Two Rivers Adventure Race

Rootstock Racing

About

The Two Rivers Adventure Race returns in 2024 as Rootstock Racing's premier one-day adventure race, combining mountain biking, foot travel, packrafting, and map-and-compass navigation. The thirty-hour event will serve as a qualifier for the 2025 US Adventure Racing Association National Championship and the inaugural championship for the Adventure Racing World Series (ARWS) North American Region. The stakes at the race are high: the winning team of the premier division will earn a free entry into the 2025 Adventure Racing World Championship in British Columbia, Canada, and the top US team in the division will earn a free slot to USARA Nationals!

The event will also serve as the final race in the inaugural Mid-Atlantic Autumn Adventure Series, which links together the Two Rivers with Broad Road Off Run's Fall Foliage for an adventure-filled October. Cash prizes available!

This year's race offers everything you have come to expect from Rootstock events: challenging navigation, rewarding checkpoints, plenty of strategy and route choice, and a fun and welcoming community. It is a course ready for top competitors, and it is accessible to newer racers excited to get their feet wet in overnight racing. While the Two Rivers is not a beginner race, we design the course with all caliber 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 even the fastest teams and best navigators.

**For teams that are not interested in packrafting or not able to secure packrafts, we have designed an alternate course. Alternate course teams will be ranked behind any team completing the packrafting section.

2024 Details

DATE: October 26-27, 2024
DURATION: 30 hours
LOCATION: Ralston, PA
DIVISIONS: single-gender and mixed-gender teams of 2-4 racers; male, female, and nonbinary solo athletes

All teams in the premier division, mixed-3/4, are eligible to compete for the free entry to the 2025 ARWS World Championship. These teams must have competed in at least one additional race in the North American Series in order to earn the free entry. At least two members from the winning team must be on the roster for the World Championship.
As the winner of a USARA regional qualifier, the top US team in the premier division, mixed-3/4, will earn a slot to the 2025 USARA National Championship and an $800 credit toward their entry.

Course Schematic

Racer Updates

PRICE:

Through July 30: $300 per person
August 1 to September 30: $330
October 1 to October 15, as space allows: $350

WHAT'S INCLUDED:

A professionally designed course created by Rootstock Racing
Water-resistant maps
Live tracking
High quality swag
Race bibs
Comprehensive safety team
Post-race awards banquet
On-course logistics and support
Overnight parking
High quality event photos
Points in both the USARA national rankings and the ARWS rankings

The Two Rivers is a USARA-sanctioned event. Racers must either have an annual USARA membership ($35) or purchase a single-event license through RunSignUp. Annual membership is instrumental in sustaining USARA’s efforts to support the US-based AR community and host an annual National Championship. In addition to supporting the community as a whole and having single-event fees waived, annual membership includes access to ExpertVoice, an incredible resource for athletes that unlocks pro-deals to hundreds of name-brands.

For new racers, check out USARA's "New to Adventure Racing" database, a terrific collection of articles that will help you dive into the amazing sport of AR!

Distances and Disciplines

DISTANCES: Distance estimates are approximate and are for the complete, full-course. Actual routes may vary considerably depending on navigation choices (and mistakes). These estimates are currently based on preliminary course planning and may change after scouting the course in person. There will be modified, short-course routes for teams that are less experienced in the sport.

Disciplines	Distances
Total	111 miles
Bike	50 miles
Paddle	16 miles
Trek	45 miles

Leave No Trace Ethos

We work hard to collaborate with local land managers and owners to respect and preserve our amazing outdoor resources. We abide by Leave No Trace's 7 Principles and also follow USARA's LNT guidelines in our course design and permitting. We ask all of you who join us on this amazing journey to review LNT's guiding principles and review USARA's statement concerning the Leave No Trace ethos. Thank you for working with us as we strive for responsible use and stewardship of the outdoors!

Gear List and Schematic

Race Maps

Please review the gear list closely. Individuals and teams are required to carry all mandatory gear, either for the entire race or for specific stages depending on the item. Teams failing to carry mandatory equipment will be penalized and may be disqualified from the event.

Gear List

We are still finalizing the course and maps, but you can expect the following from us:

You will receive some 8.5x11 maps and also some 11x17.
Maps will be printed on water-RESISTANT paper. It's high-quality stock, but we still recommend using some sort of map case.
We tend to print maps in 1:24,000 and 1:50,000 scales. Occasionally, we may use a more atypical scale if it allows us to fit a segment of the course onto one sheet.
Maps are printed with a 1km x 1km UTM grid overlay.
Maps are not adjusted for magnetic declination, but the declination will be noted on the map.
We use Caltopo for most of our mapping, and we tend to use the traditional USGS topographic map layer as our base layer. That said, some maps may vary. Pay attention to scales and contour intervals. They may not be uniform across maps.

For 2024, we may also have one or two maps that are larger scale (1:10,000 or 15,000). Teams will receive maps for the first two stages on Saturday morning at check-in. They will receive the rest of the maps on course.

Area Lodging

The closest larger towns are Williamsport to the south and Mansfield to the north. Both offer several chain lodging options and Airbnbs. USARA members receive a discount at all Choice Hotels. In Williamsport, Choice Hotels include: Comfort Inn and Econo Lodge.

Area Amenities

Downtown Williamsport offers numerous pubs, restaurants, coffee shops, and fast-food options all within easy walking distance of the center. The Wegman's supermarket is a good one-stop spot to do your food shopping and take care of pharmacy needs. There is also a Rite Aid downtown and a Walmart at exit 21 off of I-180 that can serve as your general catch-all.

Mansfield is a small college town with a selection of restaurants along the main strip. There is also a Dollar General and a Walmart on Main Street.

Anti-Doping Policy

As a USARA-sanctioned event, we adhere to USARA’s anti-doping policies. It is your (the athlete’s) responsibility to uphold the integrity of the competition and reputation of adventure racing as a clean sport through educated use of supplements, medicines, and other treatments and to understand what is permissible according to USARA standards. In addition to contributing to a level playing field for all competitors, USARA’s policies are designed to help athletes learn more about the medications, substances, and methods they use for the sake of long-term health. We encourage you to spend some time reviewing USARA’s stance on the importance of Ant-Doping, educating yourself through their collection of helpful resources, and understanding the consequences of doping infractions (medicinal, supplemental, or mechanical) by reviewing USARA’s dedicated page.

USARA's Policy