Eco-Challenge
Eco-Challenge: The Expedition Race was a multi-day expedition length adventure race competed by teams of four.
Eco-Challenge was created by Mark Burnett, inspired by an L.A. Times article about Gerald Fusil's Raid Gauloises adventure race in New Zealand. After purchasing the rights from Fusil, Burnett launched the Eco-Challenge with the goal of becoming the world's premiere adventure race.
Each team of four or five members, comprised of men and women, raced non-stop, 24-hours a day, over a rugged 300-mile (500km) course, participating in such disciplines as trekking, whitewater canoeing, horseback riding, sea kayaking, scuba diving, mountaineering and mountain biking.
The first Eco-Challenge was held on April 25, 1995 in the Utah desert and was held each year until 2002. Burnett recently noted that he did not intend to hold another Eco-Challenge, but had considered selling the rights to it. In contrast, other expedition length races, including Primal Quest continue to be held.
- 1995 Utah
- 1995 Maine/New England (as part of the X-Games X-Venture adventure race)
- 1996 British Columbia
- 1997 Australia
- 1998 Morocco
- 1999 Argentina
- 2000 Sabah
- 2001 New Zealand
- 2002 Fiji
Trivia
The first Eco-Challenge took place in 1995. 53 teams entered and only 17 complete teams finished. First place HP and Second place Team Nike completed the course in just over 7 days.
Hayden Christensen, his brother Tove and his sister Hejsa competed in the last Eco-Challenge at Fiji. They were in last place for most of the 5 days they were in the race and then dropped out.
Two teams of Playboy Playmates competed in the Eco-Challenges at Sabah and Fiji.
A team of reality stars also competed as a team in Fiji. Team Mad River included Tim Beggy (Road Rules season 2), Adam Larson (Road Rules season 10), Jenna Lewis (Survivor: Borneo), and Ethan Zohn (Survivor: Africa)
