The mountains, midges, and lochs of Scotland are putting racers to the test at ITERA and ITERA-Lite. In this Flash Episode, Race Director Paul McGreal joins The Dark Zone to share not just the leaderboard highlights, but the many stories from the trail — teams helping each other through brutal weather, challenging stages, in-race competitions, and gritty comebacks after early setbacks. From the sharp end of the race to the determined mid and back of the pack teams, this update captures the iconic ITERA.

Thank you for listening. If you like what you hear, please like, click, and subscribe on your streaming platform of choice. This helps spread the word about Adventure Racing and TDZ's role in elevating the sport.

Remember - You Keep Racing, and We'll Keep Talking!

Shownotes:

ARWS Page: https://arworldseries.com/races/itera-2025-scotland

Tracking Page ITERA - https://live.durtyevents.com/itera2025/

Tracking Page ITERA-Lite -https://live.durtyevents.com/iteralite2025/

Course Reveal Part 1 - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-course-reveal-podcast/id1830676195?i=1000721371672

Course Reveal Part 2 - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-course-reveal-podcast/id1830676195?i=1000721654274

Welcome to The Dark Zone: An Adventure Racing Podcast. Today’s episode takes us north to the wild, water-rich terrain of Finland, where host Brian Gatens is joined by Lauri Hollo —longtime racer, passionate advocate for the sport, and Technical Director for the 2025 Endurance Quest Saimaa, the European Adventure Racing Championship.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Lauri reflects on his path into adventure racing, what kept him coming back for more, and how the Finnish AR community has grown over time. Whether you’re new to the sport or a seasoned expedition racer, this episode is a great look at how personal passion evolves into professional leadership in the AR world.

Thank you for listening. If you like what you hear, please like, click, and subscribe on your streaming platform of choice. This helps spread the word about Adventure Racing and TDZ's role in elevating the sport.

Remember - You Keep Racing, and We'll Keep Talking!

Shownotes:

All Race Media: https://www.adventureracinginsider.com/tld2025

ARWS Page: https://arworldseries.com/races/endurance-quest-saimaa-europe-championship-2025-finland

Race Website: https://www.endurancequest.org/raceinfo

Tracking Page: https://live.enabledtracking.com/tld2025/

Sponsor Links:

American Himalayan Foundation - https://www.himalayan-foundation.org/

Today’s episode is a special one — it’s a course reveal for the 2025 Wilderness Traverse, the iconic Canadian adventure race and this year's ARWS North American championship. This event has long been a staple in the North American adventure racing calendar, known for its challenging terrain, demanding navigation, and classic Canadian spirit.

Joining the show are Event Director Bob Miller and Race Coverage Lead Wayne Leek. Together, they pull back the curtain on this year’s course, offering a preview of what lies ahead — strategic route choices, paddle lengths and portages, and the sweet spot between challenge and fun. Whether you’re a veteran racer or a first-time TDZ listener, this conversation serves as a solid introduction to the course, the terrain, and what is in store for the racers.

Let’s get into it.

Thank you for listening. If you like what you hear, please like, click, and subscribe on your streaming platform of choice. This helps spread the word about Adventure Racing and TDZ's role in elevating the sport.

Remember - You Keep Racing, and We'll Keep Talking!

Shownotes:

Main Page: https://www.wildernesstraverse.com/

Live Coverage page: https://www.wildernesstraverse.com/2025wtcoverage

Direct tracking page: https://live.enabledtracking.com/traverse2025/

Sponsor Links:

American Himalayan Foundation - https://www.himalayan-foundation.org/

In this episode of The Dark Zone: An Adventure Racing Podcast, we welcome Ashley Cheney and Greg Schmidt of Team NYARA/Trek or Treat, a pairing whose journey through adventure racing has been marked by determination, resilience, and a deep commitment to helping each other. Their story isn’t just about racing—it’s about the intentional work of building a strong partnership, pushing personal limits, and finding meaning in the challenges of adventure racing.

Their conversation is a thoughtful exploration of what it means to build trust on the course, navigate setbacks with resilience, and grow through shared experience. Whether you’re an experienced racer or just adventure racing-curious, you’ll find inspiration in how these two approach the sport—and each other—with honesty, optimism, and a healthy dose of fun.

