You will definitely want to learn how to navigate with map and compass and get some practice before the race.

I did my first adventure race with some friends and learned in the fly, but it was a short race (4 hour maybe) in a state park. If you're doing a 24 hour race you'll very likely be covering a ton of ground and could get very lost if you don't know what you're doing.

See if there is an orienteering club nearby you and try out any events they have. Some have beginner seminars or at the very least will have someone very willing to help teach you the basics.

Some clubs also have permanent courses set up with maps you can download so you can go practice whenever you want to.

If nothing else, buy a map of some natural area near you and wander around trying to get to landmarks (a building, lake, etc. with just a compass.

Next thing I'd say is look at the gear list and practice hauling it around for your activities. If you're coming from triathlon, it's a bit of a change to be self supported for many hours. Think about how you're going to hold and access your map (it will likely be quite large) doing various activities. Some people mount it on a clipboard on their bike, some people wear it around their neck in a map case, some people stuff it away in a bag (but this becomes annoying very fast).

I would invest in some gaiters otherwise you'll get stuff in your shoes and socks all the time as the majority or your foot travel could be off trail through brush (depending on the terrain where your race is).

Nothing else immediately comes to mind but I'd be super happy to answer any more questions that I can. Adventure racing is such a cool sport and you're going to have so much FUN compared to a typical triathlon if your experience is anything like mine.

Above but also the night stuff. Navigating or even running/riding in the dark is a totally different thing. And any minutes you get from speed in the daytime you can lose hours through the night.

And even working as a team when you are cold, wet and tired will be new to what is likely 4 very driven individuals that are more used to pushing hard to beat someone not working together to make the slowest person faster.

Yes, I should mention that I have done many adventure races but the longest was 12 hours about sunrise to sunset so I don't have the dark experience. Wow, that would add a whole new level haha.

Totally agree about the teamwork aspect. It is much different than an individual race. Not really something you can prepare for, but let's just say be ready to use your best conflict resolution skills. I have mostly raced with my wife, brothers, and good friends, so while we generally already have good chemistry, we have near zero filter in our interactions which can make stressful situations worse sometimes.

Logistics of batteries for lighting a lot less challenging nowadays, and the quality of the lights also way better. But even road riding in the dark is a totally different experience with depth perception scrambled and speed feeling really different.

We spent a fair bit of time practicing specifically in the dark as thats more unfamiliar. In my case as a giant wuss on downhill trails (running and MTB) then I found I was actually quicker when I couldn't see what was coming up than in the daylight ;-)

But also understanding the strategy for rest over a 24 hour race is important too. But some of this may well be dictated by the race rules/format.

thank you for the replies, definitely helpful info. I feel that i am very comfortable reading maps, but the compass aspect will be new. is there a specific method i should be learning? i gotta believe it's more sophisticated than using the compass to find a bearing and then "just go that way!"

also interested in learning more about the overall route choosing. when i look at the gps live track of last years race, it does seem that most teams follow the same route to a degree. some seem to be taking shorter routes here and there, but i am guessing they are skipping checkpoints by doing this. so the order of sports is fixed then, and which way you go to get all or most checkpoint is up to you? and since most teams followed a similar route i would guess that there is probably a logical progression between checkpoints in each section? are they numbered in this way etc? so at the beginning of the race should we sit down and plan the whole thing out? or just the first section and then plan at each following transition?

thanks again for the help

24-Hour Adventure races rock! You may want to check out this great first training book on the sport, written 23 years ago! https://www.amazon.com/Adventure-Racing-Ultimate-Ian-Adamson/dp/1884737900 (sorry for the self-plug).

Have a blast, and love your teammates!

I audited a course at the local university, simply Orienteering 101 back when I was doing adventure races (shakes fist at Mark Burnett!) we also had a local club that ran races every couple of weekends at different levels. Beginner routes would have high flags you could pretty much wander and find those, but the advanced race would be low flags hidden in reentrants the flags were also spaced much further apart etc and when you factor in the competitive nature of trying to go as fast as you can making a mistake would crush your time and made you make sure your bearings were true.

Would love to get back into it, but my friends barely leave the couch now and I don't really feel like doing solos.

  i had to look up reentrant, but it makes sense to place a checkpoint at this type of location. i found a sample map from last years race here
so what would the basic strategy be for something like this? follow the known trail as close to each check point and then delve off into the woods to find them? bushwhack between all of them? bushwhack only close ones? seems like sticking to known trail may take a little longer but would minimize getting lost or mixed up. i guess i'm so used to having my gps watch...

x2 on practicing with equipment

x2 on practicing in (night/other) conditions

Recommend an orienteering presentation by an expert, and assigning a navigator on your team.

Recommend nutrition practice. Grumpy type-A's are no match for hangry type-A-s.

Recommend practicing paddling in the craft you are going to use -- I feel like the work/speed penalty for bad technique is huge for paddling.

Regarding "bushwhack between all of them?": a couple of Army guys I was with for a few minutes in a race just did not go around anything on foot. Straight line, point A to point B, over hill, over dale. So, if you have those physical and map skills and the course allows it, sure!

Also, there's a way to do an adventure race that accentuates the adventure and not the race. The discoveries and problem-solving can be really fulfilling if you can take everything in stride. Set some goals before you start.

Just my 2 cents. Have fun!

I came here to say something like this. The least you can do is nail your nutrition to take mood disturbances and emergency bathroom trips out of the disaster scenarios, of which there are many.

Although, disasters usually make funnier stories when the nutrition is a factor. "Angry-delirious midnight diarrhea orienteering trouble" is a much better thread than "Midnight orienteering trouble." So, for all of us reading here, please consider winging it.

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Dr. Alex Harrison | Founder & CEO | Sport Physiology & Performance PhD
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