Abstract
In adventure racing, or multisporting, athletes perform multiple disciplines over a course in rugged, often remote, wilderness terrain. Disciplines may include, but are not limited to, hiking, trail running, mountain biking, caving, technical climbing, fixed-line mountaineering, flat- and white-water boating, and orienteering. While sprint races may be as short as 6 hours, expedition-length adventure races last a minimum of 36 hours up to 10 days or more and may cover hundreds of kilometres.
Over the past decade, adventure racing has grown in popularity throughout the world with increasing numbers of events and participants each year. The provision of on-site medical care during these events is essential to ensure the health and safety of the athletes and thus the success of the sport.
At present, there are no formal guidelines and a relatively small amount of literature to assist in the development of medical support plans for these events. This article provides an introduction to the provision of medical support for adventure races. Since a wide variety of illness and injury occur during these events, the medical support plan should provide for proper personnel, equipment and supplies to provide care for a wide range of illness and injury. Foot-related problems are the most common reasons for athletes to require medical attention during these events.
This article also highlights some of the controversies involved in the provision of medical support for these events. Suggsted penalties for acceptance of medical care during the event and strategies for removal of an athlete from the event for medical reasons are offered. In addition, some of the challenges involved in the provision of medical support, including communication, logistics and liability are discussed.
This information should prove useful for medical directors of future, similar events. Because of their extreme nature, expedition-length adventure races represent a new and unique area of wilderness and event medicine.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Caldwell L, Siff B. Adventure racing: the ultimate guide. Boulder (CO): Velo Press, 2001
Nordberg M. EMS and mass gatherings [abstract]. Emerg Med Serv 1990 May 19; 46–56: 91
Townes DA. Event medicine: medical support for adventure racing. J Wilderness Med 2003; 20: 7–8
Townes DA, Talbot TS, Wedmore IS, et al. Event medicine: injury and illness during an expedition-length adventure race. J Emerg Med 2004; 27 (2): 161–5
Fordham S, Garbutt G, Lopes P. Epidemiology of injuries in adventure racing athletes. Br J Sports Med 2004; 38 (3): 300–3
Talbot TS, Townes DA, Wedmore IS. To air is human: altitude illness during an expedition length adventure race. Wilderness Environ Med 2004; 15 (2): 90–4
Centers for Disease Control. Update: outbreak of acute febrile illness among athletes participating in Eco-Challenge-Sabah 2000 -Borneo, Malaysia, 2000. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2001; 50: 21–4
Fournier PE, Roux V, Caumes E, et al. Outbreak of Rickettsia africae infections in participants of an adventure race in South Africa. Clin Infect Dis 1998; 27: 316–23
Trubo R. Leptospira brings fresh challenge to adventure sports. Lancet Infect Dis 2001; 1: 73
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Dr Desmond Kidd and Dr Alan Gianotti for their assistance in the preparation of this manuscript. No sources of funding were used to assist in the preparation of this manuscript. The author has no conflicts of interest that are directly relevant to the content of this manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Townes, D.A. Wilderness Medicine. Sports Med 35, 557–564 (2005). https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200535070-00001
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200535070-00001