Santiago
Lopez Iturralde
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: Ecuador
He has been an outdoor enthusiast his entire life. While exploring Ecuador he found his passion in nature, sports and adventure. He created the company Proyecto Aventura in 2003 at the same time that he carried out the first adventure race in Ecuador (Huairasinchi). He has developed this association together with his partner and friend Rodolfo Peralta, with whom he organizes an average of 10 adventure competitions per year. Huairasinchi is the most renowned race in the company and was selected to organize the world adventure championship in 2014 and 2024. Proyecto Aventura focuses on motivating people to change their lives with sports and to respect nature.
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Experience:As an athlete:
Amateur competitor of cycling, trail running and adventure races since 2003 where the following international participations stand out:Adrian
Crane
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: USA
Active in Adventure Racing since 1995 and before that in several events, such as the Alaska Mountain and Wilderness Classic, that were the pre-cursor of Adventure Racing. Competed in every Eco-Challenge expedition Race and four Raid Gaulloises expedition races plus many other adventure races.
He was primarily a mountaineer and ultra runner in 1995 when Eco Challenge arrived. Had experience with many multi-day mountaineering trips and many 24 hour or longer ultra-running events which gave him a great base to undertake adventure racing. In those early days his orienteering and navigation skills were a great advantage and even though his cycling and water skills were merely proficient, It appeared he had better preparation for early adventure races than most of the competitors. His teams did well until others caught up with the skills and training to excel in AR.
He organised events as Gold Rush Adventure Racing from 1999 to 2018.
Refereed from 2017 to 2023 as ARWS Head Referee including five AR World Championships.
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Snapshot of AR Journey:
Hanno
Smit
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: South Africa
Hanno, a timber farmer from the Southern Cape of South Africa, also known as “Smelly”, has been involved in AR since 2005.
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Hailing from a triathlon background and later paddling, with surfski fishing contributing to the bulk of his training until a Great White put an end to that. Hanno has participated in races around the world, completing multiple World Championship races, first as part of the McCain Adventure Addicts and then later the Merrell Adventure Addicts.
He has also participated in many shorter races worldwide and now looks forward to continuing this sport with his son, Daniel. An avid fisherman with an unsatiable love for the outdoors, big mountains, and anything wild and untamed.
Nicola
MacLeod
Year: 2023
Gender: Female
Country: UK
Nicola found the UK Adventure Racing scene in the 1990s and first raced internationally at the NZ Southern Traverse in 2000. Her first AR World Championship was in New found land in 2004 and her UK team became AR World Champions in Portugal in 2009.
With around 30 expedition-length races behind her, she’s won a third of them including ARWS and, a personal favorite, the Patagonian Expedition Race.
Alongside work and parenting, she enjoys various kayak, mountain, and water disciplines to hone AR skills and endurance! She’s stood on the podium at Ironman and UTMB and is the proud owner of European and national long-distance MTB shirts …which are now a bit tight!
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John
Collins
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: South Africa
My father’s profession as a prospecting geologist exposed me to map reading at an early age, which proved to be most valuable for my future. This coupled with my school’s outdoor pursuits program laid down the foundation for Adventure.
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I enjoyed school long distance athletics setting a few records that still stand today. In 1997, I began the Adventure Racing journey with a breakthrough race 1998 called the Camel Trophy. In 1999, we focused on the traditional form of adventure racing, which was still new in South Africa. We won most of the local races over the past two decades, except for a few parenting years. An accident in 2010 damaged my hip so much that I was not able to run for three years. It still affects me to this day.
I've participated in numerous ARWC events for which I would like to thank all my teammates and sponsors. My brother once said “If I were allowed to take 10 days to heaven, most of them would come from adventure racing”.
It’s been amazing!
Besides personal participation, I would like to introduce more people to this sport and hopefully race with my children who I hope with give them the self-actualization that I’ve had from it
Sebastien
Raichon
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: France
Adventure racing at the international level since 2009. Have had 14 podiums in ARWS races including six victories (4 x Raid in France) and finished 4 times in the top 5 of the ARWC with a 3rd place in 2018 and 9 participations at the ARWC.
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On a personal level, a good track record in ultra trail running with 2 victories in the 450km Tor des Glaciers with the record to boot. He is also the first finisher of the French Barkley and has the record for crossing the Alps in France (630km in 150h).
