Blue Hills Adventure Race

The Blue Hills Adventure Race brings traditional adventure racing back to Massachusetts for the first time in well over a decade. Join us for an exciting one-day adventure race, combining mountain biking, foot travel, paddling, and map-and-compass navigation as we explore the lush Connecticut River Valley in this inaugural edition. Some sources note that Massachusetts derives its name from the Wopanaak word muswachasut, referencing the state's Blue Hills, and while the first edition of the Blue Hills AR will explore land far from the state's place name, over the course of fifteen hours, competitors will become well-acquainted with the Bay State's hills, forests, and waterways. ABOUT THE COURSE: Due to permitting considerations, longtime participants of our events will find that the Blue Hills AR has a bit less off-trail navigation than is characteristic of most Rootstock Racing races. Still, we have worked hard to create a course that offers rewarding checkpoints, fun strategy opportunities, and a welcoming community feel, and don't be surprised if we find a way to add some navigational challenge anyway. We hope you'll join us as we celebrate the return of adventure racing to Massachusetts. And for the newcomers: while the Blue Hills AR is not a beginner-FOCUSED race, we have designed the course with all calibers of teams in mind, using a "modified rogaine" format; all teams must complete a designated mandatory route which requires less navigational ability and is short enough that all teams should have time to reach the finish line with adequate baseline fitness. For more experienced teams there will be additional, optional checkpoints to challenge the fastest teams.