Greenhorn Adventure Race

Saturday September 12, 2026

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Greenhorn Adventure Race

Welcome to Adventure Racing! The Greenhorn AR, now in our 11th edition, was created to offer competitors a gateway into the sport of adventure racing.

This 4 hour sprint adventure race was designed with the beginner in mind, but fun for everyone no matter the skill or experience level!

While there is significant challenge built in, this event is fun and highly achievable for the novice racer.

The navigation is straight forward and the maps that we provide are excellent. The mountain biking takes racers over gravel roads, some pavement, and some semi-technical singletrack trails. Finally, the paddling takes place on a beautiful clear lake.

Race Date: Saturday September 12, 2026
Location: Rocky Gap State Park, Flintstone, MD
Start Time: 10:00am
Bathrooms: Park bathrooms and showers at start/finish (very close to main TA)
Contact: Andy Bacon (RD) 703-338-3965 and info@ex2adventures.com

Time limit: 4 hours
Disciplines: Trekking, paddling, and mountain biking
Course Design: The course is designed for beginners, but will have optional sections/checkpoints for added challenge for those that want it.
Teams: Soloists and teams of up to 4 (male, female, or mixed gender). Team members travel together the entire race.

Register for Greenhorn

Race Format

Solists, or teams of two or three will be tasked with finding checkpoints dispersed in and around Rocky Gap State Park in Flintstone, MD. These checkpoints must be found on bike, foot, or in a boat (kayak for soloists and canoe(s) for teams of 2, 3, or 4).

All teammates will travel together the entire race.

The exact order and distance of each segment is kept a secret until race day but we can tell you that the course will include the most distance of biking, then trekking (or running if you are speedy), and then paddling. There will be MANY route options and lots of decision making in this race, all of which will cost or save your team time.

Registration Fees

$80/person – New year (by 1/1)
$90/person – Early (by 6/12)
$100/person – Regular (by 8/12)
$110/person – Late (by 9/11)

We also have special $50 pricing for youth 18 and under.

Note: During registration participants must also purchase a 1-day US Adventure Racing Association membership ($8) or a 1-year membership ($35) if they are not already a member. This membership is part of the registration workflow on RunSignUp.

Register for Greenhorn

Registration Fee Includes

Fun and challenging course design, finisher prize, all paddling equipment, awesome maps, professional race operations, wonderful volunteer support, medical support, plentiful post-race food, electric atmosphere, great music, awards and give-a-ways, free race photos, and a race t-shirt you’ll love.

Race Weekend Schedule

Saturday September 12, 2026
8:00am – check-in and map distribution opens
9:15am – race briefing
10:00am – race start
1:00pm – post-race food available
2:00pm – race course closes
2:30pm – awards

Gear Information

Mandatory Gear for Each Racer

Bike (mountain bikes are recommended)
Bike helmet
Way to carry enough food and water for the length of the event

Mandatory Gear for Each Team

Race map (provided at check-in)
Race rules of travel (provided at check-in)
Race passport (provided at check-in)
Basic bike repair kit (spare tube, a way to inflate a tube, bike multi-tool)
Watch (no GPS watches showing distance are allowed; Garmin GPS watches in adventure race mode are allowed)
Cell phone (fully charged and turned off and reserved for emergencies)
Small dry bag for your cell phone (either a few zip locks or a store bought dry bag)
Whistle

Recommended Gear

Waterproof map case (this can be as simple as a zip lock bag or a fancy store bought case)
Appropriate clothing for the weather that day
Compass

** All paddling gear (canoe, kayak, PFDs, and paddles) will be provided for in-person race. Racers may use their own paddles and PFDs if they wish, but must transport them to and from the paddle portion of the race.

Race Location and Parking

Rocky Gap State Park
12500 Pleasant Valley Rd.
Flintstone, MD 21530

Rocky Gap State Park is located in Western Maryland, 6 miles east of Cumberland in Allegany County. The park is approximately 2.5 hours from the Baltimore and Washington regions.

Once in the park follow signs for race parking. We stage the race out of the Mountain View Pavilion and the TA is between the pavilion and the lake.

A hotel/casino is located at the park and the park has a great campground. Several hotels are also close to the park.

Awards

Awards will be presented to the top five in all race categories. Awards will be presented after the race at the awards ceremony.

Race Rules

Use of any GPS device that has a visual display of distance or map is forbidden.
Non-GPS bike computers are allowed on your bikes.
Team members must stay within 100 ft of each other at all times (unless otherwise instructed).
All team members must follow all official race rules provided during check-in.
Portable music players or any device requiring earphones are not permitted.
Pets are not allowed on the course.
Respect other racers, volunteers, race staff, and the environment. No littering.
Poor sportsmanship may result in disqualification.
Racers must notify race officials if they drop out of the race.

Age Groups

Solo Divisions
Male, female

2 Person Team Divisions include:
Duo mixed gender, Duo Female, Duo Male, Duo-Masters (combined age 100+)

3/4 Person Team Divisions include:
Mixed gender, Female, Male, and Masters (team members any gender, combined team age of 150+ for 3-person teams and 200+ for 4-person teams)

Additional Information

New to Adventure Racing?

If you are new to adventure racing or have never done the Greenhorn or VentureQuest Adventure Races before, then the below resources will help you prepare. This maps and rules of travel were for a race held previously at Pohick Bay in Lorton, VA. There is also the recording of the Q&A and mini-clinic held in 2023 before our VentureQuest Adventure Race. The clinic portion starts are 41:30.

Ready to Race?

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