The Heights of Adventure Racing at ARWC Ecuador

Rob Howard / 15.10.2014

It’s just 25 days to the start of the AR World Championships in Ecuador, the culmination of the AR World Series, and the most prestigious and anticipated event in adventure racing.  

There is a lot to look forward to from an expedition race where the elite of the sport will explore the fabulous and diverse terrain and climate of Ecuador. The race will be the first to cross the Equator on its route and will span the snowy summits of the High Andes, the steamy heat of the Amazon basin and the wild and pristine beaches of the coastline.

The altitude will vary between sea level and 4,400m and will cross countryside with the highest diversity of flora and fauna pre square kilometre in the world. Teams will traverse mountains, paramo highlands, canyons and waterfalls, forests, jungle, waterways, mangrove swamps and lakes in a country with a rich cultural and historic heritage.

This is reflected in the start/finish venue for the race at Quito, where the teams will gather to prepare and regroup for the post race celebrations and prize giving. Quito is the highest capital in the world and its historic city is a UNESCO World Heritage site, with ancient buildings and plazas which will feature in the opening ceremonies for the race.

In the lead up to the race more details have now been released on the course, which will be a whooping 710km long and will start at 3600m altitude with the highest parts of the course in the first 15km of the race. It’s all downhill from there – well not really! The race profile shows plenty of climbing, but overall it drops to the coast with all the paddling stages taking place towards the end of the race.  (60%of the distance will be on bikes, 23% on foot and 16% on the water.)

The finish line venue and final team rosters will be announced shortly, and there will be 50 teams taking part and race staff, volunteers and press will number over 100, all told there will be visitors from 6 continents and more than 30 countries.

It is going to be a fantastic celebration of adventure racing and SleepMonsters will be there providing you with the most comprehensive and authoritative reports.

For all the latest news on the race visit http://www.proyectoaventura.com and www.arworldseries.com

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