Paddle Faster, Mom

Bas

hing through the undergrowth, canoeing for miles and biking up trails most people couldn't even walk may not be everyone's idea of a fun weekend. But expedition racing, a multi-discipline endurance test for the whole family, has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. More than 300 races have been scheduled this year, up from 50 last year; twice as many are being planned for 2004. Long a favorite of sportsmen in Australia and New Zealand, expedition racing was popularized in the U.S. by Eco-Challenge, the reality-TV contest produced by Survivor creator Mark Burnett. (The next one, Eco-Challenge Fiji, will air on the USA network May 5 to 8.)

Expedition races usually involve groups of three or four people and may last anywhere from a few hours to 10 days — though the shorter ones are more common. Participants work as a unit to finish a devilishly designed course and stagger across the finish line together in the fastest time possible. Although the sport was first taken up by rugged outdoorsmen, women have embraced it enthusiastically. Because teamwork and stamina are as important as brute strength, coed teams tend to finish higher than all-male ones, says Troy Farrar of the U.S. Adventure Racing Association (USARA), and it isn't unusual to see parents and their children canoeing and rappelling together.

Expedition racing isn't cheap. A weekend race costs about $500 a competitor, plus equipment, and a USARA survey last year showed that serious competitors spent an average of $5,600 annually on the sport. John Hartley of Ridgewood, N.J., a mountain biker turned expedition racer, is just one participant who thinks it's worth it. "It's almost like being a kid again," he says. "You run in the woods, ride your bike on mountain trails and play in the water — and you do it with your friends."