The sport of Adventure Racing, or Kayathlon as it is sometimes known, has been going from strength to strength over recent years. You may have seen photos of your friends on social media tackling tricky mountain trail runs or battling steep hills on their bike… all while putting on their best Insta-face of course. Or you may have been targeted by sponsored ads on your Facebook feed prompting you to sign up for the challenge of a lifetime.
So if taking part in an Adventure Race has crossed your mind but you are still a tad hesitant, then check out or list of reasons below why you absolutely should sign up for a race.
1. It Will Give You A New Training Goal.
At times it can be tough to remain consistent with your training or to keep pushing yourself further and faster, especially during the winter months. Signing up for an Adventure Race will give you an end goal to work towards and give you that extra nudge to go for that run, or cycle, when you are low on motivation. Having a goal finishing time, or placement, in mind will also help you to continually push for progression during your training sessions.
If you have signed up for a race with some friends then this can bring an element of accountability too. This can be in the form of having a training partner that you do not want to let down by missing a training session or when it comes to comparing weekly training progress and not wanting to fall behind.
2. You Will Get To Experience A Variety Of Sporting Disciplines On Various Terrains
In general, an Adventure Race will consist of three sporting disciplines; running, cycling and kayaking. This will give you the perfect opportunity to test your metal at multiple new sports, all during the one race. You will also experience a variety of different terrains. The running sections tend to be on forest or mountain trails as opposed to roads. Cycling sections are primarily on winding rural roads and incorporate some challenging climbs for good measure as opposed to being on flat and smooth main roads. Kayak sections can take place in anything from rivers, lakes or harbours.
And for those of you who may have thought about taking part in a triathlon but are apprehensive about the swimming element, then this is an ideal alternative. The kayaking section replaces the swimming element and is relatively short in duration. Participants will use a twin-person kayak so you will have peace of mind knowing that you get to share the workload with someone else and that you won’t be on your own out on the open water.
3. You Will Get To Experience Amazing Scenery And Explore New Surroundings
As Adventure Races cover multiple terrains, this will inevitably mean that it will also cover multiple locations and surroundings. Running sections of a race can take you anywhere from forest trails to open mountaintops or even beaches. Cycling sections can cover some of the most scenic routes Ireland has to offer (Dingle Adventure Race and Quest Killarney are two highlights for sure). The kayaking sections can bring you from fjords in Connemara to glacial lakes in Wicklow (Gaelforce West and Quest Glendalough respectively). Trust us… you will never be short of beautiful scenery during an adventure race.
4. It Will Give You An Excuse To Travel Or Take A Weekend Away
In search of challenging routes, Adventure Racing events can take us to all corners of the country. This makes them the perfect opportunity to combine being active with visiting somewhere new that may not be one of your usual go-to destinations. With the race season running from March to November and race locations ranging from Westport to Glendalough and Killarney to Letterkenny, there is always an excuse to grab a few friends and organise weekend away. Just remember not to plan anything for too early on the morning after your race… Stiff legs and post-race celebrations are not an ideal combination for strenuous activities the following day!
5. The Pre-Race Excitement Is Electric
Until you have taken part in an Adventure Racing event it’s difficult to explain just how amazing the pre-race atmosphere is, but we can guarantee you that you won’t be disappointed. The excitement and general banter at the start line is second to none as the crowds gather and the anticipation builds ahead of the race. The fact that everyone is there for the same reason and to tackle the same challenge brings a huge feeling of camaraderie to the air. We warn you though, it can be highly addictive.
6. The Post-Race Celebrations Are Legendary
Once you have run, cycled and kayaked your way across multiple kilometres of Irish countryside, you will surely have earned the excuse to let your hair down and enjoy some well-earned downtime. Many event organisers will arrange an official Race After-Party, but if not, seen as these events tend to attract such a large number of participants, you can be sure that the local bars and restaurants will be bustling afterwards. Stories will be told and post-race analysis will be held until the early hours of the morning. (Refer to the end of point 4…)
7. You Will Learn A Lot About Your Own Abilities
Most people don’t realise their own levels of physical and mental toughness until they have really challenged themselves. Taking yourself out of your comfort zone and taking part in an event like this is a sure fire way to see how fit and strong you really are. You will also learn a lot about your own levels of persistence and determination throughout the course of a race. When you dig deep inside yourself, rise to a challenge and push yourself past your old limits, you will unlock all sorts of possibilities, both from a fitness perspective and in life in general.
8. You Will Meet New And Like-Minded People
Adventure Races attract people from all corners of the country and of all ages, fitness levels and race experience. However, the one thing that everyone has in common is their search for a challenge. Whether you are aiming to win, beat a personal best time or complete your first race, you are sure to be surrounded by others with similar goals. When you gather together hundreds, if not thousands, of like-minded people for events like these, new friendships are bound to be made.
To sum it all up…
An Adventure Race is a great excuse to travel and see some of the best scenery Ireland has to offer. You will get to challenge yourself in multiple sporting disciplines on exciting and challenging routes, experience an unforgettable pre and post-race atmosphere and make some new friends along the way.
We have yet to meet someone who has regretted taking part in an Adventure Race and although there will be moments you will question your soundness of mind (usually while climbing a steep hill!), we bet that you will go straight online later that night to decide on your next race.
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