We caught up with Troy Farrar, president of the United States Adventure Racing Association, to talk about the history of AR and where the sport is headed.

How did you get started in Adventure Racing?
I got interested in the 90’s after seeing the first Eco Challenge. We saw it and said wow, that’s something we have to do. Financially and job wise it was not possible at the time so I decided to produce an event that was accessible for the average weekend warrior. All of my friends said, “You are crazy, no one will sign up for 24 hours of tromping around in the woods!” That was all the challenge I needed, so I put my head down and started designing my first course and we started Terra Firma Promotions.

So you started as a race director?
Yes, but we were also racing in a lot of the events that were out there. You need to understand this was during the birth of AR in the US. In those days there were only 10-15 adventure races a year around the country.

So how did the USARA fit into this picture?
While designing my first course, I started calling the few other race directors to talk about things like insurance and the possibility of banding together for buying power. We realized that Adventure racing was in it’s infancy and the same learning mistakes were being repeated around the country. By forming an association we could share information which would help eliminate many of the repeated mistakes. We also recognized the need to develop event safety standards to protect the racers before someone was seriously injured. After lots of brainstorming and dialog with some of the other national governing bodies, we formed a board and the USARA was born.

Give us a brief history of the USARA.
When the USARA started we had 3 main functions: to provide insurance and guidance to the race directors, provide safety standards and insurance for the racers and promote the growth of AR. I would like to expand on each of these functions if that’s ok?

Sure go ahead.
If you asked most racers in the early days, what role the USARA played, they would answer insurance. Insurance was just a small piece of what we were doing but it was an important piece. By providing good coverage for the events and by banding together we were able to get the insurance prices lowered which resulted in lower entry fees. We have been able to improve that coverage over the years and have learned that all insurance is not created equal. So it is important that we have strong coverage that takes care of a racer quickly in the case of an injury and also protects the race directors. Our goal is to take care of both the competitors & the race directors.

Providing guidance for race directors is still one of the most important things to the USARA. The USARA developed a race director’s kit which includes everything from planning an event, ecological standards, how to pick proper check points, to what information should be on an entry form. We provide free consulting for 30 – 40 events a year, which is huge. Through this consulting we are able to proactively prevent problems in these events, something most racers are not aware of, but certainly enjoy the benefits of. It is very important for the growth of AR that both existing and new events are produced at the highest standards possible.

Safety Standards are another crucial piece of the USARA. These standards have been developed by experts in their fields and are important for the protection of the racers. We have a compliance committee that addresses non compliance of the standards.

Finally, the growth of Adventure Racing is a top priority and that started with our first board. I have had the pleasure of serving on the board with some of the real pioneers of the sport. People like Don Mann, Dan Barger and Tracyn Thayer. A lot of the current racers may not recognize these names but these were the forerunners that built AR in the US- both as race directors and racers. I believe they deserve our thanks.

So thats how it all started? What else has the USARA been up to?
We have been able to do a lot and I feel like we are just getting started. A couple of the big things were the addition of the USARA Adventure Race National Championships and the USARA National Ranking System.

Tell us a little more about the AR National Championships.
A lot of people think of the USARA Adventure Race National Championship as 1 race but that’s not the full extent of it. The Nationals are really a series of 40 qualifying events across the country culminating in the National Championship. It has been exciting to watch this event grow through the years. I am really proud of the race directors of the qualifying events which have stepped up and truly given back to the racers. Each qualifying event pays $400 of the winning team’s entry fee into the National Championships – I challenge you to find any other sport that has a system like this. It’s great to see these race directors giving back to the teams that come out and participate in their races each weekend. Our sponsors have really stepped up too. A partnership with Salomon helped us to provide each winning team member with a $100 regional champion jacket. Zanfel has also been a great partner providing an additional $100 to each winning team. We have been fortunate to have such great sponsors who really support our sport. For me personally, the greatest thing about Nationals is watching the best teams in the country line up and race against each other, I mean, last year we had 82 teams from 29 different states – now that is awesome.

How about the National Ranking system?
The USARA National Ranking System was developed purely for the racers and it has been a huge success. It has helped teams acquire and keep sponsorship which is huge. I also think it is important that we recognize the teams that are out there doing well and it has been a good measuring stick for teams around the country. We send out top 10 certificates each month and then crown the # 1 team in the country after the National Championships – its great stuff.

So what is on the horizon for the USARA?
We are currently working on growing the population of collegiate racers. We launched Collegiate Nationals 3 years ago and see that as an untapped market which is very important. We feel it is important to groom the next generation of competitors at an early age. AIX Group stepped up and provided a $3000 team sponsorship for the winning team at Collegiate Nationals – what a terrific prize! As a matter of fact, the team that won this years Collegiate Nationals, Team SOG, is currently the # 1 ranked team in the country.

What are some of the current trends in adventure racing?
We have seen a huge growth in the short sprint races which is very healthy and a natural progression for the sport. These short races allow beginners to get their feet wet without being overwhelmed. The sprint races are also a great source for growing the pool of racers.

So are all of these sprint races hurting the longer events?
Interesting question, I think just the opposite but I need to expand a little. The sprint races are providing a pool of new racers. A portion of these new racers will graduate up to 24 hour or expedition length events but they need some help getting there.
A lot of clubs are doing a great job giving them the needed skills and training to take the next step but this burden also falls on the race directors. I have heard some race directors complaining that they do not get enough teams signed up for their longer events but are not doing anything to improve the situation. When we started Terra Firma Promotions, we were traveling around the state providing 5 or 6 free navigation / adventure racing clinics per year. These clinics gave racers the confidence to try their first longer event. In effect we were creating and nurturing the racer pool. I just do not see that happening very much anymore. I am hopeful that more RD’s will start helping in the growth process of the inexperienced racers which would definitely grow the pool of 24 hour plus racers.

Any last thoughts you would like to share with the readers?
Sure. I know everyone is competitive and wants to do the best that they can which is a great goal…but I think the most important thing to remember is the journey. The father of adventure racing and creator of the Raid Gauloises, Gerard Fusil, always stressed the importance of the journey and I totally agree with him. In the end, it’s the journey through God’s beautiful places with our great friends that we will remember.