Pisgah 12 Hour Adventure Race
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Event overview
Pisgah 12 Hour Adventure Race 2026 is a 12-hour adventure race on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Lake James State Park, Paddy Creek Area, 7321 NC-126, Nebo, NC 28761. The race offers four event formats: SOLO, 2-person, 3-person, and 4-person teams. Entry is listed at $150 per racer, with the price increasing after April 30, 2026. This is the seventh year the race is held at the state park and the final race in the organizer's series.
Teams of one to four travel together along a mixed course that includes a bushwhacking O-course, single-track and some road mountain bike riding, and scenic paddling. The objective is to collect punches from unmanned checkpoint flags in the woods; the team with the most points in the least time is the winner.
Logistics and gear
Each team or solo racer must provide a canoe or kayak or rent one through NCARS; rentals are limited and handled on a first-come, first-served basis. Required individual gear includes a functional mountain bike (no road or cyclocross bikes), a CPSC-marked bicycle helmet for bike sections, a Type I, II, or III PFD for paddling, food and fluids for the race duration, a pen/pencil/sharpie, a knife, a whistle, and an individual headlight with extra batteries.
Required team gear includes a canoe or kayak, a UTM plotter with 1:24,000 scale, a compass, a watch, a cell phone with a waterproof case, and a basic first aid kit. Recommended items include weather-appropriate clothing, a waterproof map case, a water purification method, and spare bike tube and repair tools. Additional race information is available from NCARS. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
