Burlington, Vermont /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – In July 1609, renowned French explorer, cartographer, and navigator Samuel Champlain first encountered the moody waters of the eighth largest body of water in North America. Known among the Abenake nation as Pitawbagok and the Mohawks as Kaniatarakwà:ronte, the lake served as a major trading corridor, allowing the area’s diverse indigenous nations, and later colonialist powers from France and England, to travel extensively in the region. On the distant horizons, two great mountains ranges framed the verdant valley: the Adirondacks to the west and the Green Mountains – Les Verd Montes – to the east.
In June 2025, competitors will descend on Les Verd Montes in the third edition of the Endless Mountains Adventure Race. Hosted by Rootstock Racing, Endless Mountains will bring teams through a journey fit for Champlain.
The event is one of two-US based qualifying races in the 2025 Adventure Racing World Series, which unites the premier multi-day adventure races around the world. The winning team will earn a free entry to the 2025 World Championship, set to take place in British Columbia, Canada next September. With an international airport just a few miles from Burlington’s downtown district and a lively restaurant scene, the city will serve as the ideal host town to welcome racers from around the world.
Rootstock Racing co-founders Abby Perkiss and Brent Freedland have been directing wilderness-based events for more than fifteen years. Most of their races take place in the Mid-Atlantic region, but they have long enjoyed racing and adventuring across Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine. They are thrilled to bring their experience to New England, a region that has a rich history of expedition racing and a thriving scene today, with shorter races hosted by the Green Mountain Adventure Racing Association and Strong Machine Adventure Racing.
“I grew up in the hills, forests, and mountains of Western Massachusetts, and I attended summer camp every year in Vermont,” says Freedland. “My love for the outdoors took root in some of the same woods that we’ll be traversing at Endless. I’m so excited to share these spaces with our adventure racing community.”
The course they have designed for Endless Mountains calls to mind the Untamed New England expeditions of years past, paired with the classic Rootstock flair that racers have come to expect from their events: a rewarding journey, a close-knit community, and some of the most challenging navigation and route choice on the ARWS circuit.
“What I love about adventure racing is that each event is unique,” says ARWS CEO Heidi Muller. “Each draws on the strengths of the individual race directors and the opportunities that the local terrain offers. When you do one of Abby and Brent’s races, you know that you’re going to be treated to a creative, dynamic, and challenging course – and that you’ll be treated like a member of the Rootstock family every step along the way. And with their many years of experience, racers at a Rootstock event can be assured that they are in safe hands from start to finish.”
Over seven days and 765 kilometers, teams will travel by foot, mountain bike, packraft, and kayak, using only a map and compass to guide them. They will traverse the vast Green Mountain wilderness; paddle some of the state’s most iconic waterways; and cycle Vermont’s iconic gravel and single track. To complete the full course, teams will travel 467 kilometers by bike, 145 kilometers on foot, and 145 kilometers on the water.
“While the event is designed to and will challenge the top adventure racers in the world, our goal is to offer an accessible entry point to the sport of expedition racing,” says Perkiss. “To do so, we’ve created a course made up of both mandatory and optional checkpoints. Teams completing the mandatory route will cover less distance over less challenging terrain, but their journey will be no less spectacular, and they will still cross the line as official finishers of the 2025 Endless Mountains Adventure Race.”
The event is open to mixed-gender and single-gender teams of 2-4 racers. Teams in the premier mixed four-person division will be eligible to compete for a $15,000 prize purse, pending thirty teams signing up. The race is Trail Sisters Approved, with equal awards and podium spots for male and female single-gender teams, women’s-specific swag and apparel, and equal opportunities at the start line.
“In paying tribute to the long tradition of adventure racing in the United States, our goal is to create and celebrate access to the outdoors for everyone who wants to take part,” says Freedland.
Information about Endless Mountains is available at the event website. Teams can pre-register their interest there; registration will open to the public by early fall. Perkiss and Freedland anticipate capping the event at 40-50 teams; 30 have pre-registered as of this writing.
ABOUT ROOTSTOCK RACING: Rootstock Racing is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rootstock seeks to add adventure into the daily lives of its racers, regardless of age or experience. Serving the broader Mid-Atlantic community but also reaching well beyond the region’s limits, Rootstock encourages individuals, friends, and families to explore the natural world around them while also challenging themselves physically and mentally.
ABOUT ARWS: The Adventure Racing World Series brings together premier adventure races from around the word to create a competitive series of Qualifier events that culminate in an annual Adventure Racing World Championship. Events can be followed online through reports, videos, images, and live GPS tracking through the ARWS website and social media.
ABOUT USARA: As the governing body of adventure racing in the United States, USARA’s mission is to ensure the enduring success of the sport by strengthening and supporting the existing community of racers, directors, and enthusiasts; creating pathways for new adventurers to enter the sport; and engaging with the greater outdoor community in the U.S. to highlight what an amazing sport it is.
The post The Endless Mountains Adventure Race Returns appeared first on Endurance Sportswire.