The Bend Racing Podcast

Andrea Anderson is a member of Team This Ability and has been on my radar since her she stood at the start line of the first Expedition Oregon back in 2018. Initially it was her timidness that I took notice of, expecting her to not last long at the pointy edge of the sport - where risk, suffering, speed, skill, and tenacity are all required...and she seemed to be lacking several of those things. But her tenacity was fierce, and over the past decade she has transformed into one of the most consistent racers on the continent - from impressive solo performances to multiple expedition podiums. But what has impressed me most is her attitude and thoughtfulness around risk. Legend.

In 2026, the GOATs of expedition adventure (Nathan Fa'avae and Sophie Hart) set their sites (for the second time) on breaking the Yukon 1000 record. They's already won the event in 2024, and had learned a lot in the process that they thought they could improve. So they went back. Could they paddle the 1000 miles of the Yukon faster than ever before? Well if you followed the race, you know the answer. Yes. We talk to Nathan just shortly after his return home and learn about his race, his injuries, his retirement, and his having to "harden up" at the very end .

4 Hour Fuel is slowly making a name for itself in the advenuture racing world, and ultra distance paddling and bike-packing races. But many might not know about the Superfood Smoothies, the high-carb mix, the expedition mash, and the new Daily mix. And how do you make sense of it all - when to use what? We've got you. If you are at all curious about the brand, why it was created, and how it can support your suffering endeavors...we got you right here.

Want to know the one piece of gear that will up your endurance cycling game even more than an actual nice bike? Then you have come to the right place. And yeah - this should be on the Adventure Race Training Podcast - but my co-host and I have both been busy, I lost my computer, and well sometimes it is better just to get stuff out and sort it all out later - and I know you all missed my excited voice. Bonus if you listen to it while on the trainer - it will be like music to your ears.

The Kiwi Sessions Continue: I have the pleasure of talking one on one with greats of Adventure Racing for the past two decades. With 8 world championships to his name, he's been a cornerstone of New Zealand's top team (Seagate and then Avaya). He's humble, open, and still super stoked on the sport. He's just taken back to back wins at both of New Zealand's expedition races - despite his team making one of the worst mistakes you can make in the sport. Lets dive in shall we?

Want to know what to look for when you dotwatch the Magnificent? Check out this course walkthrough that details the challenges and highlights of each stage, and what we expect to see out of the racers. Where will the racers find special challenges, surprise navigation difficulties, weather sensitive stages, and more. Sleep card? 3d printed maps? What's that all about? Dot watching is so much fun whey you know what to look for.

What's it like being a race director out in the wild preparing for one of the most challenging events in the world circuit? And are RD's as nuts as you imagine that they are for doing what they do? Heck Yeah. And we took a microphone along on some route setting to capture the action (and random thoughts) that pop up as we hack through the bush in the rain. It'll add some color to your dot watching of the actual race, and if you are a racer, you may glean a bit of insider info too.

Just when you thought the conversations coming out of New Zealand couldn't be better after hearing from both Fear Youth and Sophie Hart. - we bring you Tide Faavae. Unless you are a total newbie, you've marveled at Nathan Fa'avae's winning career. He won his first major adventure race in 1999, and shortly thereafter started a family with his wife Jodie - a 7x NZ MTB national champion. Suffice it to say that the 3 kids were exposed to a fair amount of athleticism and adventure. Tide Fa'avae is the youngest in the family, just 19, but is the first to tackle a expedition race. But Tide didn't race with her parents as one might expect - she raced with a bunch other "kids" (she was actually the oldest on the team!). We talk about growing up the Fa'avae household, her siblings, her first race, and her wisdom that most veteran teams could learn from. Thanks for listening and if you are inclined, share, subscribe or show some support and buy us a coffee here

