Adventure racing is typically a multidisciplinary team sport involving navigation over an unmarked wilderness course with races extending anywhere from eight hours up to 10 days in length. The principal disciplines in adventure racing includes trekking, mountain biking, and paddling although races may incorporate a multitude of other disciplines including climbing, abseiling, inline skating, caving and rafting. The premier format is considered to be mixed gender teams of four racers, during Raid Lowlands teams of any formation are allowed. There is typically no suspension of the clock during races, irrespective of length; elapsed competition time runs concurrently with real time, and competitors must choose if or when to rest, sleep and eat. Using only map and compass, teams must find checkpoints to eventually arrive at the finish line. 

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The most important and biggest organiser of adventure races around the world is the Adventure Race World Series (ARWS). Under their banner, nearly 20 adventure races are held annually from the Australian Outback, to the Kingdom in the sky in Africa, to the Patagonian region in South America. 

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