The Adventure Racing World Series organization cites a ‘deliberate copy’ of its name and an attempt to ‘rewrite history’ as a new race series plans to host the 2022 adventure racing world championships.
Last week, World Obstacle announced that Adventure 1 (A1) will be the official partner for the 2022 world cup for adventure racing. The announcement, however, was not universally well-received.
One such dissenter was the Adventure Racing World Series (ARWS). Founded in 2001, the ARWS has previously hosted events recognized as the annual world championships of adventure racing. Events in the AR World Series consist of a mixed team of male and female participants racing for 4 to 10 days.
In response to the press release, the ARWS posted a statement to its Facebook page questioning the ethics and efficacy of the partnership. (The ARWS was responding to the name “A1 World Series,” which A1 later changed to “A1 World Cup.” More on that later.)
A1 Partnership: One Adventure Race Director’s Opinion
Longtime adventure racing athlete and race director Jason Magness directs Expedition Oregon, part of the ARWS. He noted that the World Obstacle announcement has led to some confusion in the adventure racing community.
“As an athlete, it’s definitely a bit confusing,” Magness said. “It’s nice to have a clear path as a competitive athlete instead of [wondering], ‘Which series do I want to compete in, and which races?'”
Magness pointed to the history of American adventure racing to illustrate the complications that multiple sanctioning bodies introduce. At one point in the U.S., three competing bodies hosted championship events in the niche sport.
Since then, the U.S. scene has become more coherent thanks to consolidation under a single, nonprofit governing body: the United States Adventure Racing Association. Magness said athletes on the international stage will likely be confused. They’ll have to navigate what would effectively be two world championship series.
On the other hand, he noted that seeing more races in the sport is always exciting. And as a race director, he doesn’t want to limit his draw.
A Possible Olympic Bid for Adventure Racing
The A1 World Cup announcement comes on the heels of adventure racing vying for inclusion in the Olympics.
In October, the Global Association of International Sports Federations granted “observer status” to World Obstacle, the international governing body for ninja, obstacle course, and adventure racing. The designation is an essential prerequisite for any sports organization looking to lobby for inclusion in the Olympics.
The partnership with A1 means that any athletes looking to get a taste of what might someday be an Olympic sport should look to the A1 adventure racing series for a primer.
![Adventure-Racing-USARA-Nationals Adventure racing in the 2021 USARA National Championship event, in the Cable, Wisconsin, area, September 2021](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2021/10/Adventure-Racing-USARA-Nationals.jpg)