Episode 143: A Podcast Crossover - Course Reveal: USARA National Championship 2025
Welcome to The Dark Zone: An Adventure Racing Podcast. From time to time, we like to support our companion podcast, The Course Reveal, by crossposting special episodes. -----------------------------------------------------------Welcome to a special episode of The Course Reveal Podcast. Today, we turn our attention to the 2025 United States Adventure Racing National Championship, where the best teams in the country will gather in Northwest Arkansas to battle for the top of the podium.This year’s Nationals features a demanding 230-kilometer course, with 78 teams racing against the clock for up to 30 hours across trekking, mountain biking, and paddling stages. Expect rugged terrain, steep climbs, and the wild beauty of the Ozarks as racers push themselves through a nonstop test of endurance and teamwork.We’re joined by two key voices at the heart of the event: Stephanie Ross, Nationals Coordinator, and Michael Garrison, Executive Director of USARA. Together, they’ll guide us through the vision behind this year’s championship, the details of the course design, and what makes Northwest Arkansas such a powerful stage for the sport.If you like what you hear, please subscribe, like, and share. TCR is designed to offer the at-home fan/dotwatcher another opportunity to enjoy and engage with their favorite races. You Keep Watching, and We'll Keep Talking.Shownotes:Race Website - https://www.usara.com/2025-national-championshipsTracking Website - https://live.enabledtracking.com/usara2025/
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Episode 142 - A Course Reveal Podcast Crossover: Endurance Quest Saimaa ARWS European Championship
Welcome to a special edition of The Dark Zone: An Adventure Racing Podcast. Our sister show, The Course Reveal Podcast, is your spot for adventure racing course breakdowns and interviews with race directors, but for championship races we like to crosspost those episodes to what we call The Big Feed. See below for this show's highlighted race. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Welcome to the Course Reveal Podcast. Join Course Director Lauri Hollo as he breaks down each stage of Endurance Quest Saimaa.As the Adventure Racing European Championship, this race will bring 60 teams from 12 countries to the Savonlinna region of Finland, and winners will earn a coveted spot at the ARWS World Championships. The course includes more than 70 km of trekking, 125 km of mountain biking, 44 km of paddling, and 2 km of swimming – plus climbing and rope challenges. Competitors have up to 30 hours to complete the race course.This demanding course will be the highlight of the European adventure racing season.If you like what you hear, please subscribe, like, and share. TCR is designed to offer the at-home fan/dotwatcher another opportunity to enjoy and engage with their favorite races. You Keep Watching, and We'll Keep Talking.Shownotes:Race Website - https://www.endurancequest.org/Tracking Link - https://www.tulospalvelu.fi/gps/2025eq/
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Episode 141 – Olga Huber: Prolific Solo Racer, Strong Teammate, and a Student of AR
In this episode of The Dark Zone: An Adventure Racing Podcast, we welcome Olga Huber of Team Fragile Flowers. A well-known racer, Olga has taken on a growing number of events, both with teammates and solo. She loves AR, and she enjoys learning from all of her experiences. Wise, direct, and thoughtful, Olga shares so much with TDZ. When she speaks, school is in session. Enjoy! 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!
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Episode 140 – ITERA Flash Episode with RD Paul McGreal
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-scotlandTracking 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=1000721371672Course Reveal Part 2 - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-course-reveal-podcast/id1830676195?i=1000721654274
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Episode 139 – Lauri Hollo of Finland's Endurance Quest Saimaa/European Championship 2025
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/tld2025ARWS Page: https://arworldseries.com/races/endurance-quest-saimaa-europe-championship-2025-finlandRace Website: https://www.endurancequest.org/raceinfoTracking Page: https://live.enabledtracking.com/tld2025/Sponsor Links:American Himalayan Foundation - https://www.himalayan-foundation.org/
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