Friday, September 15

National Championship Race Update

Sixty-two teams started the 30-hour adventure for this year’s National Championship!

Live tracking for the race provided by Enabled Tracking.

Updates on Facebook or Instagram and live coverage from AdventureRacingInsider and the USARA News site.

Photos are being uploaded to the USARA Smugmug page

Seven female teams are entered in the 2023 USARA National Championship race in Jeffersonville, VT.

As the sun sets on the first day of the 2023 USARA National Championship, the 62 teams that started the race are a third of the way through the 30 hour race. The lead teams are on the second bike stage having already completed the opening trek section, the first bike leg, and the only paddle section of the race.

Bend Racing/Skindoctor led the race and the premier mixed division at the first transition area (TA 1) and have yet to relinquish. Can they go wire-to-wire? On their tail is Grit Advntures, WEDALI, Tower Racing, Vert, No Complaints, Rib Mountain Racing, Vidaraid, Rootstock Racing, and Strong Machine AR/GMARA to round out the current top ten.

USARA Executive Director Michael Garrsion says this is the most competitive field of racers since since he started attending the race in 2009. Bend Racing/Skin Doctors has had an extremely successful season with wins at Expedition Ozark, Gorge AR, the Teton Orge, and Endless Mountains Grand.

However, WEDALI and Rootstock are both former national champion teams, Vidaraid is a top ranked team in the world expedition race circuit, Rib Mountain Racing is currently leading the national points series, No Complaints is fourth in the national points series, Vert is an up and coming team hungry for a win, Strong Machine/GMARA is a perennially strong, local team, and Grit Adventures is a notable superteam. Bend better not take their foot off the gas or any one of these teams could be in the lead come day break.

In the male division, Michigan Racing Addicts, Gearjunkie, and Only Mostly Lost are close to each other in the top 3. All three teams have looked strong through out the day. Michigan Racing addicts has never raced in Vermont but has spent some time skiing and training in the Green Mountains.

For the record size female division, Feral Femmes, Fragile Flowers/Don’t ask Y, and BRF BARF are leading the way. Any one of these strong, experienced teams could find themselves on top of the podium

Be sure to to follow the dots throughout the night and the day tomorrow as they race towards the finish and the 3 pm (ET) race cutoff.