Untamed New England Announces 2014 Dates And Location

One of the premiere adventure races in North America has announced its dates and locations for 2014, giving teams a full year to prepare for the event. A few days ago, race organizers for the Untamed New England Expedition Adventure Race announced that the 4+ day race will take place from June 17-22 and will be held in the 100-Mile Wilderness in Maine. This is one of the most remote and beautiful places in the eastern U.S. and a perfect place to hold a race. It is surrounded by dense forests, features miles of trail and has some of the most wild terrain imaginable.

The race will feature teams of 2, 3 and 4 competitors with the coed teams of 4 being the predominant category. They'll be trekking, mountain biking, paddling, white water rafting,  orienteering and climbing their way across a course that should be amongst the best ever offered by this popular and well known race. The top prize for the event has gotten more impressive as well. The winning team will take home $10,000 in prize money, double what the winners in 2012 won. Better yet, the race is part of the AR World Series and serves as a qualifier for the AR World Championships, which will be held in Ecuador next year.

Registration for Untamed New England 2014 will open on June 1.

Untamed New England Adventure Race Gets Shorter, Announces Dates

The Untamed New England Expedition Race has been a fixture on the adventure racing calendar in North America for a number of years, offering one of the premiere events in the U.S. This year, race organizers are doing something a little different, electing to shift away from the longer event in favor of a 24-hour race that can be completed on a single weekend.

Scheduled to take place June 21-23 at the Sugarloaf Ski Resort in Maine, the 24-Hours of Untamed New England will feature plenty of trail running, mountain biking, paddling and orienteering. Additionally, a 6-hour long race, dubbed the Sugarloaf Solo, will give those new to the sport an opportunity to compete as well. That event runs parallel to the 24-hour race on June 22. Registration is open for both events and you can find out more by clicking here.

The shorter format of both of these races is great for teams who are just starting out in adventure racing. If you're looking to get your feet wet in the sport, this is a great opportunity. All of the Untamed events are put on by a great race staff who have created some absolutely legendary courses. I'm sure these two races will be no exception. Those who prefer the longer, expedition length events can rest easy. The traditional 4-day Untamed NE will return in 2014, bigger and better than ever.

2012 Untamed New England Adventure Race Sold Out!

It may still be early into 2012, but clearly adventure racing teams are already gearing up for another great year of competition. I received word this morning that the fourth edition of the Untamed New England race, which is scheduled to take place June 19-24, has already sold out its allotment of 50 teams. That's a great sign not only for that particular race, but the health of the sport over all.

This year's edition of Untamed New England will be four days of non-stop racing over a wilderness course in The Forks, Maine. It will feature coed teams of four in the main division, although two and three -person teams are accepted, as are crazy individuals who want to go it alone. This will be an unsupported race that will also serve as a qualifier for the 2012 Adventure Racing World Championship, which will be held in France later this year.

For more information on the event, checkout UntamedNE.com, where you'll find more information on the course, the mandatory team gear list, and a list of teams that will be in attendance.

Hopefully the news of this early-season sell out for Untamed bodes well for other races taking place in the U.S., and other parts of the world, this year. Despite a sluggish economy, adventure racing seems to be continuing to grow across the globe, and I'm happy to see more and more people discovering it.