Adventurers start Canadian wilderness race .
PEMBERTON , British Columbia 1996-08-24
About 350 adventurers from nine countries set out on Saturday to climb , raft , bike and run in a 323-mile ( 517-km ) endurance race through the Canadian wilderness .
The event , called the Eco-Challenge , is part of a growing sport known as adventure racing in which competitors test their limits for days over a perilous wilderness course .
" I 'm looking forward to this race .
I think it will be more physically challenging and we 'll have to go up against more diverse situations due to the terrain , " said Dr. Michael Stroud , a veteran Eco-Challenge participant .
The Eco-Challenge has been staged twice before -- in Utah and Maine last year -- and is modelled on similar races overseas .
The 70 teams in this year 's race will will trek glaciers , climb mountains , whitewater raft , horseback ride , canoe and mountain bike along the grueling course .
This year 's race , the route of which was keep a secret until Friday evening , is being held near Pemberton , British Columbia , about 100 miles ( 160 km ) northeast of Vancouver .
The area is filled with treacherous mountain peaks , ice fields and frigid waters .
Organisers expect about two-thirds of the participants to drop out or be disqualified before the finish .
The hardy ones are expected to complete the course in about six days , with first-place finishers receiving $ 10,000 in prize money .
In the Eco-Challenge , competitors race in teams of five which must include both men and women .
Team members must remain within 100 yards ( metres ) of each other at all times and finish together .
With racers carrying about 40 pounds ( 18 kg ) of gear on their backs , broken bones , sunstroke , dehydration and exhaustion are common .