | Ecuador | Huairasinchi Explorer | Seagate  | New Zealand
2015 | Brazil | ARWS Brazil | Seagate  | New Zealand
2016  | Australia | XPD Expedition Race | Seagate | New Zealand
2017 | USA | Cameco Cowboy Tough | Seagate | New Zealand
2018 | La Reunion Island | Raid in France | Avaya | New Zealand
2019 | Sri Lanka | ARWS | Canceled
2020 | Paraguay | Expedición Guaraní | Canceled
2021 | Spain | Raid Gallaecia | Swedish Armed Forces Adventure Team | Sweden
2022 | Paraguay | Expedición Guaraní | Team Avaya | New Zealand
2023 | South Africa | Expedition Africa | Swedish Armed Forces Adventure Team | Sweden
2024 | Ecuador | Huairasinchi | 400team | France
2025 | Canada | Expedition Canada | ? | ?

## 2015 Adventure Racing World Series

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Race | Country | Dates | Winner | Nationality

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GODZone Adventure Race | New Zealand | March 2015 | Seagate | New Zealand
Tierra Viva | Chile | April 2015 | SAFAT | Sweden
Raid Gallaecia | Spain | May 2015 | Haglofs Sliva | Sweden
Expedition Africa | Swaziland | June 2015 | Merrell Adventure Addicts | South Africa
Expedition Alaska | USA | June 2015 | Tecnu | USA
Cameco Cowboy Tough | USA | July 2015 | Tecnu | USA
XPD Expedition Race | Australia | August 2015 | Mountain Designs | Australia
Raid in France | France | September 2015 | Raidlight | France
ARWS Brazil | Brazil | November 2015 | Seagate | New Zealand

## 2016 Adventure Racing World Series

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Race | Country | Dates | Winner | Nationality

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Maya Mountain Adventure Challenge | Belize | February 2016 | Team Adventure Medical Kits | USA
GODZone Adventure Race | New Zealand | April 2016 | Team Yealands Family Wines | New Zealand
Tierra Viva | Chile | April 2016 | 2 DSN 74 Hoka | France
Expedition Africa | South Africa | May 2016 | Team Featherbed Painted Wolf | South Africa
Expedition Guarani | Paraguay | July 2016 | Columbia Vidaraid | Brazil/Spain/UK
Cameco Cowboy Tough | USA | July 2016 | Team Adventure Medical Kits | USA
Huairasinchi | Ecuador | August 2016 | Fairis | Ecuador
ITERA Expedition Race | Ireland | August 2016 | TEAM FMR | France
Raid in France | France | September 2016 | Seagate | New Zealand
Xtrail Expedition (Demonstration Race) | China | September 2016 | Thule Adventure Team  | Sweden
XPD World Championships | Australia | November 2016 | Seagate | New Zealand

## 2017 Adventure Racing World Series

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Race | Country | Dates | Winner | Nationality

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Expedition Guarani | Paraguay | March 2017 | Cyanosis | South Africa
Huairasinchi | Ecuador | April 2017 | Terra Aventura – Finalin | Ecuador
Raid Gallaecia | Spain | May 2017 | Naturex | France
Expedition Africa | South Africa | May 2017 | Skylotec Adventure | Sweden
Xtrail Expedition | China | June 2017 | Seagate | New Zealand
Raid in France | France | June 2017 | Lozere Team2Raid | France
Cameco Cowboy Tough World Championships | USA | August 2017 | Seagate | New Zealand

## 2018 Adventure Racing World Series

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Race | Country | Dates | Winner | Nationality

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Maya Mountain Adventure Challenge | Belize | March 2018 | Bones | USA
XPD Expedition Race | Australia | April 2018 | Tri Adventure Antelopes | Australia
Expedition Guarani | Paraguay | May 2018 | Columbia Vidaraid | Brazil
Expedition Africa | South Africa | May 2018 | Blizzard | Russia
Expedition Oregon | USA | June 2018 | Leki | Sweden
Huairasinchi | Ecuador | June 2018 | Movistar - Terra Aventura | Ecuador
Nordic Islands AR | Sweden/Finland | August 2018 | Swedish Armed Forces | Sweden
Shenandoah Tough | USA | September 2018 | Mountain Race Company | USA
Raid in France World Championships | La Reunion Island, France | December 2018 | Avaya | New Zealand

