The 2024 Hard Fall adventure race promises upwards of 95 miles of trekking, biking and paddling that encompasses over 80 checkpoints to find. Designed by Shari Hymes and Tom Martin of the Green Mountain Adventure Racing Association, this year’s course promises a broad variety of stages where quick and efficient transitions may prove vital for podium contenders.

From GMARA:

The Hard Fall Adventure Race is a 27 hour multi-sport event for teams of two, three and four. We’ll get your team out into the woods and on the water, doing different activities, navigating with a map, and going to places you never would have otherwise. You’ll have an incredible, unique experience with other teams there to do the same.

Racers can expect flatwater and whitewater (class I and II) packraft paddling, biking fun and tricky single track as well as scenic backcountry roads, challenging treks, and finally several surprises intended to keep things fresh for even the most seasoned competitors (don’t worry, there won’t be any surprise 1000ft rappels). You’ll also be continually navigating and you’ll be doing this for up to 27 hours, managing your effort through an entire night and navigating in the dark. We are known for being able to really challenge experienced teams while providing a great race for the first-timers, and we expect this to hold true for this year’s event.

This race is designed to be fast and fun. The intention is no leg will take longer than 3-4 hours, some quite a bit shorter. There will be a lot of transitions, and your ability to move quickly from one discipline to another will be a significant factor. All teams will be in packrafts - whether your team is bringing your own rafts and paddles or if they are supplied by GMARA is based on which way your team signed up. All racers and teams are expected to bring the required paddling gear as outlined in the Mandatory Gear list (notice GMARA is not providing PFDs and all team members are expected to bring their own). You will be paddling a mix of class I and II whitewater, as well as flatwater.

Expect a mix of single-track, gravel country roads, pavement and hike-a-bike. The single-track sections are not particularly technical. You will be biking at night and are required to have both front and rear lights. Please note the specificity of “A bright rear light of at least 50 lumens.” Something like the Cateye ViZ450 would certainly meet this requirement. Basically it should be clearly visible in the daylight from a reasonable distance.

Off-trail navigation is a cornerstone of GMARA races. You should expect to be more in the woods than on a path, though there is a decent mix of trail opportunities.

Follow the dots at live.enabledtracking.com/hardfall2024