He is also the Race Director of the Raid des Dentelles, 2023 European round of the Regional European championship series
Jaroslav
KRAJNIK
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: Czech Republic
I started with Adventure Racing in 2008. I am the team captain of the BLACK HILL team from the Czech Republic.
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My first experience with the Adventure racing World Championships was from year 2009 in Portugal. Our team finished 13 positions that time.
Since 2009 I participated in each ARWC, in 2023 it was 13 x Adventure Racing World Championships in line.
Our best position on ARWC was 4th position on REUNION 2018.
We finished two times in 5th position in Paraguai 2022 and Spain 2021.
We finished in the World Series race in Croatia in 2023 on 3rd position.
Sandrine
Beranger
Year: 2023
Gender: Female
Country: France
Started competition in 2005 and her first long format Adventure Race was in 2007 with first edition of Raid in France. Has been racing with 400 Team at the international level since 2009. Has completed 12 ARWS with 9 podiums including 4 victories (3 x Raid in France). Has finished 8 ARWC with a third place in 2018 in La Réunion (Raid in France)
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Cyril
Margaritis
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: France
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Mikael
Lindnord
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: Sweden
Mikael Lindnord career as Adventure Racer started 1997 and spending almost over 2 decades before he retired 2015. He was team captain for team Peak Performance and was the first team from Sweden to win a international ARWS event (Costa Rica 2010).
Besides racing, Mikael was race director for ARWS/ Explore Sweden and ARWC 2006 in Sweden and Norway.
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Everything changed when he gave some meatballs to a stray dog during the World Championships in 2014 in Ecuador. The stray dog followed Mikael and the team the rest of the race and became ARTHUR with the world. The ESPN documentary about Arthur got two EMMY Award nominations. Mikael is a Best-seller Author in 23 counties with: Arthur - the dog who crossed the jungle to find a home.
Honor Award in Quito and Guayaquil in Ecuador for his achievements and honored with the key to the city of his home town; Örnsköldsvik/ Sweden.
His story is now a Lionsgate movie production: ARTHUR THE KING, where Mikael is portrayed by Mark Wahlberg.
Mari
Chandler
Year: 2023
Gender: Female
Country: USA
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Clinton
Mackintosh
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: South Africa
21 Years of Adventure racing, multiple domestic (South Africa) wins Multiple top 10 International finishes including victory Paraguay ARWS 2017
112 Adventure Races Domestic & International
17 ARWS Qualifiers
8 ARWC
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Team Captain of one of the oldest Adventure Racing teams in the world, Team Cyanosis founded in 2002 has been racing locally and internationally since 2002 with Southern Traverse New Zealand being the teams first AR World Champs in 2005. Selected to race Eco Challenge in 2019 Clinton guided the only SA team in the field to a very respectful 12th after primary navigator Nicholas Mulder contracted a very serious foot infection limiting the teams progress drastically.
Captain of the highly successful & world-renowned Cyanosis Adventure Racing Team. Clinton Mackintosh is regarded as one of South Africa’s toughest and most successful multisport athletes. With 8 AR World Championships under his belt he has successfully guided Cyanosis Adventure Racing Team to a 6th spot in the AR World Rankings and has continued to represent South Africa’s Cyanosis AR Team in the Adventure Racing World Series (ARWS) around the world for over 21 years with no signs of letting up.
Nathan
Fa’avae
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: New Zealand
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Donovan
Sims
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: South Africa
I started racing in 2003 and been hooked ever since.
Raced my first 500km race in 2005 and that is where my love for the expedition-style racing began.
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I have raced over 20 expedition races all around the world and 5 world championships. I am proud to have raced ALL 11 Expedition Africa races, having won 3 of them and placing 2nd once.
My most memorable race was Expedition Africa in Swaziland, where we had a sprint finish against the team from Estonia to win. This was a true victory for me on so many levels as this race took place in May 2015, which only gave me 7 months to prepare after my last chemotherapy in October 2014.
In 2017 I mentored my first of 3 expedition races and found it to be extremely rewarding.
It was humbling to see the satisfaction of the novices crossing the finish line, having endured and overcome the hardships of the course.
