Namma Adventure Race (ASIA Series)

The Namma Adventure Race_ India’s first 24-hour ARWS Asia Series Adventure Race Held in UDUPI, Karnataka.

NthAdventure / 04.01.2022

India has successfully hosted the Asia region’s very first World Series adventure race, receiving recognition across the world. It’s a moment of pride for every individual and all the organizations that supported the Namma Adventure Race to achieve this feat. The race was organized by NthAdventure and held on 17th, 18th & 19th December 2021 supported by Udupi Tourism and Karnataka Tourism.

The Namma Adventure Race is a 130km (24-Hour) team event, where teams of 4 raced in multiple sports disciplines including, kayaking, hiking, trail running, mountain biking, and orienteering, with some surprise local cultural elements.

The participants raced across the beautiful district of Udupi, visiting the Kapu Lighthouse, Karkala Gomateshwara statue and the Pilarkhana Forest temple to name a few places. It was a visual treat for the teams to run/cycle/kayak across the beautiful landscapes and the clean, scenic beaches of Udupi District.

The race had been postponed previously, due to the current situation, so many teams, including those from outside the state and country, were unable to attend. Of the 17 teams who initially registered, some had to drop out due to new variant scare and further travel restrictions.  It was a challenge, but to make sure India is ready for future races, the organizers did whatever they could to continue, and the race was widely promoted and followed across various social media platforms.

Race Directors from NthAdventure, Ajita Madan and Sayeesh Kirani said, “We had to take a call and it was now, or never, considering the current situation. However, with the support of the Tourism Department, our partners, and our teams who made it this far, we were able to go ahead and give them the memory of a lifetime.

“This race has made history being the first in India, the first in the ARWS-Asia regional series, and the first in Udupi, Karnataka, and it’s going to be remembered in coming years. What our teams have achieved in 24-hours is incredible, and now they’ve had a glimpse of how they need to prepare for Expedition style races, which last between 7 to 10 days!

“It was an amazing feeling to receive accolades and well wishes from the AR community, be it from Race Directors or athletes, who followed the race from around the world. This made all our efforts worthwhile. Now we are proud to say that all the teams who participated with us are a step closer to racing again in India and perhaps elsewhere in the world.

“India is a country which is known for its rich history, hospitality, culture, cuisines, and amazing, yet versatile, landscapes. It is perfectly suited for adventure racing, and in the future we can invite and welcome athletes from across the nation and other countries. With the success of Namma Adventure Race 2021 we look forward to receiving more support towards encouraging this sport.”

After finishing the race participants expressed their views as this was indeed an amplified adventure for them, as they had never raced across various sports disciplines and terrain, using just map and compass for 24-hours non-stop. It was a humongous test mentally as well as physically. Some of the teams had never heard anything about Adventure Racing before, until they found about NthAdventure and Namma Adventure Race through social media.

Team S3G from Manipal and Mangalore said; “The race was amazing, and being a local, we explored our district like never before. Thank you for bringing this race to Udupi. We hope to race again.”

Team Skyrunners from Bangalore said; “We need more teams to come and experience this sport. India has everything to offer that this sport requires. With the right support we can invite international teams to our country and race against them.”

All the participating teams gained Adventure Racing World Series Asia ranking points and the top 3 teams who completed the 130km route were:

• First: Skyrunner – Winning Time 14 hours 16 Minutes
• Second: Veera Kannadigaru – Winning Time 18 Hours 55 Minutes
• Third: Shershah – Winning Time 19 Hours 20 Minutes

Team Skyrunners has qualified for The INDIA REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 2022, and are now a step closer to being the FIRST Indian Team to represent India at the ARWS Asia Championship in Malaysia in 2022.

About NthAdventure:

NthAdventure is a Bangalore based Adventure and Outdoor sports organization and is the only licensed organization in India to host events in the Adventure Racing World Series. NthAdventure’s prime focus is to grow and build the adventure racing and orienteering community in India. Both the Race Directors have been part of multiple Expedition Races like Expedition Africa, GODZone, and Expedition India. They have been conducting workshops, training sessions, webinars, and multiple sprint races since 2015 to help make Indian teams race ready for the global stage.

For more information about adventure racing in India, please visit https://www.nthadventure.com/

 Thank You to the Namma Adventure Race Partners:

• Udupi and Karnataka Tourism
• Garmin India
• Blue Flag Beach
• Adventure Worx
• Saucony India
• Kanachur Hospital & Research Center
• Sea to Summit India
• Kati Patang
• Decathlon India, Bharath Mall Mangalore
• Neil Productions
• Stairs Physiotherapy and fitness
• Redbull
• Unexplored
• Taj Cycles
• Kayakboy
• Café Olive Planet