The second 2023 Adventure Racing Championship India (ARCI) takes place this weekend in Goa. The race is a National Championship event which is also the qualifier for the ARWS Asia Regional Championship and is hosted by NthAdventure, India’s only licensed ARWS organization.
Adventure Racing is a fast-growing sport in India and shaping up as a great platform for young to elite Teams. The race is an opportunity where brands are sending their teams to compete and prepare for bigger races ahead. Currently on the ARWS Asia Regional Ranking Indian teams are on top, thanks to NthAdventure providing adventure racing platforms for Asian teams.
NthAdventure have been making continuous efforts to grow the sport in the country. Through the year they conduct navigation workshops, mini orienteering events on trails, bikes, kayaks and urban courses, Adventure Racing Workshops which are open to the public and universities, conduct sprint races of 30KM to 60km as part of the National AR Series and host 3 ARWS Asia Regional Races. They are creating platforms where everyone can experience this sport.
AR Championship India has two category, full-course and short course. Full course teams are racing for ARWS Asia Regional ranking points, and the winner of this category takes home the title of Indian National Adventure Racing Champions 2023 along with an entry to ARWS Asia Regional Championship, scheduled to take place in Philippines in November 2023.
The full-course is set for 120km consisting of MTB, hiking/trail running, kayaking, orienteering and some added local traditional elements. Ajita Madan, Race Director says, “We are super excited to host our 2nd Championship event. Our Championship races are bigger than other sprint and qualifier races and this gives our athletes an opportunity to understand the magnitude of this sport. From endurance training to planning logistics, everything is stepped up to a higher level. We always want our athletes to feel challenged, test team strategy and more.
“The host location of this race is “Goa” which is known as the beach destination of the country, however there is also another side of Goa which is yet to be explored much. The state has an amazing history. While our adventure racers look for checkpoints, the mountains and ocean will always be watching over them.”
Talking about the categories and difficulty level, Sayeesha Kirani, Race Director said, “Every course is unique. We have 2 categories, 120km and for the challengers and 60km for those who want to push their game and are just starting their AR journey. We will have 20 teams racing for this championship and every stage will have an element of surprise. We mix and match Google Maps as well as Topo maps which the teams use for navigation.
“The course will take our teams traversing through villages, rivers, mountains and valleys and yes some of the Goan beaches. It is going to be interesting to see how teams plan to do everything in the least amount of time. It takes a massive effort to organize a sport like this where multiple disciplines and multiple departments are involved. We worked with the authorities to curate a theme “Goa Beyond Beaches”. We thank all the departments for their support and the Department of Goa Tourism for welcoming Adventure Racing.”
The headquarters of the race is the National Institute of Water Sports. It was established in 1990 and has been actively engaged in professionalization of leisure watersports in the country. They conduct training and assist the Government and industry in framing and setting safety standards, and produce feasibility reports and development plans, for growth. To assure the safety and monitoring of watersports activities, the Institute also assists the Central & State Governments and Private firms in framing and setting safety standards, feasibility reports, development plans and a beach management plan.
The race opens on Friday, there will be kayaking safety and rescue mock drill by NIWS, followed by registration, the captains meeting, opening ceremony and race briefing. The race will be flagged off on Saturday 9th September in the morning when teams will be transport to an undisclosed start location at 4am.
There will be lots of action and updates on the Nthadventure and ARWS Asia Media pages
About NthAdventure:
NthAdventure is a Bangalore based Adventure and Outdoor sports company and is the only licensed organization in India to host Adventure Racing from Adventure Racing World Series - USA. NthAdventure’s prime focus is to grow and build Adventure Racing and Orienteering community in India. Both the Race Directors have been part of multiple Expedition Races and have been conducting workshops, training sessions, webinars, and multiple sprint races since 2016 to help Indian teams race ready at global stages.
For more information about NthAdventure and upcoming races visit https://www.nthadventure.com/
Our Partners:
Adventure Racing World Series
Department of Tourism – Goa
National Institute of water Sports - Goa
Department of Forest – Goa
Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management
Adventure Worx
The Bridge
Goa Brewing Company
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