254K Amazon jungle race underway

How would you like to compete in a race where some of the obstacles could include piranhas, jaguars, and mosquitoes. The UVU Jungle Marathon, which got underway on Sunday, has all three.

The six-day endurance event crawls through dense vegetation and the endless swamps of the Amazon rainforest. There are three options for the race: a 42.2K single-day marathon, a 120K four-day event, and a behemoth 254K journey over seven days comprising of six stages.

The event is set in Tapajós National Forest, Brazil. The 545,000 hectare park is home to some of the world’s most dangerous wildlife, which runners will surely encounter. The area is also one of the most highly protected areas in the Amazon, made up of of dense forest, sandy beaches, rivers, wetlands and lakes. The course follows small paths through the park along the wildly varying terrain. The first stage includes a 150m swim that requires participants carry all their gear with them in the water. All of this is done during the Amazon’s dry season when temperatures exceed 40 degrees before factoring in the extreme humidity of the jungle. Competitors are expected to be self-sufficient from when they land in Brazil until completing the race. Many do not finish.

Last year’s 254K race was won by Duncan MacRae of Britain in a cumulative time of 39:08:00. The top female finisher was Brazilian Carla Goulart de Almedia in 48:36:00. Canadian Tracy Garneau was one of the top competitors in the 2009 running of the event.