Adventure racing has been said to allow an individual to find his or her limits and push through them.

I admit that before the race my attitude about adventure racing was more than a bit cynical.

Just a few years ago, adventure racing was an obscure sport with a cult-like following.

Since then, interest in adventure racing has grown exponentially.

Adventure racing has grown to hundreds of events in the United States, mostly one to three days.

Part of the appeal of adventure racing is expecting the unexpected.

Adventure racing is closer to elite military training expeditions than to solo endurance tests.

Adventure racing is a combination of two or more disciplines, and usually includes orienteering as part of the race.

But my first insight into the teamwork of adventure racing proves to be my salvation.

Variants of adventure racing may also combine navigational skills and endurance running in this manner.

Such stories as ayahuasca, alpacas, and adventure racing have met with much attention on Voice of America's website.

"The adventure racing then is what adventure racing has not become."

Adventure racing includes races which comprise a number of different stages of different types.

Adventure racing differs from an Ironman-distance triathlon in that it is as much an expedition as a race.

Serious adventure racing requires serious gear, says Samantha Ryder.

Adventure racing is a rapidly growing sport and welcomes people of all ages and all standards.

Unlike events where competitors race and endure hardship alone, adventure racing involves teamwork and decision-making.

The sense of achievement is already palpable, and the addictive quality of adventure racing is dawning on me.

A self-described "busy family guy," Mr. Wright appreciates adventure racing's capacity for a quick fix of intense outdoor activity.

"Adventure racing provides a true escape," said Molly Moilanen, 31, a grant manager in Minneapolis who has been racing for four years.

But as more sponsorship and television deals are signed and the sport attracts better athletes, adventure racing has become a more professional and mainstream sport.

Because adventure racing is a multi-discipline event, training for adventure racing combines pure strength and endurance training with skills training.

In the mid-'90s, he created the Eco-Challenge race and accompanying TV series, and an exotic new sport called adventure racing was stamped on the American consciousness.

In 1989, the modern era of adventure racing had clearly arrived with Gerald Fusil's launch of the Raid Gauloises in New Zealand.

"Adventure racing is as much a mental exercise as a physical one," said Doug Giles, 42, a bank technology worker from Brooklyn who competed in his first 24-hour race last summer.