Racers in town for Xstream finale

The Adventure Xstream Series makes its final stop of 2014 this weekend in Moab, where athletes will try to conquer the rugged terrain of Moab using several different means of transportation to finish the 100-mile-plus course.

There are six different divisions for the race, which will take most participants 24 to 30 hours to complete: solo male, solo female, two-person coed, two-person male, two-person female and four-person relay. In the solo and two-person divisions, each competitor will be on the course the entire time, while in the four-person relay, two members of the relay team will be on the course for each leg of the race.

“Most racers just want to finish,” AXS Racing’s Jenny Newcomer said. “There are a few very fast/competitive teams racing, but more racers are weekend warriors and are simply hoping to complete the entire course.”

Racers will travel an unmarked course by plotting the checkpoint locations using Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates and maps provided. The race includes more than 60 miles of mountain-biking, 15 miles of running and 15 miles of kayaking, as well as canyoneering, navigation and a 250-foot rappel.

The race will have six legs: a 10-to-12-mile flatwater kayaking leg; a 12-to-18-mile mountain bike/trek/rappel leg; a 15-to-20-mile mountain bike/trek leg; a 15-to-20-mile kayak/trek leg; a 5-to-8-mile run, skate or kickbike leg; and a 35-to-40-mile mountain bike leg.

“This is a mental and physical multi-sport endurance challenge,” according to axsracing.com.

The exact course and order of legs in the race will not be disclosed to racers until check-in, which is Friday, Oct. 3 from 7 to 10 p.m., at Aarchway Inn. The race begins Saturday, Oct. 4 at 9 a.m., with a gear drop to take place an hour prior. Awards and dinner will follow the conclusion of the race on Sunday, Oct. 5 from 3 to 4 p.m.

“Moab is everyone’s favorite course,” Newcomer said. “The course options are beautiful and abundant; the river always has water in it and there are numerous rappelling & ropes course options. The Fall Finale race is twice as long & hard as the spring course. The spring race is 50 miles and most racers finish in about 8 hours. This course’s top racers will take 18-24 hours and most racers will finish around 24-30 hours. It’s navigationally more challenging than the spring race.”

Winners in each division will receive cash prizes or vouchers for future Adventure Xstream series races. As of Thursday, Sept. 25, there were 11 two-person coed teams registered, 18 two-person male teams, five solo females, 13 solo males and two four-person relays. The registration deadline for race participants was on Tuesday, Sept. 30.

Fifteen of the finale race’s participants will be vying for the VitruviAXS Challenge medal, based on Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, “the man of perfect proportions,” which is awarded to competitors who complete the full course in three or more 12-hour races in one season, earning the title of “adventurer of perfect proportions.” The medal has already been awarded to seven racers this season who competed in each of the first three 12-hour races, which were in Moab on April 5, Buena Vista, Colo., on May 31 and Glenwood Springs, Colo., on Sept. 6.

Moab is everyone’s favorite course. The course options are beautiful and abundant; the river always has water in it and there are numerous rappelling & ropes course options.

Competitors’ endurance tested in over 100 miles of adventure sports.

What: Adventure Xstream Series Moab Finale

When: Racer check-in Friday, Oct. 3, 7 to 10 p.m., Aarchway Inn, 1551 N. Highway 191

Gear drop Saturday, Oct. 4, 7 to 8 a.m., race begins at 9 a.m.

Where: Race course to be disclosed to racers at check-in