Chris
Forne
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: New Zealand
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Nicholas
Mulder
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: South Africa
Nicholas has been adventure racing since 2002 and was a founder member of Team Cyanosis in 2004, making it one of the oldest teams still competing in the world.
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He is the team navigator, and during this time has competed in 25 international level expedition length races with the team. The team has always been at the front of the field in Adventure Racing in South Africa and internationally, having attended their first ARWC in New Zealand in 2005.
Their performances include a win at the ARWS Expedicion Guaranay in Paraguay in 2017, giving them their highest world ranking of #6 shortly thereafter. Nicholas has also excelled in other sports where map work is required, representing South Africa at 15 World Orienteering Championships. He has also twice finished in second place at the World Rogaining Championships.
Shelly
Hufner
Year: 2023
Gender: Female
Country: South Africa
A mom of two Alexander (4yrs) and Alissia Hufner (8yrs old). She remember watching the Eco challenge when she was younger and loved it. Then started rock climbing and met her husband Alard Hufner and together they climbed “The hand of Fatima” in Mali, the Towers in Torres del Paine Patagonia, Trango Tower in Pakistan, West face of Mt Mulange in Malawi and many more. Her love for adventure started.
She got into trail running because she loved being out in nature and the challenges it brings. She only started MTB when she did her first adventure race hosted by Red Ants rumble with Piers, who introduced her to this amazing sport in 2012. From then on she was hooked. Doing many Expedition Africa events, including Expedition Africa World Series 2023. she has also done a few European AR races and Godzone in NZ. She love this sport because it’s about working together as a team and she has been so fortunate to have raced with many strong AR athletes/friends, whom have been instrumental in getting her through these epic AR events.
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Stuart
Lynch
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: New Zealand
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Antonio
de la Rosa Suarez
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: Spain
Antonio de la Rosa has been participating in adventure raids since 1996, where he participated in the Raid Verde de Canaria and a year later the Ecochallenge of Australia 1997.
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He has been a competitive Kayaker in his youth, a Rurby player, a triathlete, and several times champion in international Quadratlon events.
Professional adventure racer as captain of the international Red Bull team from 1997 to 2008.
In 1998 he came third in the Ecochallenge of Morocco and a year later, along with Emma Roca and the Torres brothers 2nd in Ecochallenge of Argentina.
For many years he has been part of one of the most competitive teams on the international scene and has several victories in Salomon circuit, Desafio de los volcanes, 7 cerros medellin, etc..
As last great victory was the winner of the ARWSeries Portugal 2008. He is still involved in the participation of races and with the same enthusiasm to complete them today. He has been one of the most valued organizers of the world scene, with more than 60 events of all kinds. He has organized 9 ARWSeries, 6 in Spain and 3 in Costa Rica and 2 ARworld championships, Bimbache extrem spain 2010 and AR Costa Rica 2013.
His new project is to organize again an ARWseries in Morocco 2025 and in the next years another ARWchampionship.
Jon Ander
Arambalza
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: Spain
Born in Bilbao (Basque Country) and educated in sports and mountains. Mountain guide degree made me discover adventure racing in 1999, motivating me with my first race in the French Pyrenees with the Salomon Xtrem World Cup.
I have currently been living in Mallorca for more than 20 years dedicating myself to Outdoor sports, coaching and personal training. With over 40 expedition races of experience, 12 ARWS victories and 3 second places at world championships give me the experience to merge my work with my passion!
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Some of the notable achievements are:
John
Karlsson
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: Sweden
John Karlsson's started Adventure Racing 2000 and are team captain for team SAFAT since 2014.
John is active officer in Swedish Armed Forces and are former Special forces operator.
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John is known as one of the most experienced competitors in the field, with two world titles under his belt, and a history of competing at the highest level since 2006.
After the finish in South Africa when he collected his second gold, he gave a clear message.
“To all the kids and young people out there, if you want something bad enough and are willing to do whatever it takes to get there, no dream is too big, no bar it to high, only you set the limit. I'm a living example of that. Never let anyone take your dreams away from you!”
Masato
Tanaka
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: Japan
Masato has been racing since 1994. He led Team EAST WIND as a captain until 2021. Even after handing over captain to youth in 2022, he continues to race as one of the team members. While participating in races, he is also planning, managing, and training domestic events, the development of youth, and the promotion of outdoor sports in Japan.
