It happens after nearly all of our races, we'll get some feedback from teams who had no previous exposure to adventure racing and their comments go like this:
"We had so much fun! And the other racers were all really friendly!"
Adventure racing attracts a certain caliber of person. I'm not saying all folks in AR are approachable, friendly, and nice, but the majority certainly are. That's not the case for road cycling (where "dropping the new guy" is a right of passage), triathlon (where competition is cut-throat and the regimented heart rate monitor rules the race -- there's a reason more attorneys do triathlons than any other sport), or marathon (where the sheer numbers are so huge and impersonal). Now, I know many nice roadies, triathletes, marathoners, and attorneys but there is something particular to adventure racing that makes for an atmosphere of camraderie.
Maybe it's the shared adversity of overcoming obstacles (physical and mental) on the course? Maybe it's the long duration of the event -- I get the impression Ultras have the same vibe as adventure racing but I don't know for sure [yet]?
Whatever it is, I've seen more
collective fun had at adventure races than at any other events and that's why it's such a big part of who I am. I like to have fun, even if I joke about the tears left on the race course; if I make it to heaven I hope to hear that the mandatory pre-race meeting will start in about 15 minutes . . .