The Course Reveal Podcast

Brian P. Gatens

Want to know the ins and outs of a race? Terrain challenges, elevation, water stops, everything? Then you've come to the right place.

Episodes

  1. Mar 15

    Course Reveal: Back to the Berg — The 2026 Expedition Africa Course Reveal

    This episode of The Course Reveal Podcast drops on race morning — which means that as you listen, the teams are already moving. Expedition Africa: Back to the Berg is an expedition-length adventure race set in and around the Drakensberg of South Africa — one of the most dramatic and unforgiving landscapes on the continent. Race directors Franco Olivier and Damon De Boor join host Brian Gatens, along with commentary from adventure racing journalist and Expedition Africa veteran Adam Rose, to walk through what they've built before the final results are in. And what they've built will test everything. Navigation that punishes complacency. Rivers that demand respect. Mountain bike stages that go on long after your legs have stopped cooperating. A rogaine through terrain that looks the same in every direction at 2 AM. A dark zone that will separate the race winners from everyone else. And a final push into the Berg that ends on a via ferrata above one of the most spectacular views in African adventure racing. Franco and Damon have spent over a year designing a course that is hard without being cruel, remote without being reckless, and beautiful in the way that only suffering in a remarkable place can be. The course is open. The teams are racing. This is Expedition Africa: Back to the Berg. Shownotes: https://www.instagram.com/expafrica https://www.facebook.com/expafrica.net/ https://ea26.maprogress.com/ Sponsors: @alpineheathresort @pigglywigglymidlands @dargleforestlodge @hebronhaven @merrellsa @radbag.co.za @squirtcyclingproducts @foreverfresh.sa @bikebox.company @freedomchallenge @drakensbergbrewery

  2. 09/10/2025

    Course Reveal: Subaru Canada Adventure Racing World Championship 2025

    Welcome to a special episode of The Course Reveal Podcast, a companion show to The Dark Zone: An Adventure Racing Podcast. Today, we turn our attention to the 2025 Subaru Canada Adventure Racing World Championship, where the best teams on the planet will converge in Penticton, British Columbia, to chase the ultimate prize in the sport. This year’s race features an epic 799-kilometer course, with teams racing for up to 9 days across glaciers, mountain ranges, whitewater rivers, and backcountry roads while visiting remote villages along the way. Expect rugged mountains, complex navigation, and the dramatic landscapes of British Columbia as athletes push through a relentless test of strategy, endurance, and teamwork. We’re joined by three key voices behind the event: Lyndie Hill of Hoodoo Adventures, Race Director John Ford, and Course Designer Alex Man. They go deep into the course, the challenges faced by the racers, and their pride and joy in bringing the ARWC to British Columbia. Together, they’ll guide us through the vision for this year’s championship, the details of the course design, and why British Columbia is the perfect stage for the world’s toughest teams. If you like what you hear, please subscribe, like, and share. TCR is designed to give at-home fans and dotwatchers another opportunity to connect with and enjoy the world of adventure racing. You Keep Watching, and We’ll Keep Talking. Shownotes: Race Website - https://www.expeditionracecanada.ca/ Tracking Website - https://www.expeditionracecanada.ca/livetrackmedia

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Want to know the ins and outs of a race? Terrain challenges, elevation, water stops, everything? Then you've come to the right place.