Newly partnered CurraNZ ambassador Kristina Huffman has penned an excellent blog on stage racing. Kristina is an experienced stage racer having completed 8 stage races and is listed with Race the Planet and Grand to Grand Ultra as an approved coach for those guidance or coaching packages.
Stage racing is one of the best hidden treasures when it comes to vacation experiences. What better way to wrap a vacation with a destination trail race all into one nice trip! When I tell people that I race seven day stage races around the world carrying all my own gear on my back, it isn’t long before they move from astounded and perplexed to intrigued and have their attention captivated. What is the allure and draw for these events requiring such massive preparation and efforts. The simple answer is camaraderie, landscapes, and the immersive experience.
I first learned of stage races in 2020 after watching videos and being completely enthralled. Stage racing has gained enormous popularity in recent times, especially amongst those looking to explore iconic sites in a format that allows you to quite literally immerse yourself in the surroundings and culture. So what is the allure? Paint the picture, you have travelled thousands of miles from home to a destination that has called your name and has drawn you to sign up for what many would consider a “crazy” distance race. Stage races have a strong draw amongst those looking to not only explore new destinations geographically, but also intrinsically to see what edges of their own personic envelope they can explore. Drawn in by pictures that seem only possible in postcards, the initial fascination turns to curiosity and later to a passion to experience the essence of what is seen in the photographs.
Stage races are formatted to allow you to “race” a multi-day race, sleeping in bivouacs or tents with other like-minded souls, and experience a sense of unconnectedness with the outside world. Not only does this allow you to connect more internally, it also forges deep friendships bonded in mutual experience and “suffering” along the way. The term “race” is used loosely as many of these races have generous cutoff times that allow those choosing to hike the journey an opportunity to finish the event. In fact, more than a third of participants never run a single step while racing. They simply savor every step of the way from camp to camp. I much prefer the term “staged endurance event”. The only real race is often the one waged against yourself.
Traversing some of the most remote regions of the Atacama Desert not visited by tourists brought scenery that could only be described as otherworldly, landscapes that could only be imagined as ones you would see on another planet. Criss-crossing ice cold glacial run-off water funneled down a slot canyon could only be described as true mind over matter. In the Gobi Desert, experiencing the true nomadic nature of the culture allowed me to see a different way of living. Horses running free across the Steppe and nomadic herdsman living out of gers and tending to their livestock. The Namib Desert offered some of the most iconic scenic desert landscape one could envision. From rolling sand dunes that meet the ocean to salt flats with stunning pink hues and flocks of flamingos, the scenery was breath-taking even with intense temperatures that surpassed anything I had experienced in life. Jordan brought Wadi Rum, with a character that seemed like Star Wars meets Lawrence of Arabia meets Dune. The experience gave a true sense of why film producers chose such iconic otherworldly locations as the back-drop for their filming. Racing across such untouched and jaw-dropping beauty surrounded by animals calling this their natural habitat felt surreal. Nepal was quite breath-taking in both a literal and figurative way. Altitude that leaves you struggling for breath as you climb ever higher in the Himalayas, each day bringing different landscapes that postcards cannot compete with as you wander from village to village. The memories of each of these locations will forever live on in my mind and have changed me in profound and indescribable ways.
For me personally, stage racing has brought life-long friendships that have been forged through the day after day grueling efforts across some of the least populated and sparsest areas of the planet. My first experience of stage racing was across the Atacama Desert in Chile. Between the high altitude, the bitter cold desert nights, the warm arid exposed desert days that easily chap every exposed surface, and evening winds that could rip through layers of clothing, the challenge of overcoming adversity leaves you with a heightened sense of accomplishment. Bonded together as a group experiencing the same conditions, allows the formation of deep friendships that continue in the months and years following the race and fosters re-unions at future races. Nights spent huddled around campfires and days spent traversing some of the harshest environments, both removing outside world connectedness, allowed me to connect with others and the environment in ways that other life experiences simply do not offer. While popular with those who have found the draw to running trail races, I witnessed the sport having popularity that appeared to transcend age. It was not uncommon to find participants in their late 70s alongside those in their late teens. Whether you prefer the challenge of a desert or rainforest or climbing high mountainous terrain, there is a stage race out there to suit every person and every age group looking for an adventure of a lifetime.