The History of Adventure Racing.
Adventure racing is no longer a new sport, but can trace its origins back to the "Coast to Coast" race in New Zealand in the 1980's. Competitors crossed the South Island of New Zealand, a distance of some 200 kilometers of extremely arduous terrain, by trail running, mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking and other forms of non-motorized transport.

After the initial success of the race several others were developed, but the turning point for this new genre of sport came in 1995 with the establishment of the ECO-Challenge. First staged in Utah, USA for MTV, it has subsequently been held in Canada, Argentina, Morocco, Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Fiji. The ECO-Challenge became hugely successful and was the signature sporting event for the Discovery Channel, which was considered the world's premier and benchmark adventure race.

Following on from the success of ECO Challenge, other similar events have developed such as France's Raid Gauloises, New Zealand's Southern Traverse, Mild Seven's Outdoor Quest and ESPN's X-Games which in turn have spawned a world-wide industry with dozens of other adventure races being held annually, ranging in duration from four hours to 10 days.

Adventure racing is now a worldwide phenomenon and reputedly the world's fastest growing team sport. Races are generally structured to suit the venue environment and can comprise a wide range of sports, hence the term multi-sport race in use by a number of organiser's.

Competitors usually compete in teams of two to four, often co-ed, although a range of categories exists, with team's having to cross the finishing line together.

What is the Action Asia Challenge?
The Action Asia Challenge is a day-race, involving a number of sporting disciplines ranging from trail running and kayaking to rock-climbing and mountain biking. The competitors, often urban corporate professionals, are tested in many different ways. Not only is it essential to be fit, but Challenge activities will also test your will power and trust in your fellow team mates. Action Asia Challenge is more than just a sport ... it's also about:

• Exploration & Adventure
• Team Spirit
• Charity
• Environment and Cultural Awareness
• Education
  
  

You, the Competitors...
Action Asia Challenge competitors race in teams of 2 in the following categories:

• Open Women's
• Mixed
• Mixed Combined Age 70+
• Men's Combined Age 36+
• Men's Combined Age 60+
• Men's Combined Age 80+
• Men's Combined Age 100+
  
  The courses are designed to take you not only through areas of natural beauty, but also of historical and cultural significance. It's not surprising, therefore, that previous Challenges have attracted capacity fields of 300+ participants, with many more on waiting lists. We have had a true cross section of competitors: - celebrities, including Theresa Lee and Almen Wong, top Olympic athletes such as Daniel Lee, Navy Seals, Army Comandos, Fashion Models, Professional Triathletes and members of the local and international press. The bulk of competitors are what we call "Weekend Warriors"; local, fit, motivated professionals aged between 25 and 45 on average, who, according to a survey taken during a recent AAC race, enter the Challenge "Because it's Fun". For 2006 we are already received requests to bring the Action Asia Challenge to different areas in Asia, but are still trying to finalize sponsorship.

Fun for a worthwhile cause.
Proceeds from the Action Asia Challenge are donated to the Action Asia Foundation, a non-profit organization that benefits underprivileged youth in Asia. Since its inception in 1996, The Foundation has developed a primary healthcare and education center in Central Nepal, and has organized several outdoor activity oriented adventure camps in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand like the August Youth Adventure Camp, for economically challenged children in Hong Kong. See AAF under "About Us" on above link.

We look forward to seeing you there.
For further details please contact:
Action Asia Events
Michael Maddess - Race Director & Course Designer
G.P.O. Box 608, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2529 2814
Fax: (852) 2544 0603
Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it