Midcoast Conservancy is holding the third annual Maine Summer Adventure Race on June 16. As in years past, the race will be based out of the conservancy’s Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson. Racers will have three options: a 24-hour race, which will be a U.S. Adventure Race Association (USARA) National Championship Qualifier; an eight-hour intermediate race, or a three-hour race for beginners and families.

Adventure racing involves teams of two, three or four competing in a nonstop race with trail running or trekking, road and mountain biking, sea kayaking and orienteering. Teams will have to combine athleticism with strategy and navigation to guide themselves to as many checkpoints as possible within the race’s time limit.

More than 80 people on 30 teams took part in last year’s 10-hour race, which began in Boothbay Harbor and finished at HVNC. Another 60 people took on the three-hour race at HVNC, which included paddleboarding, fat biking, and Amazing Race-style challenges.

“We’re upping the ante,” race co-director Cliff White said. “People who are tired of doing the same obstacle courses or who are looking for their next big challenge can find it in adventure racing, right here in Maine.”

The precise course through scenic and remote areas of the Midcoast is determined on race day.

In the 24-hour race, participants can expect 10 to 20 miles of challenging, off-trail orienteering, 30 to 50 miles of biking including technical mountain biking, and 15 to 25 miles of tidal sea kayaking. The 2017 USARA national champions, Pennsylvania-based Rootstock Racing, have already committed to the race.

For those looking for a more manageable challenge, the eight-hour course has the full, base course, with advanced racers challenged by additional checkpoints. Racers can expect approximately three to eight miles on foot, 15 to 25 miles on bikes, and four to eight miles of paddling.

The three-hour race is designed for beginner racers and for those looking to get the entire family outside for a day in the woods. It will combine hiking, canoeing and Amazing Race-style challenges and is designed to be possible to complete and enjoyable for participants of all ages and abilities. Racers can do as much or as little of the course as they choose and special prizes will be given for the top family team.

Registration is now open at www.midcoastconservancy.org/events/maine-summer-adventure-race. Registration fees for all the races include race T-shirt, swag bag, maps, boats, paddles, PFDs, prizes and giveaways, facility and land use fees, and a post-race feast, including local fare, vegetarian and gluten-free options, and a featured local microbrew from Oxbow Brewing.

The race is directed by the members of Strong Machine Adventure Racing, a nationally ranked adventure race team based in Portland, in partnership with Midcoast Conservancy.

Find more information at www.MaineSummerAR.com or the Maine Summer Adventure Race on Facebook. Or contact White at 207-650-8698, StrongMachineAR@gmail.com