VentureQuest Adventure Race

Saturday September 12, 2026

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VentureQuest Adventure Race

The VentureQuest (VQ) Adventure Race has challenged, rewarded, and inspired over 5000 athletes in its history. VQ is where is all began for EX2 and we are excited to produce our 20th edition of this special race.

Racer communications:

This year we will have an 8-hour course option staging out of Rocky Gap State Park. The details of the courses and what to expect are below.

Date: Saturday September 12, 2026
Start Time: 9:00am
Location: Rocky Gap State Park in Flintstone, MD
Bathrooms: Park bathrooms and showers at start/finish, portajohns on course at some TAs.
Contact: Andy Bacon (RD) 703-338-3965 and info@ex2adventures.com

Disciplines: Trekking, paddling, mountain biking, navigation.
Teams: Soloists and teams of up to 4 (male, female, or mixed gender). Team members travel together the entire race.

Note: the 24-hour edition of VQ that was planned for 2026 has been cancelled. We may try again another year.

Register for VentureQuest

Race Format

Soloists and teams of up to 4 (male, female, or mixed gender) will be tasked with finding checkpoints dispersed inside and outside of 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 typically includes the most distance of biking, then trekking, 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. The courses are designed to be challenging, but achievable.

Distances: The 8-hour race course will cover a total distance of up to approximately 32 miles depending on route choice and the number of checkpoints acquired. Very roughly up to 4 miles paddling, up to 18 miles biking, and up to 10 miles trekking.

Registration Fees

Soloists and teams of 2 to 4 racers are allowed. Registration fees are per personn.

$125 (8-hour) – New year (by 1/1)
$135 (8-hour) – Early (by 6/12)
$145 (8-hour) – Regular (by 8/12)
$155 (8-hour) – Late (by 9/9)

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 VentureQuest

Registration Fee Includes

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

Race Weekend Schedule

Saturday September 12, 2025
8-Hour Schedule

6:30am – check-in and map distribution opens
8:15am – race briefing
9:00am – race start
3:30pm – post-race food available
5:00pm – race course closes
5:30pm – 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)
Pen or Sharpie
Small dry bag for your cell phone (either a few zip locks or a store bought dry bag)

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. Garmin in AR Mode is only exception.
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, masters (50+)

2 Person Team Divisions include:
Duo mixed gender, Duo Female, Duo Male, Duo-Masters (all team members 50+)

3/4 Person Team Divisions include:
Mixed gender, Female, Male, and Masters (all team members 50+)

Additional Information

New to Adventure Racing?

If you are new to adventure racing or have never done VentureQuest 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 VentureQuest.

Ready for Adventure?!?!

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