Trek or Treat, indeed.

Thank you for listening. If you like what you hear, please like, click, and subscribe on your streaming platform of choice. This helps spread the word about Adventure Racing and TDZ's role in elevating the sport.

Remember - You Keep Racing, and We'll Keep Talking!

Shownotes:

NYARA - www.nyara.org

Sponsor Links:

American Himalayan Foundation - https://www.himalayan-foundation.org/

In this episode, we speak with the new leadership team behind Expedition Africa as they carry forward the legacy of one of the world’s most iconic expedition races.

With roots in Heidi and Stephan Muller’s multi-year stewardship, Expedition Africa is turning the page while honoring its past. The new team brings decades of racing experience and a deep love for the sport to their new roles, and they’re already hard at work preparing for the March 2026 race in South Africa’s breathtaking Drakensberg Mountains.

Expect 500 kilometers of true expedition racing—technical trekking, rugged biking, paddle sections, ropework, and soul-stirring scenery. In this conversation, the new team shares their vision, the updates racers can expect, and how they plan to keep the spirit of Expedition Africa burning bright.

Pack your bags and cue the intro music—this is The Dark Zone.

Thank you for listening. If you like what you hear, please like, click, and subscribe on your streaming platform of choice. This helps spread the word about Adventure Racing and TDZ's role in elevating the sport.

Remember - You Keep Racing, and We'll Keep Talking!

Shownotes:

Expedition Africa - https://expafrica.net/

Video - https://youtu.be/YYK_6OmtKYw?si=7gDULTZPJYSMFhO-

Sponsor Links:

American Himalayan Foundation - https://www.himalayan-foundation.org/

Adventure reporter Jim Clash of Forbes Magazine joins The Dark Zone: An Adventure Racing Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation that explores the intersection of storytelling and high-stakes adventure. With a passport stamped from the South Pole to spaceflight training grounds, Jim has chronicled the lives and pursuits of the world’s boldest adventurers—and taken on quite a few daring feats himself. In this episode, he shares how curiosity, preparation, and a nose for a good story have led him to interview legends like Buzz Aldrin, Chuck Yeager, and Sir Edmund Hillary, and what it means to carry their stories forward.

We dig into Jim’s adventures, his take on the psychology of risk, and how adventure reporting has evolved in the age of social media and instant access. Whether you're a racer, a reader, or just someone hungry for great stories, Jim’s reflections will inspire you to chase your dreams, and maybe even pick up a pen along the way.

Thank you for listening. If you like what you hear, please like, click, and subscribe on your streaming platform of choice. This helps spread the word about Adventure Racing and TDZ's role in elevating the sport.

Remember - You Keep Racing, and We'll Keep Talking!

Shownotes:

Jim Clash - https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimclash/

Risky Business Podcast - https://www.clashandtoro.com/

The Explorer's Club - https://www.explorers.org/

Sponsor Links:

American Himalayan Foundation - https://www.himalayan-foundation.org/

In this freewheeling and reflective wrap-up to the 2025 Endless Mountains Adventure Race, TDZ hands the mic to Zoe Freedland and Mary Foster for an end-of-race coda soon after the final team crosses the line. As racers catch their breath and stories settle into memory, dedicated volunteers Zoe and Mary capture the emotion, exhaustion, and triumph that define The Endless Mountains Adventure Race. It’s a fitting close to an unforgettable week in Vermont.

Thank you for listening. If you like what you hear, please like, click, and subscribe on your streaming platform of choice. This helps spread the word about Adventure Racing and TDZ's role in elevating the sport.

Remember - You Keep Racing, and We'll Keep Talking!

Shownotes:

What the Heck is Adventure Racing W/Alyssa Godesky - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-heck-is-adventure-racing-with-alyssa-godesky/id1265466545?i=1000713772295

Endless Mountains Adventure Race - www.endlessmountainsar.com

EMAR Live Tracking Link - https://live.enabledtracking.com/endlessmountains2025/

Rootstock Racing Facebook Page - http://www.facebook.com/rootstockracing

Rootstock Racing Instagram Page - http://www.instagram.com/rootstockracing

Rootstock Racing - www.rootstockracing.com

Welcome to The Dark Zone: An Adventure Racing Podcast, and this special Flash Episode from the 2025 Endless Mountains Adventure Race.

