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The Adventure Zone

Past stories The Calgary Stampede Moraine for Life Adventure Relay Monarch Redux Rockies Bird Festival Arctic Winter Games Bolivia's Acotango Mount Kilimanjaro The Drambuie Pursuit Canadian Aboriginal Festival Mountain Mania Adventure racing Manitoulin Island Star Party Celebration of Light Algonquin Park Ottawa Race Weekend Maple syrup festival Cain's Quest Have Snowshoes, Will Travel Quebec Ice Hotel In the Eye of the Storm Arctic Aurora Borealis Canada's 'Deep South' Agawa Canyon Ablaze Mahone Bay Boat Festival Vancouver Island's rocky trail Wild Women Expeditions Eco-Endurance Summiting Canada Gourmet getaway Yukon Arctic Ultra Canadian Wind Riders Winnipeg's urban pathways Canoeist/artist Bill Mason Take a hike Whitewater kayaking The 2005 Sea Cavalcade Moonstruck - Adventure racers Delta Marsh Birding Festival Climb for conservation The Eagle has Landed Gold Rush Trail Whistler Film Festival Fit to ski Whyte Museum of the Rockies Cheakamus Challenge "Super Dave" Norona Ontario's French River region Cabot Trail Relay Race Point Pelee Festival of Birds Canmore Ice Climbing Festival Winterlude Yeti Mountain Snowshoe Series Golden Horseshoe Orienteering Club Banff Mountain Book Festival Haliburton Highlands Sand Sculpture Championships BC Mobility Society Bathtub Race Championship Bike Month Running off the road Birds of a Feather Grand Plans in Grand Cache Le Festival du Voyageur Raid Ukatak Around the World Alone November culinary adventure Mountains in Miniature In the Belly of the Dragon Raid the North Extreme!! Making a splash! Volunteer for nature Cycling for sustainability Working for Wildlife Whale of a time Canadian Death Race Mont Tremblant Skiing Nanook of the North Eco-challenge Climate Change Caravan Royal Regatta Unleash the hounds World Cup mountain bike race Yukon River Quest On top of the world Canada's World-Class Heritage Gliding across the silver screen Marathon Madness National Ski and Snowboard Week Christmas Bird Count Banff Festival Adventure racing Coast-to-coast trek Whitewater rodeos In praise of parks Watching Canada's wildlife Canada's Highest Peak Alaska Adventure Racer

Photo courtesy Tony Austin

Photo courtesy Tony Austin

Like the season's two earlier installments in May and July, the MOMAR finale is a one-day event that puts 250 pumped participants through their paces on a 40-to-50-kilometre course that's equal parts paddling, mountain biking and trail running. Add a liberal dose of orienteering, however, and the racers, whether travelling solo or in teams of two or four, are working at full throttle for up to eight hours.

Adventure racing is one of the most demanding and exhilarating sports today. Until one hour before start time, the course remains a secret. Once racers receive their maps, the pressure is on to navigate the best route from start to finish through the mandatory checkpoints. "There's always a great buzz of excitement on race day," says event director Bryan Tasaka. "Once the gun goes off, anything can happen — top teams get lost, back-of-the-pack teams get lucky on their route choice and there are wildlife encounters. It's all part of the adventure."

MOMAR's pre-race training clinics and wealth of online tips for both novices and seasoned experts are fuelling the fire of outdoor-loving athletes across the country. After eight years, MOMAR ranks as the largest adventure race in Western Canada and the second largest in Canada.

Celebrated for working hard, adventure racers are equally famous for playing hard . "We've become pretty well known for our afterparty," says Tasaka. "There's a big banquet dinner, tons of awards and then a huge party with live music. We've even brought in firedancers."

For more information on the September Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race, go to www.mindovermountain.com/momar/index.htm