Expedition Idaho Update: Thule Wins!!

Over the weekend, the Expedition Idaho adventure race came to close after six long days of racing through a stunningly beautiful course in Northern Idaho. The 500+ mile competition featured challenging trekking, paddling, and mountain biking sections that pushed teams to the limit all week long, while still offering them a fantastic racing experience to match any other on the planet.

When the race got underway last Sunday, there were 13 teams in the field, but as the week progressed, it became increasingly evident that this was a two team race. Teams Thule and Seagate jumped out to early leads, and never looked back as they pursued one another through the backcountry all week long. In the end, it was the international team of Thule that crossed the finish line first, with the Kiwi's of Seagate claiming second place. Team Bones, an all American squad, took third, rounding out the podium.

While the course was most certainly a challenging one, the race organizers were keen on making it fair as well. As a result, all the teams that entered the race also completed it, although some finished unranked due to dropping a teammate along the way. A few were short coursed as well, but it is rare in adventure racing to have all the teams cross the finish line, as inevitably it seems that some get caught in a time cut-off or physically can't continue. It's a testament to the race organizers that they put together a course that is, by all accounts beautiful and very tough, but was still fun and fair for the racers.

Speaking of the finish line, I teased a few times this week that the race had a unique finish in store for the racers and that turned out to be very accurate. The final leg of the race, as you'll see in the video below, was a steep trek up to Silver Mountain Resort, which just so happened to be holding its Silver Mountain Blues & Brews music festival at the same time that the teams were finishing. As a result, there were more than 2000 fans on hand to welcome them home, giving the finish line a feel that is very different from most expedition length races like this one. It seems the racers apprec

iated the reception, as I'm told many of them stayed around to enjoy the atmosphere, even after they had been racing all week long.

By all accounts, Expedition Idaho was a very successful race, especially considering this was its inaugural run. I'm told that logistics went very smoothly and teams arrived at Checkpoints and Transition Areas, to find their gear boxes waiting for them and often hot food available as well. There are already plans in place for the race to return in 2012, with some great ideas on how to enhance the event even further and provide new, unique experiences for racers and fans alike.

Congratulations to all the teams of course, but also the staff that put on the race. You should all be very proud of what you've accomplished. Now go get some rest. I'm sure you sill have a lot of sleep to catch up on!

Update: Here is the official rankings for all the teams in the race.

1) Thule
2) Seagate
3) Bones
4) Light & Motion
4A) Team Gear Junkie/Yogaslackers
5) Team SOG
6) Team Gramicci
7) Team Florida Xtreme
8) NYARA
9) Gung Ho
10) Topo Adventure Sports
11) Train Chicago Studios
12) Team Idaho

Expedition Idaho Update: Thule and Seagate Out In Front

The Expedition Idaho Adventure Race continues into its fourth day today, with teams continuing to navigate their way through a tough course in the wilds of northern Idaho. The racers have been going nearly non-stop since Sunday morning, and there is a real battle shaping up at the top of the leader board for who will eventually win this race.

At the moment, Teams Thule and Seagate are pushing each other to the limit at the front of the pack, with the rest of the teams chasing further back. The lead teams have endured long treks and mountain bike legs, intermixed with some paddling and "special" challenges, that included having to build their own raft and starting a fire without matches or a lighter. Team GearJunkie/YogaSlackers, who are racing unranked due to the loss of a teammate, and Team Bones are in third and fourth place respectively.

The race hasn't gone without its mishaps. While the elite teams at the front are chugging along, some of the others have had their struggles. For instance, Team Idaho made a navigational error that put them 50 miles off course, while one racer crashed on a mountain bike section and had to be airlifted off the course.

When it's all said and done, the teams will have raced for more than 500km over a six day period, and organizers of the event are promising them quite a welcome at the finish line. I don't want to give too much away yet, but I can say the finish should be unlike any other in adventure racing.

Follow the action on the Expedition Idaho website, blog, and Twitter feed. There is still plenty of racing to go, and I think there will be an epic battle between Thule and Seagate before its all done.

Expedition Idaho Update: Teams Off And Running!

As I mentioned last week, the Expedition Idaho adventure race got underway yesterday, with 14 teams setting out on a six-day, 500+ km race through the spectacular northern Idaho backcountry. After unveiling the course to the athletes on Saturday, the flag officially dropped on the race at 10 AM yesterday morning, and it has been non-stop racing ever since. You can read all about the pre-race preparations and the start, on the official Expedition Idaho blog.

As of this writing, the official leaderboard has been deactivated as not all of the SPOT Satellite Messengers that the teams use for tracking are working properly. However, as of last night, the top five teams were Thule, which has about an hour lead on second place Seagate at the time, followed by Team Bones in third place. Light & Motion was in fourth, with Team GearJunkie/YogaSlackers in fifth. The Yogaslackers are also racing unranked, as they have had to drop a teammate due to illness. Hopefully all SPOT devices will be reset today and the live leaderboard will return to the website to keep us informed of what is happening out on the course.

As noted in a blog update, the weather is expected to be good all week long for the race and it seems the stage is set to make this a great event. The race organizers warned the teams that there would be good old fashioned challenging navigation to go along with the trekking, paddling, and biking that they are all use to, and it seems that has been the case so far.

Be sure to follow the race live on the website and through Twitter updates. Also, checkout the Expedition Idaho YouTube channel for some great videos from the event, the the one below, as well. It seems the race is off to a great start, and the staff is doing a great job of keeping us informed about what is happening as well.

