Discussion: NorAm 'must do' races

Earlier this year I was asked to write an article for Breathe Magazine's blog about 'must do' adventure running races (rogaines, mountain marathons, orienteering, team races, city races, etc.). I asked for suggestions here on AP and many people emailed me their thoughts too. In the end the bucket list was too long to just have one article so Part 1 focuses on North American races only. The '8 must do' North American races will be available on Breathe Magazine's web site likely tomorrow.

Can you name the 8?

Hint: Because Breathe Magazine is all about adventure and lifestyle the events on my list are generally longer than normal mass start or team races and/or events tied to a great social atmosphere and/or location.

Raid the Hammer eight years in a row? :P

Well yes I am totally biased and one of the eight is the Salomon Dontgetlost.ca Raid the Hammer but it also one of the largest so I just had to include it right?! ;-)

Hint#2: 4 races from Canada, 4 from the US.

Seattle or San Francisco Night & Day?

Highlander and Billygoat.

The Hudson Highlander?

Barkley Marathon?

My #1 must-do event every year is the Vancouver Sprint Camp, but I don't know if that really fits the longer-than-normal, mass-start theme.

500 Worlds ultimate running races

I don't have a book but someone make a pdf of our races and by coincidence it includes also one IRL, CAN and USA race.

4 of the 8 have been mentioned so far! ;-)

Well obviously the Goat is on the list. (Did Hammer ever win a Billygoat? ;)

Dances with Dirt?

MOMAR?

Highlander, Billygoat, Raid the Hammer are 3 for sure.

Did Hammer ever win a Billygoat?

Are you serious? (You were there the fourth time...)

Nev, Dances with Dirt has no nav so
it isn't on the list but it is one awesome race!

#1 billygoat
#2 highlander
#5 Raid the Hammer
#7 Seattle/San Fran Nite & Day

jj, Nev-Monster was definitely not serious.

The Laramie Events ?
COC's
Ottawa O Fest
Susquehana Stumble
West Point (more longevity than long)
Anzo-Borega Desert event?
Any event in the Yukon Territory?

It's obviously Vancouver Scotiabank half-marathon. Come on yall.

Ha! N&D, ftw!

I've actually done one of those.

Hammer has the best average Billygoat placing and (almost) knew when to quit.
1, 1, 1, 1, 1, _, _, _, 3

THOMASS ?
An Arizona Rogaine ?
A SAGE Rogaine ?

If I were a reader of the magazine, I'd want 8 events that are annual, so that I could go look them up and sign up. All of the correct guesses so far are annual events, so that's what I'd expect...

#3 ANY event in Yukon Territory. Even club training makes it to the top 3! ;-)

People get lost at Dances with Dirt!

Any event in DV, because it's as exciting as Denmark.

It's as exciting as the most exciting part of Denmark. Did you ever run Spring Cup? They always have courses that are more similar to this years US relay champs than anything else.

My guesses for the remaining three(?):

- The super difficult night-O at Pawtuckaway (is it annual?)
- Barebones
- Any event in Canadian shield terrain..?

#6 Barebones Weekend

The remaining two (#4 and #8 are 24 hour races).

WT would have been my first pick (next to RTH of course).

#1 Billygoat
#2 Highlander
#3 Yukon
#4 24-Hour ???
#5 Raid the Hammer
#6 Barebones
#7 Night & Day Street Scramble
#8 24-Hour ???

Black Hills Rogaine? That's probably the most tempting 24-hour one for me in the US.

#4 Dakota Rogaining Championships

Laurentian Rogaines (6 and 8-hour) should be #9, or even 8. Lots of fun on great maps, and awesome prizes.

hope you enjoy reading this and thanks to the dozens of people for their suggestions. Part 2 (Europe) in a month or two.

http://www.breathemag.ca/news/general/the-adventur...

Much talk about the OMM, but I hope you are aware that the Original Original Mountain Marathon started 30 years earlier with basically all the same ingredients?