## 2019 Adventure Racing World Series

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Race | Country | Dates | Winner | Nationality

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Expedition India | India | March 2019 | Naturex | South Africa
Expedition Guarani | Paraguay | April 2019 | Columbia Vidaraid | Brazil
Expedition Oregon | USA | April 2019 | Quest AR | USA
Raid Gallaecia | Spain | May 2019 | Team Yeti | Denmark
Huairasinchi | Ecuador | June 2019 | Columbia Vidaraid | Brazil
Nordic Islands AR | Sweden/Norway | July 2019 | Swedish Armed Forces | Sweden
ITERA | Scotland | August 2019 | Lozere Team2Raid | France
Expedition Africa | Rodrigues Island | September 2019 | Greener Adventure Cyklekraft | Sweden
Adventure Race Croatia | Croatia | September 2019 | USWE | Sweden
Sri Lanka World Championships | Sri Lanka | November 2019 | Canceled* | \-

* Canceled due to 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings

## 2020 Adventure Racing World Series

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Race | Country | Dates | Winner | Nationality

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Patagonia Raid | Argentina | February 2020 | Columbia Vidaraid | Brazil

Canceled races (due to COVID-19):||Expedition Africa, Adventure Race Malaysia, ITERA, Raid in France, Adventure Race Croatia, Expedition Oregon, PC 12 AR, XPD Adventure Race, Nordic Islands AR, Huairasinchi, Expedición Guaraní World Championships

## 2021 Adventure Racing World Series

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Race | Country | Dates | Winner | Nationality

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Huairasinchi | Ecuador | December 2020 | Team Movistar Terra Aventura | Ecuador
Expedition Oregon | USA | May 2021 | Columbia La Jolla IVF | Spain
PC 12 AR | Colombia | June 2021 | Team Bosi | Colombia
Nordic Islands AR | Sweden | June 2021 | Swedish Armed Forces | Sweden
XPD Adventure Race | Australia | July 2021 | Resicon-Thought Sports | Australia
Huairasinchi | Ecuador | September 2021 | Team Movistar Terra Aventura | Ecuador
Raid Gallaecia World Championships | Spain | October 2021 | Swedish Armed Forces | Sweden

Canceled races (due to COVID-19):||Expedition Africa, Adventure Race Malaysia, ITERA, Raid in France, Adventure Race Croatia, Patagonia Raid

## 2022 Adventure Racing World Series

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Race | Country | Dates | Winner | Nationality

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Panama AR | Panama | February 2022 | Brazil Multisport | Brazil
Expedition Africa | Lesotho | April 2022 | Estonia ACE Adventure La Sportiva | Estonia
Expedition Oregon | USA | May 2022 | Vidaraid | USA/Spain
Adventure Race Croatia | Croatia | June 2022 | Swedish Armed Forces | Sweden
Expedition Canada | Canada | June 2022 | Bend Racing | USA
Raid in France | Australia | July 2022 | 400 Team Naturex | France
Huairasinchi | Ecuador | August 2022 | Fairis-Proflora | Ecuador
ITERA | Scotland | August 2022 | Racing Denmark | Denmark
Expedition Guarani World Championships | Paraguay | September 2022 | Avaya | New Zealand

## 2023 Adventure Racing World Series

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Race | Country | Dates | Winner | Nationality

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Legend Adventure Race | Australia | February 2023 | E-dog and the JJ's | Australia
Adventure Race Croatia | Croatia | May 2023 | Swedish Armed Forces | Sweden
Expedition Canada | Canada | May 2023 | 400team Givaudan | Sweden
Endless Mountains AR | USA | May 2023 | Bend Racing | USA
PC 12 AR | Colombia | June 2023 | Vidaraid | Spain/USA
Huairasinchi | Ecuador | July 2023 | Andes Racing | Ecuador
Nordic Islands AR | Faroe Islands | August 2023 | NIAR | Sweden
Expedicion Guarani | Paraguay | August 2023 | San Juan Aventura | Argentina
Expedition Africa World Championships | South Africa | October 2023 | Swedish Armed Forces | Sweden

