Worlds results are in + Spring Equinox is now open

Oct 10

3 min read

Updated: 3 days ago

Rocky Mountain Adventure Racing

RMAR TRAIL NOTES

October 2026 Edition Your (almost) Monthly Adventure Update

October is my favourite kind of month. The racing world just crowned its champions, and our own season is just heating up.

THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP HAS ITS CHAMPIONS

What a week in Corsica. After more than 125 hours of non-stop racing over 500 kilometres of mountains, coastline, and some truly brutal navigation, Estonia ACE / La Sportiva are the 2026 Adventure Racing World Champions. Ninth trip to the Worlds, twice runners-up before, and they finally got it done by catching world number one 400team Altore on the final night after a costly French navigation error in the dark. Your top ten: 1st Estonian ACE / La Sportiva, 2nd 400team Altore, equal 3rd Tactical Foodpack and Luberon MUC (they sprint-finished side by side in their packrafts and agreed to share the podium), 5th Team Subaru Expedition Canada as the first team from outside Europe to finish, 7th Bend Racing / 4 Hour Fuel, and French teams rounding out the rest. Two Canadian teams inside the top ten at a World Championship, with more Canadians grinding through the field behind them. That is something to be proud of. I wrote up what the Worlds teaches the rest of us over on the blog. The short version: the team that navigates cleanest when exhausted wins. Every single time.

Photo: Cody Shimizu, Arctic Fox Winter AR 2026

SPRING EQUINOX 2027 REGISTRATION IS OPEN

Our winter triathlon is back at the Canmore Nordic Centre on March 20, 2027, and registration is open right now. Run, fat bike, ski, all in the snow, all in one day. We opened five days early on October 10th because last year's racers told us they were already circling the date. Here is what you are signing up for: a proper winter course at one of the best Nordic venues on the planet, a challenge that is tough without being scary, and a finish line that feels more like a festival than a race. Come solo or bring a relay team. First-timers are absolutely welcome, and most of our racers started exactly where you are now. Early-bird pricing runs through November 1st. If you have ever been curious about racing, this is the year to try it.

Tips: Fuel Early. Hydrate Consistently.

As the trail gets steeper and the miles begin to add up, it’s easy to get caught up in the climb and forget to eat or drink. But by the time you feel yourself bonking, your energy may already be running low. Instead, make fueling part of the journey. Snack every 30–60 minutes, choosing easy-to-carry foods like trail mix, energy bars, or dried fruit to keep your body moving when the going gets tough.

Hydration is just as important. In the mountains, dry air, increased breathing, and physical exertion can all contribute to fluid loss, even when you don’t feel particularly thirsty. Sip water regularly throughout the day, and consider electrolytes on longer, strenuous hikes to replace sodium lost through sweat.

The lesson? Don’t wait for your body to tell you it’s running on empty. Fuel early, hydrate consistently, and give yourself the energy to keep pushing toward the summit and enjoy the journey back down.

I will be honest: this is the part of the year I live for. The big international season wraps up, the air turns cold, and we get back to doing what we love most, which is putting on races. There is nothing quite like standing at a start line in March, watching nervous first-timers bounce on their toes in the snow, knowing that by the afternoon they will have a story they will tell for years.

Relentless 24 this summer reminded me exactly why we do this. Now Spring Equinox registration is open, the snow is coming, and we are just getting started.

Thank you for being part of this community. It is the best one I know.

See you out there,

~Chris