Expedition Idaho Adventure Race Begins Sunday!

The Expedition Idaho adventure race is set to get underway this Sunday near Coeur d'Alene. The race will send teams of four on a 500+ km course through the rugged backcountry of northern Idaho. As usual with adventure races, the athletes will trek, mountain bike, paddle, and navigate their way through a course that has been described to me as "stunningly beautiful."

The race will run for six days and promises to have one of the most unique finishes in the sport. I don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone yet, but lets just say that race director David Adlard has put a lot of thought into making the teams feel very welcome at the finish line.

Live coverage for the event gets underway tomorrow, and is being handled by Checkpoint Tracker Race Central. That means you'll get excellent coverage of the event and be able to track the location of the teams in real time, as they make their way through the challenging course that has been co-designed by adventurer racing legend Mike Kloser. Expect updates from the field to be posted on the race's blog as well as the official Twitter feed.

Good luck to all the teams competing in the race. Have fun and enjoy the scenery. Also, good luck to all my friends who are involved in organizing and running the race as well. It'll be a very busy week, but I'm sure it is going to be a big success.

Expedition Idaho Launches New Website!

With less than two months to go until the start of the race, Expedition Idaho has launched a new website that will serve as its online presence before, during, and after the event. The new site features the official ExpID blog, a complete roster of teams, an online store, as well as more information about the race itself.

The site was developed and built on the new Race Central platform that has been created by the creative minds behind Checkpoint Tracker. Race Central, which will be used for the first time Expedition Idaho, allows race directors and promotors to host live coverage of their events, on their own websites, while the race is underway. That includes GPS Tracking, Leader Boards, Course Maps, a live blog, and more. Previously, those features were all hosted on the Checkpoint Tracker servers, diverting traffic away from the race site, but now that traffic will stay focused on the event website, opening the door for better marketing opportunities.

Race Central isn't the only innovation that Checkpoint Tracker can deliver to race organizers either. The newly launched "Checkpoint Tracker Solutions" offers a turnkey solution for events that includes website design and  hosting, content syndication, social media integration, e-mail marketing and more. In short, everything that a race director needs to run a successful event online. For more information on these options, send an e-mail to solutions@checkpointtracker.com.

In addition to launching the new website, Expedition Idaho has also taken the plunge into the world of social media. Race officials have created a Facebook page for the event, which can be found by clicking here, and have also launched the race's official Twitter feed. Get all your news on ExpID by following @ExpeditionIdaho.

As one of the major adventure racing events for the summer, anticipation for Expedition Idaho is running high. The race will take place from August 14th through the 21st in Coeur d'Alene and will feature coed teams of four competing across a course that is more than 500km (310 miles) in length and promises to have one of the best finishes in the history of the sport.

Stay tuned for more information soon!

Expedition Idaho Adventure Race

If you're still figuring out which adventure races you want to put on your team's schedule for this season, you really should be considering the Expedition Idaho event which is scheduled to take place from August 14-20 in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. The 600km (372 mile) race will pit coed teams of four against one another in the usual AR disciplines of trekking, mountain biking, and paddling. Sprinkle in some navigation, climbing, and a few other surprises, and you have all the ingredients necessary for a fantastic event.

There are currently 25 teams lined up to compete in ExpId, with some of the top teams in the sports planning on being there. The race will offer points on the Checkpoint Tracker series and is also a qualifier for the USARA National Championship as well. Additionally, any teams that are racing in RTNX, Gold Rush in California, Patagonia Expedition Race, Apex or “One Long Day” at Adventure Sports Week will get a $400 discount on their registration.

The organizers of the race are busy getting everything ready for the start in August, including putting together a great list of sponsors and preparing for a surprise finish, at Silver Mountain Resort,  that should be amongst the best ever at any adventure race. Every team that signs up will also be fully outfitted with a set of outdoor apparel courtesy of Gramicci, as well as a host of other great swag.

Best of all, the race will take place in the unspoiled wilderness of Idaho, on a course and in a setting, that has never been used for an expedition race before. It should be amongst the more spectacular settings to ever play host to an event like this, and that is saying a lot. Expect a great time, a great race, and a great finish.

For more information on Expedition Idaho, connect to the race's Facebook Page.

More Expedition Idaho Adventure Race Details

Adventure racing fans have a lot to look forward to in 2011 as the calendar of big international races is as full as it has been in several years. One of the top events for the year is scheduled to take place beginning on August 14th, when Expedition Idaho 2011 gets underway at the Silver Mountain Resort in that state. Organizers of the event have begun to leak some details of what teams can expect with a lot of exciting things on the horizon.

For starters, they've announced a cooperative program with the Raid the North Extreme race, which takes place in the in the West Kootenays of British Columbia, Canada this July. Teams who races in both events will receive a $400 discount on the Expedition Idaho race.

It seems that the sponsors are lining up for Expedition Idaho as well. Gear manufacturer Gramicci is on board and will be outfitting each of the teams with a full set of clothing from their new lifestyle-performance line of clothing. Black Diamond has also signed on and will also serve as the technical advisors for the ropes course. More sponsorships are also in the works, and the ExpId 2011 swag bag is already shaping up to be an excellent one.

Perhaps most importantly, online registration for the 600+km, seven day event will open soon. Organizers are looking to have it online in March, allowing teams to quickly and easily sign up for the race and join in on all the fun in Coeur d' Alene this August.

To find out more about this great event checkout the race's home page, which can be found here, or join the ExpId 2011 Facebook page by clicking here.