Maine Summer Adventure Race To Explore New Areas Of Midcoast In 2017

Press Release / 30.01.2017

There's no place like Maine in the summer, and the Maine Summer Adventure Race, taking place Saturday, June 24, will give its participants a unique opportunity to explore the Midcoast region by boat, bike and foot in a single day.

Now in its second year, the Maine Summer Adventure Race involves teams of two, three or four competing in a nonstop race including trail running or trekking, road and mountain biking, sea kayaking and orienteering. Teams will have to combine athleticism with strategy and navigation to guide themselves to as many checkpoints as possible within the race’s time limit.

Last year’s race took more than 70 participants across Damariscotta Lake by sea kayak, over back roads in Alna, Dresden and Whitefield by bike and through the pine-filled woods of the Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson.

This year's 10-hour race will be point-to-point, meaning competitors will make their way across a course that never repeats or loops back on itself. The race will involve trail running (or hiking) and off-trail orienteering through pristine forests, biking on Maine's bucolic roads (and an optional mountain biking leg), and a sea kayaking route specially designed by our local partner Tidal Transit Kayaks.

The 3-hour race is designed for beginner racers and for those looking to get the entire family outside for a day in the woods. The 3-hour race will combine hiking, canoeing and Amazing Race-style challenges and is designed to be possible to complete and enjoyable for participants of all abilities. Racers can do as much or as little of the course as they choose and special prizes will be given for the top family team, the best team name and the best costumes.

Both courses have been designed by the members of Strong Machine Adventure Racing, a nationally ranked adventure race team based in Portland, Maine.  All proceeds from the race will benefit the Midcoast Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting and promoting healthy lands, waters, wildlife, and people in the Midcoast Region through conservation, education, and recreation.

Race entry includes a race T-shirt, swag bag, post-race feast and drinks (including a featured microbrew), maps, canoe and paddle rental, prizes and giveaways and facility and land-use fees. This year’s 10-hour race will be a qualifier for the United States Adventure Racing Association’s National Championship, taking place in Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania in September 2017.

“This year’s 10-hour course will link together a lot of really beautiful terrain, some of which is private and typically inaccessible. The course is designed to be a tough but conquerable challenge for experienced and novice teams alike,” MSAR race co-director Kate White said. “The 3-hour race is also going to be a lot of fun, with the main objective of bringing more people into the sport we love.”

Those interested in participating in the Maine Summer Adventure Race on June 24, 2017, can find more information at MaineSummerAR.weebly.com or by searching for the Maine Summer Adventure Race on Facebook. Registration will open soon.

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