In addition, he gives lectures on the theme “Everything humans can learn is found in nature.”
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Races he has been part of:James
Galipeau
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: Canada
James didn’t start doing outdoor endurance sports (mountain biking, paddling, hiking, trail running) until 2001 at the age of 26. He started adventure racing in 2005 and has raced with a number of high-level teams from Canada and the USA.
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Graham
Bird
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: South Africa
Graham’s passion for the outdoors was ignited at an early age when he spend most of his teenage weekends outside with the Florida Lake Sea Scouts, where he learnt the value of teamwork, commitment and loyalty.
Adventure Races competed in:
- 8 x AR World Champs
- 13 x AR World Series races
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A successful Canoeing career throughout the 90’s and early 00’s where he became one of SA’s most decorated paddlers - winning 28 South African titles and representing the country 13 times, achieving numerous top-five finishes at World Canoeing Championships and World Cup events.
As his competitive paddling wound down, he took up the sport of Adventuring Racing and successfully led the Merrell Adventure Addicts as they became one of South Africa’s top teams, regularly competing on the World stage in the Adventure Racing World Series. A veteran of 27 Expedition length Adventure Races, Graham is South Africa’s most experienced racer and only gets stronger over a long race, emphasizing strategy over speed.
With his love of the outdoors and the experiences he gained as a competitive
sportsman, Graham took up event organising with the primary goal of getting ordinary people outside and pushing their comfort zones, be it someone doing their first 5km trail run or a person doing a multi-day non-stop adventure race.
Respected in the sporting world for his unwavering ethics, he seeks excellence in everything but above all honour amongst competitors.
Urtzi
Iglesias
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: Paraguay
Adventure racer since 2000, he has more than 20 qualifying races and 10 world championships completed and more than 10 ARWS victories.
With a degree in Basque Philology and a Diploma in Early Childhood Education, he has been organizing sporting events and designing adventure and trail running races for more than 10 years.
He has been 3 times Spanish MTB orienteering champion and is the navigator of Team Vidaraid.
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Tatum
Prins
Year: 2023
Gender: Female
Country: South Africa
My story with AR began in 2003. I first heard about AR when I was doing a rafting course in Colorado, and I decided then and there I had to go back home and do it. This was most definitely a life-changing moment for me, and I often wonder how my life would differ had I not made this decision.
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Joined a rookie team, "Team Tension Structures" later "Team McCain" long-lasting team, Team Merrell.
We raced many adventure races together, many local expedition AR’s, trail runs, mountain bike races and paddling races. We rode our bikes across South Africa, ran a 400km nonstop trail run and supped the Breede River from source to sea. To name but a few. Adventure became a way of life.
In 2013 I fell pregnant with my first son and changed tack to SUP racing, which soon led me to Holland for a 240km nonstop race, but it wasn’t long, and I realized I needed to go back to adventure racing. I rejoined Team Merrell and we set our sights and hopes on the 2016 World Champs in Australia. Unfortunately, my derailer broke early in the race and with that a lot of disappointment. This was another turning point for me as I realized it was time to focus on my family.
At this point, our boys were aged 1 and 3 years and I made a pact with myself and them that I would only do one big event a year. I absolutely love showing my boys how to live life to the fullest, go on adventures and in general how to appreciate and love the outdoors. If after all these years I can pass on some of my passion to them I am happy. We never know what the future holds but I do know I will always be looking for the next adventure, whether it’s an expedition race or a long family adventure.Thank you again to my past teammates and sponsors for all that you did for me.
Tom
Gibbs
Year: 2023
Gender: Male
Country: UK
Tom started adventure racing back in 1996 when it was a "new" thing and was inspired by watching grown men cry on TV at Eco-Challenge. He completed his first expedition race in 1999 at Eco-Challenge Argentina without crying (a record he has not maintained since).
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Over the last 25 years he has competed around the globe doing nearly 200 adventure races, including 35 expedition and multi-day stage races. 11 of those were world championships including the first Adventure Racing World Championships in Switzerland in 2001.
One of the UK's most successful AR athletes, Tom is known for his strategic thinking and navigation which has helped him to over 100 race wins. The 2009 World Championships in Portugal being the pinnacle, where he was part of the only British team (at time of writing) to win the world championships and was also filmed on TV crying at the finish along with some of his teammates.