Tell me you are a new adventure racer without saying it. Easy. "Sophie Hart? Never heard of her. " Now tell me you are an long time competitive racer that just was granted a wish to add a female racer to your next World Champs bid. Easy. "I pick Sophie Hart". But whichever one of those you are - this podcast is worth a listen. Sophie is the most successful female adventure racer on the planet, with multiple world championships, multiple God Zone wins, Coast to Coast wins, won the most recent Eco Challenge, the list goes on. But she's also a doctor, a mum, and just as down to earth and humble as anyone I've ever met. Thanks to Sophie for her time. If you like this podcast - show us some love: Subscribe, share, or become a supporter here

Ephebiphobia: The Fear of Youth Straight off their amazing work at the Godzone race, where they entertained dot watchers across the globe with their antics, we talk to this young Kiwi team that has been making waves the past half decade as they've improve drastically each year. They are now firmly entrenched in the top echelon of the expedition racing game, and their meteoric rise shows no signs of slowing down. But they still make mistakes, have humility, and oh so much drive. Support us: buymeacoffee.com/BendRacingPodcast

A new Adventure Race Training podcast has been launched! Wait what? People actually train for adventure racing? And coach adventure racers? Preposterous. Well maybe not. Meet Nick, and why he might be worth listening to...

The season was a banger for sure. But what can we learn? Are pack rafts bad for the sport? Should race directors design easy media coverage? Will next year's races be as "flawed" as this year's top events? Lots to unpack here with two opinionated folks.

Legit advice from 25 years at racing. I been holding onto this advice until I had enough street cred to get people to listen...so after a podium (podium is top 5 at worlds!) at this year's World Champs, I might never have a better moment. So buckle up for a quick "top 15" of things that you probably don't do, and won't believe...but would make you a better racer if you did.

Best Race - Worst Race. Flip sides of the same coin?!? Just listen - either you were there and survived, your happy that you weren't there cause you know you might not have survived, or you wish you were there creating memories that will never be forgotten.

We're back with Darren Steinbach for the state of AR #10. Lots going on and we'll recap the current scene! Darren is as opinionated as always!

Come along as we take on the iconic Seventy48 boat race with a bunch of yahoos and a home-made pedal powered contraption. That's right, we brought bikes to a boat race. We'll take you with us as we pedal on the water all through the night. You'll hear the music, the groans, the excitement of the crowd and even some live time catastrophe. Will we sink or swim? Or maybe just pedal our way into the history books?

We dive deeper, hear the origin story of this power couple, and find out who is faster and who is more competitive...as well as all their secrets (spoiler - it might involve pajamas!). Join us for the second part of this interview with racing and race directing legends Brent and Abby!

This one has been a long time coming, and ended up being so fun and informative that we cut it into two. Apparently Brent likes to talk about all things AR as much as BR host Jason Magness. So there is plenty of discussion around the sport, the recent Endless Mountains expedition race, and all things AR, parenting, racing and race directing. Enjoy!

Sitting at the base of Mt Rainier on the eve of North America's biggest (too big) 24 hour race, we watch the end of North Americas biggest expedition race of the year (Endless Mountains, also maybe too big), and wonder if there are any reasons why? We also wonder if Navy Seals are any good at AR, so we interviewed one that is racing tomorrow, and racing the upcoming World Champs in Canada. So listen in and enjoy the AR banter and root for Briar to survive it all.

During the pandemic, the crazies behind the infamous "Race to Alaska" (R2AK) were banned from holding an event that entered Canadian maritime waters. So the pivoted and hosted the WA360 - a 360 mile boat race that maximized the many arms and island of Puget Sound. It was non-stop an pitted sail boats, kayaks and any other non-motorized Frankenstein contraptions you could dream up all all against each other. Dan and I entered, fresh memories of success in the Everglades Challenge and Yukon River Quest. We had a new new plan for dealing with pee too, and a race proclaimed "World Champion" belt up for grabs. What could go wrong. Day 3 is when we encountered the Boogie Barge and Captain Blake Hansen. And then Dan started crying - a feeling of futility and unfairness overcoming his usually steely demeanor. Did our pee solution work? Did we overcome the evil that is the Boogie Barge? Tune in to find out, as we prepare to join (as Dan describes it) the DARK SIDE in just a few days in the iconic Seventy48 race.