## 2024 Adventure Racing World Series

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Race | Country | Dates | Winner | Nationality

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Legend Adventure Race | Australia | February 2024 | Mountain Designs Wild Women | Australia
Tierra Indomita - Vulania | Chile | April 2024 | Vidaraid | Spain
Expedition Ozark | USA | May 2024 | Estonian ACE/La Sportiva | Estonia
Malacara Expedition | Brazil | April 2024 | AKSA Expenature? | Brazil/France
Adventure Race Croatia | Croatia | May 2024 | Tactical Foodpack | Estonia
Expedition Africa | Namibia | May 2024 | Merrell Songlines | South Africa
PC 12 AR | Colombia | June 2024 | Vidaraid | Spain
Rajd Beskidy | Poland | June 2024 | Gymcity AR | Poland
Raid in France | France | July 2024 | 400team | France
Expedicion Guarani | Paraguay | July 2024 | Uruguay Ultra Sports | Uruguay
AR Panama | Panama | August 2024 | Andes Racing Ecuador | Ecuador
Expedition Oregon | USA | September 2024 | Bend Racing/4 Hour Fuel | Canada
Huairasinchi World Championships | Ecuador | November 2024 | 400team | France

## References

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1. ^ The Free Dictionary, 2011.
2. ^ Science Daily, 2011.
3. ^ a b Swift, 2001.
4. ^ "Discovery Channel World Championship Adventure Race TV Special". IMDb. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
5. ^ "Multisport: Heroes make a year of it". The New Zealand Herald. 9 January 2002. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
6. ^ Sleepmonsters, 2011.
7. ^ AG Outdoor, 2011.
8. ^ Adventure Junkie, 2011.
9. ^ Explore Compete Live, 2011.
10. ^ Scotland, 2011.
11. ^ Xtreme Sport, 2008.
12. ^ Xtreme Sport, 2009.

## Bibliography

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* Swift E.M. "Chilling Debut", sportsillustrated.cnn.com, 2001-10-17, retrieved 2011-11-19
* AG Outdoor "2011 Adventure Race World Championships", australiangeographic.com.au/outdoor, retrieved 2011-11-19
* Explore Compete Live "Raid in France to hold 2012 Adventure Race World Championships", explorecompetelive.com, 2011-1-18, retrieved 2011-11-19
* Sleepmonsters "Australian company takes over Adventure Racing World Series management", sleepmonsters.com, 2011-2-22, retrieved 2011-11-19
* The Free Dictionary "ARWS acronym", retrieved 2011-11-19
* Science Daily "Ultra-Endurance Athletes Suffer No Cardiac Fatigue, Even After Six Days of Non-Stop Exercise, Swedish Study Finds", sciencedaily.com, 2010-8-31, retrieved 2011-11-19
* Scotland "Adventure Racing World Championships 2007", retrieved 2011-11-19
* Xtreme Sport "Orionhealth.com from New Zealand are crowned the 2008 Adventure Racing World Champions", xtremesports4u.com, 2008-10-11, retrieved 2011-11-19
* Xtreme Sport "England is triumphant! The XPD Portugal World Champions are British – congratulations", xtremesports4u.com,2009-11-16, retrieved 2011-11-19
* Adventure Junkie "Gold Rush Mother Lode adventure race joins AR World Series" theadventureblog.com, 2011-4-25, retrieved 2011-1-19
* Sleepmonsters "Thule Adventure Team – Winning the World Championships", xwww.sleepmonsters.com, retrieved 2011-12-01

## External links

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* Adventure Racing World Series \- Includes 2011 World Series race results
* Sleepmonsters \- Includes World Championship results
* XPD Expedition Race
* RAID in France
* Gold Rush Mother Lode

Alpine Quest