WHAT IS GOALS ARA?

GOALS (Gibbons Outdoor Adventure Leadership School) Adventure Racing Association is a non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to adventure racing. We have been in existence since 2003.

We provide a service to the greater outdoor and adventure racing communities with events designed to help people function better in almost any outdoors situation.

We offer outdoor experiential education, clinics, environmental responsibility awareness, work-outs, group team building sessions, and adventure races for all levels of participants.

We take every opportunity to improve ourselves, our teams, and the world around us.

Adventure racing is one of the fastest growing sports in the country. It takes many other sports to a new level. By including teams into multi-sport athletic competition, adventure racing sets itself apart. But it is that difference that is also the appeal. The challenge of making decisions and using technical skills along with the physical endurance events is what adventure racers find so rewarding.

The typical adventure race, if there is such a thing, involves wheels, feet, and oars. The course is usually unmarked except at the checkpoints. Teams are given maps, coordinates, and clues in order to locate checkpoints and move through the course. Transition areas are used to change from one phase of the race to another. Races can be won or lost in the transitions. Every aspect of the race must be practiced by the individual racers and teams. Training is a year-round activity, there is no off-season.

Races can be categorized into three main types. The Sprint Race can last from 3-6 hours and cover ~20 miles. Team challenges such as obstacle courses and low crawl mud pits are often seen at these events. The Adventure Race ranges from 8-24 hours. Here you will often see the inclusion of ropes events. Rappelling, ascending, and traversing add a rush of excitement. These races can cover 50-100 miles. The Expedition Race extends beyond 24 hours and can last weeks. Expedition races involve support crews who are responsible for preparing gear for the next leg of the race and keeping the team going.

Adventure racing is as much a testament to the human spirit as it is an athletic event. The drive to keep going once you’ve reached the point of exhaustion and to set aside your personal discomforts for the sake of the team is what keeps racers coming back. The motivation and inspiration does not always come from the captain of the team. Completing the race and still being friends is the goal that every team strived for. Team dynamics and communication can either carry a team or destroy a team. Staying positive and staying focused is learned behavior that comes over time.

Adventure racers also look out for each other while training and while racing. Competition stops as soon as a team is in distress. Teams will offer each other help when they come across a disabled team. Whether it’s giving up a spare tire inner tube or helping a team out of a ditch. The spirit of adventure racing is that you don’t take advantage of someone’s misfortune. If they make a navigation error the story is different. But everyone looks out for each other.