A little history... Adventure racing is the world's fastest growing sport. While there are arguments as to just how it got started, you’re more than likely to follow a trail back to the original Raid Galoise back in 1989. The sport’s rise in popularity is, in large measure, due to the Discovery Channels extensive support and television coverage of the Eco-Challenge. Then came the sprints-shorter races of 2 to 12 hours instead of the multi-day, originals. These were sponsored by companies such as Hi-Tec, Salomon and Sierra Design. That added significantly to the status of the sport. The original Las Vegas Desert Dash began in 2000. |
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Photo courtesy Canadian Quest |
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What to expect... There are no hard and fast rules as to what exactly a Las Vegas Desert Dash adventure race is. A rather loose definition might be "a multi-discipline, non-stop team race, through the back country". It may be through the desert, the mountains, or the city of fabulous Las Vegas. The objective is to be the first team to cover the entire course in the shortest length of time. Just to make things more difficult, teams will not have prior knowledge of the course or the order of events until the morning of the race and must rely on their keen orienteering skills to find their way.
Disciplines... The disciplines usually (but not always) include mountain biking, kayaking, trail running/hiking, and up to four mystery challenges. Any number of other activities might be included. A rather off beat example is that teams must win a hand of Black Jack to continue on in the race. Some of the challenges encountered may be desert negotiation, canyon traverses, and snorkeling.
Divisions... The Desert Dash race series allows solo entrants and teams of two, any gender. There are teams of three that can be made up of one or both sexes. The Masters division can be any gender and must have an average minimum team age of 40. There is also an Elite-Pro division that can win cash or prizes. The kicker is that ALL teams in all divisions must finish together with their teammates or not at all. If you separate your team you are disqualified. The soul of adventure racing is team work.
Teams... Fitness, sharp thinking and endurance are all givens in this sport but the winning formula is a cohesive, supportive team. There is an old saying, "it's better to race smart than fast." It doesn't matter how fast you are going if you're going in the wrong direction. Team chemistry is the most important thing. You should enter the race with three goals, 1) finish the race, 2) have fun, 3) stay friends.
Distances... Races can be of any length, but are usually from four to eight hours. As a rule, the longer the race, the tougher it is. Exhaustion then becomes an increasingly significant factor. Injuries are not common but do happen and teams should have proper first aid kits with them and know basic first aid.
How to achieve success... To achieve success participants should be as fit as possible, familiar with all the disciplines and have worked closely with their teams well before the race. Teams should be made up of individuals with complementary skills, good judgment and compatible goals. A team leader should be chosen well in advance since race day is not the time for a mutiny. Aside from being an athlete, a leader should posses all the skills associated with leadership, judgment, balance, resilience and drive.
To conclude... Adventure racing is the sport of the new millennium. The Desert Dash is a great series to get you started. It reflects the challenges we all face in life, testing our resilience and our resolve. This is a race series where you can come to town, race, have a night out in a great town, then go back to work on Monday a little sore and bruised, but still functional. This series is for the working man/woman with a strong competitive spirit. That above average competitive spirit will ultimately decide the outcome of this race and in life.
Good Luck and Viva Las Vegas.
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Official Race Rules
3 Basic rules
1) You must stay together (100 ft. max) and complete the course as a team
2) You may not receive outside help (you must be fully self contained)
3) No GPS, no littering, have fun
Divisions
7 separate divisions (awards for top 3 each division, top 4 overall)
1) Solo (any gender, any age)
2) 2 person (any gender, any age)
3) 3 person (male) (female 2 or 3) (co-ed)
4) Masters (any gender teams of 2 or 3 / teams add their age up and the total must average a minimum of 40 years or more)
5) Elite-Pro (3 person / Co-Ed only) Cash & Prizes may be awarded, there must be a minimum of 8 teams entered in this division for Cash or Prizes to be awarded.
Absolutely No Exceptions. If there are less than 5 teams this division is racing for medals only.
Cash Prizes for Elite-Pro
{1st $600 - 2nd $300 - 3rd $150}
**Awards ceremony will occur after the top 4 overall teams finish. Division medallists will be given awards at the finish line upon the team's completion of the race. All racers will receive a race T-shirt, a swag bag and a race completion award. A post race BBQ or other food will be provided for all racers and spectators.
Series Points (Nevada State Championship Series)
Points are awarded to your class AND an overall winner for ALL classes. You must have at least one original team member racing for points to be awarded.
These points will be awarded for each heat wave and one BONUS race (a non-Desert Dash race listed in the Links section.) So points are available for all 3 Desert Dash Heat Waves and 1 non Desert Dash affiliate.
Breakdown of points are below:
| PLACE |
POINTS |
| 1ST |
100 |
| 2ND |
91 |
3RD |
82 |
| 4TH |
73 |
| 5TH |
64 |
- 6th to 10th place will receive 30 points
- 11th to 20th will receive 20 points
- 21st & down will receive 10 points
- DNF or DQ - 5 points
Winner of Series is "Nevada State Champions!"
Entry Fee
$100 per racer . (pre-pay)
$110- 2 weeks prior to event
$125- the day of the event
You may prepay with check, credit card, or cash/check at the event |
