"Because it's there"


George Mallory, the British mountaineer, made this phrase famous when questioned why he attempted the daunting feat of climbing Mount Everest. (It took another 29 years before Sir Edmund Hillary made the first successful summit in 1953.) You may find yourself uttering the same response when asked what in the world inspired you to run one of the races described in this section.

Whether you are sailing through the most turbulent body of water in the world, fending off hypothermia in subzero temperatures, or scaling rocks above tree lines, these races will test your endurance. Although they sound exhilarating, don’t take these adventures lightly. They require serious training to perform your best and help avoid disasters.

Competitors preparing for adventure races have gone to extremes, both in effort and creativity, to simulate course conditions that they’ll be encountering. For subfreezing marathons, contenders have gone as far as putting treadmills in industrial walk-in meat lockers. Waterlogged courses have inspired people to train by running through streams.

Race directors can provide essential information on pre?paring for intense environments that they’ve selected for their event. Additional details from doctors and other pro- fessionals should be sought accordingly. Before the Ant?arc?tica Marathon, I learned that it’s common for ships to face huge swells sailing across Drake Passage. Speaking at length with my doctors about seasickness, I found the best pre- ventatives suitable for my personal needs. For high altitude courses, I sought advice from specialists who published studies in medical journals on the physical effects and ...