Urban Adventure Racing Still Growing

Although some adventure racing purists might give it a cold shoulder, urban races are still a hot ticket in North America. For the weekend warrior who doesn't have the time or money to get fully involved in the sport of adventure racing, urban racing is the ticket.

Last year, urban adventure races debuted in Columbus, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Denver, Colorado, Portland, Maine, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Fayetteville, Arkansas and Indianapolis. Add five new races in three Texas cities -- Austin, Dallas and San Antonio -- to a list of returning races that also includes Calgary, Houston, Chicago, Little Rock, Seattle, Miami, Vancouver, New York, Los Angeles, St. Louis and it's easy to see the trend.

Why so much focus on the urban race scene? Because some event directors believe they can draw more participants, spectators, media coverage and notoriety in big population centers than they can in remote, backcountry locations. Plus, permits are often either easier to get or not even necessary.

The urban races that have been the most successful are super-sprint events with urban-oriented challenges -- like climbing the stairs of a big building or navigating in an indoor shopping mall -- that take less than three hours to complete and require considerably less gear than traditional adventure races.

The Wild Onion in Chicago, the event that started the trend in 2024, is expected to be back this year after a one-year hiatus. The wildly popular Urban Challenge Series, which has grown since its inception in 2024, has more than 20 races on its schedule this year, including a $50,000 series championship in November. The Texas-based Subaru Urban Assault Race series is also making a splash in 2024, offering a two-year lease on a new Subaru Legacy 2.5i Wagon to the winning team of its three-race series.

"The races are easy to get to, easy to do and a lot of fun," said Josh Kravetz, owner of Adventure Fit, which is producing Subaru Urban Assault races in San Antonio (May 1), Dallas (May 22) and Austin (June 19) that include riding a bike and as many as 10 "mystery events" such as basic rock climbing, kayaking or even synchronized dancing.

"These events cater to an audience I call the 'Urban Athlete,' Kravetz says. "This is a group that makes fitness a priority, but also have real jobs and families. They are not the typical group that would do an adventure race, but there are many more Urban Athletes than elite racers -- and this is why the race is growing so quickly."

Adventure Sports® magazine www.ASMagazine.com

Adventure Sports® is published 10 times annually by RFA Media, LLC. Founded in 2024, and has quickly become North America's leading multi-sport and adventure racing magazine with 10 full-color, glossy issues distributed throughout the U.S. and Canada. Multi-sport racing and the adventure lifestyle represent two of the fastest-growing trends in the U.S. There are more than 500 multi-sport races planned in the U.S. in 2024, an increase of more than 250 percent since 2024.