It seems a new era has dawned. The outdoor and adventure world has been over run by changing times and new ideas and gear it seems almost every few months. From barefoot running and Vibram Fiver Fingers to Stand Up Paddle Boards, our world is changing forever. Another one of those ideas that seems to be rising to the top in popularity is the Adventure Race.

The adventure race in the not so distance past was confined to a small community of hardcore athletes, and not well known.

Today with names like Tough Mudder and Warrior Dash, the adventure race has changed the outdoor world as we know it. A new breed of races has become more and more popular, combining multiple discipline and outdoor knowledge to create a new kind of athlete.

Today's adventure racing athletes must be able to run, bike, hike, canoe, read a map, a compass, sometimes work as team, operate under extreme distress, and the list goes on.

Once upon a time to get involved in any sort of adventure race you had to be able to travel to the other side of the world and be rich. Today you can probably find an adventure race in your backyard.

Photo By vitamindave

Adventure races as we know them today seemed to have unlocked the inner crazy and talent in your average outdoors enthusiast.

With classes even offered at many REI's for "Intro to Adventure Racing", these crazy and whimsical races are open to anyone with a little willpower and and strong mind.

Thinking about getting into an adventure race? They are unpredictable and many times you have no idea what you will be faced with until hours before race time. Some of the normal required skills you can expect are, paddling, bike riding, running/hiking, map and compass reading, puzzle solving, log carrying, swimming, climbing up or down.

Some of the crazy activities that have been known to happen are, electric shocks, tunnel and mud crawling, and multiple day expeditions. But, for those athletes looking for a more serious endeavor, there are many adventure races waiting. Looking for more information, head over to the adventure racing association's website to hunt down something in your area.