All-Military Wilderness Challenge Earns Spot as Qualifier for USARA National Championship

YORKTOWN, Va. (NNS) -- The United States Adventure Racing Association (USARA) announced Dec. 2, the All-Military Wilderness Challenge is now a qualifying race for the USARA National Championships.

As a USARA sanctioned event, the winner of the Wilderness Challenge will be able to compete on a national level for what is considered the "Heart & Soul" of Adventure Racing in the United States ... The USARA Adventure Race National Championship.

"USARA is excited to have the Wilderness Challenge as a 2012 USARA Regional Qualifier," said Troy Farrar, president, USARA. "We hope to see several teams from the Wilderness Challenge represent their military branch and compete in the USARA Adventure Race National Championship."

Established in 2000 by the Naval Weapons Station (WPNSTA) Yorktown Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Department, the All-Military Wilderness Challenge brings together more than 300 active duty military from all five branches of the armed forces to compete in a series of five extreme outdoor races through the heart of the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia.

Teams of four compete in an 8K mountain run, a 10-mile mountain bike race, a 15-mile forced hike through the mountains, a 14-mile whitewater raft race on the Gauley River and a 7-mile kayak race on the New River...more than 50 miles covered in two days.

"The Wilderness Challenge brings together the best athletes the military has to offer and puts them to the ultimate test," said Mike Bond, MWR director and Wilderness Challenge event coordinator. "USARA sanctioning means our teams will now be able to defend that title on a national level."

Registration for the 2012 Wilderness Challenge begins April 1, 2012.

For more information, visit www.wildernesschallenge.net.

For more information on the USARA, visit www.usara.com.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, visit www.navy.mil/local/nwsyorktown/.