Racers competiting in the NOC/Subaru 8-Hour Adventure Race Saturday (March 26) hauled more than 150 pounds of trash out of Nantahala National Forest. Competing teams were given bonuses for picking up trash along the course.

Teams of three had to bike, run, and paddle a course based out of the Nantahala Gorge. In adventure races, the route remains a mystery until race morning. Teams receive coordinates and plot the course on a map. They have to pick up flags along the way to ensure they plotted the course correctly.

To finish the race, teams were required to execute a crossing of the 52-degree Nantahala River by means of a raft bridge.

“That was pretty intense—and funny,” said Bill Hill of Team Cycleworks, who finished first in the all-male category.

First place in the competitive coed category went to an Atlanta-based team, Team Hooked on the Outdoors, coming in at four hours and 34 minutes. A margin of nearly half an hour separated first and second place, which went to the Asheville-based pros from Team Litespeed, who finished the race in five hours and 2 minutes. The Ridge Runners, perennial champs of the NOC 8-Hour Adventure Race, finished in third place.

“We knew the local teams were going to be our biggest threat,” said Matt Schaltenbrand with Hooked on the Outdoors. “Our navigational strengths helped us on the finishing run and brought us in first.”

Schaltenbrand was joined by teammates Chris Brown and Shannon Greenhill.

Nantahala Outdoor Center will host the 12-Hour Adventure Race on Saturday, April 23. This race is a qualifying event for the US Adventure Racing Association’s National Finals. For more information, visit www.noc.com or call 800.232.7238.