Winter Warm-Up Adventure Race
About this race
Are you ready to jumpstart your Adventure Race Season?
Kick off the year right by accruing your USARA Points in a course designed to get you warmed up for 2027.
This is a fun and unique early season race perfect for families wanting a great day in the woods as well as seasoned racers keeping their skills sharp through the winter months! After the race, we will have food and a fire with our awards ceremony to allow new and seasoned racers to socialize together with such a welcoming community.
Registration officially closes on January 6th. If you would still like to register after that, email jesse@gritadventureracing.com or nick@gritadventureracing.com to see if there are still slots available. Registrations after December 26th are not guaranteed a shirt.
We offer youth pricing. Anyone under 18 is $50 for the 4-hour and $70 for the 8-hour race.
4 Hour Adventure Race
9 January 2027 | Frederick, MD
USARA Race Series
Mountain Bike | Trek (Trek Only Option Available)
The course is welcoming to families while allowing optional checkpoints for seasoned racers to test their skills.
Early Packet Pick-Up:
5:30-7:30pm Janurary 8th at 13002 C Mink Farm Rd, Thurmont, MD 21788
- You will see our flag at the property entrance. Proceed to the first intersection and park at the barn. You can collect packets at the homestead house, just past the barn toward the pond.
Race Start Location: 13002 C Mink Farm Rd, Thurmont, MD 21788
Timeline:
The transition area opens 7:10 AM on January 9th for Equipment/Bike Staging.
Packet Pick-Up: 7:30 AM
Pre-race brief: 8:30 ARace Start: 9:00 AM
Race End & Food: 1:00
Awards: 1:15 PM
8 Hour Adventure Race
Mountain Bike | Trek (Trek Only Option Available)
This course offers more challenging navigation and route choices and is perfect for aspiring adventure racers who want to test themselves and seasoned racers who want to dial in their skills.
Early Packet Pick-Up:
5:30-7:30 pm January 8th at 13002 C Mink Farm Rd, Thurmont, MD 21788
You will see our flag the property entrance. Proceed to the first intersection and park at the barn. You can collect packets at the homestead house, just past the barn toward the pond.
Race Start Location: 13002 C Mink Farm Rd, Thurmont, MD 21788
Timeline
The transition area opens at 7:10 AM on January 9th for Equipment/Bike Staging.
Packet Pick-Up: 7:30 AM
Pre-race brief: 8:30 AM
Race Start: 9:00 AM
Race End & Food: 5:00 PM
Awards: 5:15 PM
Beginner/Intermediate Clinic
Ready to take your Adventure Racing skills to the next level?
Take your racing skills to the next level with an Adventure Racing Clinic with Jesse Tubb. Learn advanced techniques and skills with the help of someone with over 17 years of adventure racing experience, including a 2022 Adventure Racing Solo Championship win, 2018 USARA championship win, and an Eco Challenge finisher. With this clinic, you'll become a better teammate, more efficient racer, and hone your navigation skills. Sign up as a soloist or with your team to get ready for the racing season.
2 Hours on Friday in conjunction with Early Packet Pick-Up Times. (In-Person with Race Maps).
Pre-Race Clinic
Time: 6:00-8:00 PM Friday, January 8th
Location: The same building as packet pickup. 13002 C Mink Farm Rd, Thurmont, MD 21788.
Price: $40
Pick your distance
Adventure race
4 Hour
8 Hour
Trek only option 4 hour
Trek only option 8 hour
Volunteer!
Typical race-day weather
Based on 1 year of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Thurmont, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 7:30 AM and sets at 5:03 PM local time (EST) in Thurmont on January 9, 2027 — 9h 33m of daylight.
Course
No course map published yet.
The organizer hasn't released a route for this event, and we don't publish guesses. If you're the organizer, send us a GPX file and we'll draw the profile.
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Other races near Thurmont
Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months
Friends 10K - 5K and Fun Run/Walk (historic)
Friends of Cunningham Falls and Gambrill State Parks 10K-5K and Fun Run/Walk
Gateway to the Cure Covered Bridge 5K
Pink Ribbon 5K
Where this page comes from. Race details were last updated on . We re-check listings regularly and again in the week before race day.
- Entries, prices, waves and inclusions — the event's official registration page
- Temperature and humidity — Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)
- Elevation and terrain relief — Copernicus DEM GLO-90, ESA (CC BY 4.0)
- Comparisons and counts — Race Discovery calendar, 6 Thurmont events
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