In addition he has won the European Championships in Turkey 2014 and has been national champion multiple times in AR and other disciplines.
He has since branched out into course planning and has planned 4 ITERA expedition races where he is on a mission to plan the best expedition course ever. He hopes the ITERA race will help bring new people into AR and help grow the sport in the future.
He hasn't hung up his racing shoes yet and still looks forward eating lots of food whilst competing in interesting events around the world.
Malin
Hjalmarsson
Year: 2023
Gender: Female
Country: Sweden
Made her first competition in 2004 in Sweden and her first ARWC in 2012.
Has been racing with Swedish Armed Force since the team was formed in 2014.
Have completed 9 ARWC and over 25 ARWS.
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The best achievements are:As well as 7 wins in the ARWS Qualifier Races
400 team
Year: 2023
Gender:
Country: France
Team from FranceThe 400 team, has been on the circuit since 2009 with more than 30 participations in ARWS world circuit races.
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Avaya
(formerly Seagate)
Year: 2023
Gender:
Country: New Zealand
Team from New Zealand
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Vidaraid
Year: 2023
Gender:
Country: Spain
15 years competing internationally, Team Vidaraid has achieved more than 10 victories in ARWS races around the world (Colombia, Brazil, Paraguay, Ecuador, USA, Costa Rica, Japan...) and 3 runners-up finishes in the world championships (Costa Rica, Ecuador, South Africa)
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Nick
Gracie
Year: 2022
Gender: M
Country: UK
56 Expedition Races
15 x Adventure Racing World Championships:
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21 x Adventure Racing World Series Qualifiers & Regional Championships:
Ruben
Mandure
Year: 2022
Gender: M
Country: Uruguay
Physical education teacher, professional lifeguard, science fiction writer and adventure racer.
Ruben is a former professional soccer player, and represented Uruguay in triathlon. Since 2000, he has dedicated himself to expedition and adventure racing, starting with the ELF Aquitaine 2000 (in Ceará, Brazil) and the Eco Challenge editions in Borneo (2000) and New Zealand (2021).
From there, he has been a prolific racer, competing at more than 20 ARWS races and achieving his first Qualifier win with team Uruguay Ultra Sports at Expedicion Guarani 2024.
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Since 2008 he has taken part in 7 AR World Championships and the best result was at Expedition Guarani in 2022, Paraguay, finishing in 11th place.
He has raced Expedicion Guarani 6 times and in 2024 secured his first ARWS Qualifier win at the race with Team Uruguay Ultra Sports to secure a place at ARWC 2024 in Ecuador, which will be his 7th World Championship.
Wladimir
Togumi
Year: 2022
Gender: M
Country: Brazil
Wladimir Togumi career in sports photography started with adventure racing shortly after the sport arrived in Brazil. After watching Eco-Challenge on TV and in 2000 he had the opportunity to follow in loco the race called EMA – Expedição Mata Atlântica – the first Brazilian adventure race with 500 kilometers which made him hooked to the sport.
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Lots of shorter races started to be organized in various countries and thus he created the “Adventuremag” portal focused exclusively on adventure racing, organizing the calendar and publishing news. He needed to create content, so he borrowed a camera and went to cover the nearby races, creating news and taking pictures. The portal grew and he started receiving invites to cover a lot of races in Brazil and abroad.
Today, in addition to adventure racing, he has photographed many trail running and mountain bike events.
Main races covered/photographed so far are:
Jose
Pires
Year: 2022
Gender: M
Country: Portugal
Volunteered more than 100 Races
Jose Pires a well know name in the Adventure Racing community. He worked as a Police Officer for 3 years and then joined the Portuguese Special Armed Forces for 26 years where he worked mostly in the missions in conflict/war areas such as Bosnia, Guiné-Bissau, and Democratic Republic of Congo.
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He then retired in 2007 and volunteered at his first ARW in Portugal in 2007, and that’s when he decided this is what he wanted to do – follow the AR World SERIES around the world. He loves everything about the adventure, the adrenaline, meeting people and traveling. Since he was in Portugal he has been to several countries around the world volunteering at the races from South Africa, to Costa Rica , to Australia to Alaska … overall he has been to over 100 races since 2007.
His contribution to the sport in huge and AR community is glad to have him.