Abby Perkiss joins us with a timely update from deep inside the race experience. From the pointy end of the field, the surging pack, weather and course challenges, and how all the teams are managing this handful of a race, Abby gives us the lay of the land as the event unfolds in real time.

Alongside her is EMAR racer and USARA Executive Director Michael Garrison, fresh off the course and full of hard-earned insight. He shares what it’s like out there—navigation challenges, team dynamics, and the mental game required to push through a tough course.

It’s a quick check-in, but one packed with perspective and experience. Let’s get into it.

Thank you for listening. If you like what you hear, please like, click, and subscribe on your streaming platform of choice. This helps spread the word about Adventure Racing and TDZ's role in elevating the sport.

Remember - You Keep Racing, and We'll Keep Talking!

Shownotes:

What the Heck is Adventure Racing W/Alyssa Godesky - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-heck-is-adventure-racing-with-alyssa-godesky/id1265466545?i=1000713772295

Endless Mountains Adventure Race - www.endlessmountainsar.com

EMAR Live Tracking Link - https://live.enabledtracking.com/endlessmountains2025/

Rootstock Racing Facebook Page - http://www.facebook.com/rootstockracing

Rootstock Racing Instagram Page - http://www.instagram.com/rootstockracing

Rootstock Racing - www.rootstockracing.com

Welcome to The Dark Zone: An Adventure Racing Podcast.

In this special Voices of the Racers episode, we bring you directly into Transition Area 1, where we spent an entire day capturing the thoughts, experiences, and enthusiasm of every team during their 5-minute media timeout. What follows is unfiltered, on-the-ground audio: the sounds of rain, barking dogs, cheering children, and the ever-present wind. It’s real, raw, and as close as you’ll get to the race without a map and compass. Audio quality may vary, and if your voice, or someone you love, didn’t make the final cut, please accept our apologies. This is podcast recording at its most challenging.

Thank you for listening. If you like what you hear, please like, click, and subscribe on your streaming platform of choice. This helps spread the word about Adventure Racing and TDZ's role in elevating the sport.

Remember - You Keep Racing, and We'll Keep Talking!

Shownotes:

Endless Mountains Adventure Race - www.endlessmountainsar.com

EMAR Live Tracking Link - https://live.enabledtracking.com/endlessmountains2025/

Rootstock Racing Facebook Page - http://www.facebook.com/rootstockracing

Rootstock Racing Instagram Page - http://www.instagram.com/rootstockracing

Rootstock Racing - www.rootstockracing.com

Welcome to The Dark Zone: An Adventure Racing Podcast. Today’s episode marks a special moment on the AR calendar: the official course reveal for the 2025 Endless Mountains Adventure Race presented by Rootstock Racing.

For the first time, Endless Mountains heads north to Vermont, where over seven days, teams will face a demanding and beautifully crafted expedition-length course through the region’s rugged forests, bike trails, and beautiful waterways. Over the next hour, we’ll walk through the full course—section by section—with race directors Abby Perkiss and Brent Freedland. No vague hints. No redacted routes. This is the complete, unfiltered breakdown designed for the AR fans, racers, and dotwatchers.

Let’s dive into the 2025 Endless Mountains Adventure Race.

Thank you for listening. If you like what you hear, please like, click, and subscribe on your streaming platform of choice. This helps spread the word about Adventure Racing and TDZ's role in elevating the sport.

Remember - You Keep Racing, and We'll Keep Talking!

Shownotes:

Endless Mountains Adventure Race - www.endlessmountainsar.com

EMAR Live Tracking Link - https://live.enabledtracking.com/endlessmountains2025/

Rootstock Racing Facebook Page - http://www.facebook.com/rootstockracing

Rootstock Racing Instagram Page - http://www.instagram.com/rootstockracing

Rootstock Racing - www.rootstockracing.com

Sponsor Links:

American Himalayan Foundation - https://www.himalayan-foundation.org/