Sometimes you pour your life out onto a race course for 8 hours just to come home with a pint glass & some commemorative maps… Nice 😁.
This was my second time racing the Tahoe Adventure Challenge. It’s a unique format for an adventure race at “only” 8 hours and allowing you to use electronic navigation. I went into detail about my experience, the hilarious podium announcements and the somewhat complex format of the race on the recent MTB Podcast if you’re curious for more detail. But here is the jist..
7 hours 51 minutes w/ an average heart rate of 142bpm.
Kayak - 6.21mi.
MTB (Segment 1) - 3.1mi. 720ft ascent.
Trail Run - 7.5mi. 1,942ft ascent.
MTB (Segment 2) - 28.7mi. 4,042ft ascent.
Swim - 85yd.
The race map littered with checkpoints of different values is posted at 7:30am, race starts at 8am. You see the MTB and Kayak check points only, you don’t get all the running check points until you get that map out on course. The check points have different point values. Points matter more than time, collect as many points as possible and be at the finish by 4pm.
Each checkpoint puts you in the vicinity of the actual checkpoint bag with the punch for your passport. From there you need to take the clue, draw a bearing on your compass and go find the actual checkpoint bag. You can get the checkpoints in any order you want and skip as many as you need to finish in time.
The last several years nobody has gotten all the check points. This makes the whole thing extremely hard because you have to calculate how long it will take you to get to the finish constantly because you can be ~20 miles away from the finish getting checkpoints and you must be back at the finish by 4pm or else it’s over because every minute late you lose points essentially ruining your race. This is math, strategy, navigation and nothing but pure mental stress while you are putting yourself through a serious physical challenge simultaneously.
So in case you ever wondered what that annoyingly persistent guy in the KETL social media ads is doing when not filming nerdy videos trying to sell you on zipper pockets… It's crying from leg cramps during adventure races while wearing Virtue Shorts and a NoFry Sun Hoodie. Or maybe hiding treasure jars.
Sincerely, Jeff
KETL Mtn. CEO
