Adventure Racing Canada would like to announce Golden, British Columbia and Kicking Horse Resort as its chosen host location for the Eco-Challenge Canadian Championship, August 11th - 17th, 2002.

"This is huge!" exclaimed Golden's Mayor Walter (Red) Scott. "We are extremely pleased to be given the opportunity of having hundreds of world-class athletes in our community for this Eco- Challenge Canadian Championship. Being able to host the race in Golden clearly illustrates how successful the community has been over the past decade in transforming itself into a mountain adventure destination. This is what we've been working for."

The Eco-Challenge is the ultimate adventure. It is the world's toughest Expedition Race; it is epic, gritty and unpredictable. Extraordinary athletes compete against a spectacular backdrop, every year showcasing the triumph of the human spirit in an unforgettable visceral viewing experience.

"Not only are we pleased to be hosting the Eco-Challenge qualifying race," said Steve Menzie, Race Director, Adventure Racing Canada, "We are tremendously fortunate to host it in a world-class location that racers will remember for years to come. Not since the Eco-Challenge itself was here in 1996 has there been an adventure race of this significance in Canada - Eco-Challenge is the ultimate goal in the sport of adventure racing."

The Eco-Challenge Canadian Championship is the only public qualifying event for Eco-Challenge. Teams of four, comprising men and women, will race non-stop, 24-hours a day for three to five days, over a rugged 350-km course using only non-motorized forms of transport ("disciplines"). This race will combine several different disciplines including: mountaineering, fixed ropes, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, canyoneering, glacial trekking, canoeing and, of course, trekking.

Teams are vying for two Canadian Eco-Challenge qualifying spots and one American qualifying spot. The first Canadian team to cross the finish line together will win a paid entry into the 2002 Eco-Challenge race in Fiji.

It is a challenge that transcends physical fitness and the individual; its very essence lies in team dynamics and the ability to solve problems under constant stress, including little sleep and limited food. The race demands mutual respect for others and for the environment, while each individual is pushed to the very edge of human endurance.

Golden, British Columbia has access to some of the most diverse and incredible terrain in the country and is the perfect area in which to test the limits of racers. Nestled into the Rocky Mountains, Golden is surrounded by Canada's most famous National Parks (Banff/Lake Louise, Yoho, Jasper, Kootenay, Glacier).

The Purcell and Rocky Mountains, which run north to south, form the basis of a geological phenomena called the Canadian Rocky Mountain Trench - a rock and water channel so extensive it's visible from space. As Golden's geographical host the Trench also contains the famous Columbia River Valley, the longest continuous wetland valley in North America. The Golden area sits at the top of this incredible valley which hosts around 250 species of birds and reptiles, and offers rich habitat to thousands of mammals like elk, deer, grizzly and black bears, coyotes, wolves and aquatic animals like beavers, muskrat and otter.

Many of the over 40 teams competing in this year's Eco-Challenge Canadian Championship have expressed excitement over the choice of Golden, British Columbia.

"I competed at Eco-Challenge '95 in Utah, and I'm looking forward to another Eco-quality race," said Martin Rydlo, Team Hammer. "I am eager to race in the premier of the Eco-Challenge Canadian Championship and I couldn't think of a more beautiful and challenging locale than the mountains of Golden, B.C. We're all looking forward to this qualifying event, and hope that we can continue on to Eco-Challenge Fiji 2002."

For more information, check out, www.adventureracingcanada.com/eco.htm