Biennial means every other year

The Race to Alaska (R2AK) began in 2015 with a proposition: who wants to leave their engines behind and race the 750 mile course from Port Townsend, WA to Ketchikan, AK? Apparently lots of people, and aside from the COVID-cancelled races in 2020 and 2021, this annual endurance test returns in 2024 for its eighth edition. But change is coming as the organizers reveal in this update:

Dear adventure artists, tracker hounds, dreamers of terrifying dreams:

As you know, we, the cobblers’ children of Race to Alaska, pride ourselves on delivering an experience that’s as unpredictable as Johnstone Strait winds and makes failure but a tasty appetizer to triumph. With that spirit in mind, we’re announcing the next evolution of our beloved race.

Starting now, R2AK is shifting to a biennial rhythm. Yes, you read that right: the ultimate test of will, skill, and grit will now grace us every other year. Let’s be clear: 2024 R2AK IS ON. ‘25 is not. 2026 R2AK is ON. ‘27 is not. Understand?

Inspired by legends of scarcity like the McRib and the Disney Vault, we’re embracing the power of deprivation, desire, and suspense. Here’s why it’s better:

• Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder: Like storied quests of old, time between races will make for more excitement and anticipation as the jitters of race-detox set in. And with this brilliant and insightful adjustment to R2AK supply and demand, racer futures are trading high.

• Dream a Little Dream of Me: For racers, this means more time to prepare, strategize, and cook up the gnarly contraptions that make R2AK a hotbed of ingenuity. For fans, it means growing your enthusiasm and perhaps planning your own journey to the starting line and beyond.

And best of all? The return of WA360.

By now you’re thinking—less racing? What the heck am I going to obsess over next summer? Settle down. We’re talking about more racing. WA360—the COVID-proof race that picked up R2AK’s slack in 2021—is coming back in 2025, and will alternate years with the Great Dash to Ketchikan.

Are you super mad about R2AK ’25? Want to call the Race Boss and give him a piece of your mind? How about you go work those feelings out at your pilates class and think about WA360 instead?

WA360 is a race from Port Townsend to Port Townsend, hitting Olympia, Skagit Bay, Point Roberts, and the San Juans—a rollicking counterclockwise slide through the waterways of Washington. Racers will contend with squalls, doldrums, commercial traffic, raccoons, marauding recreational boaters, and their own embattled decision making—Deception Pass, or Swinomish Slough? Bears are unlikely, but raccoons are near-guaranteed! Full details to come in September. For now, check out 15% more detail on the WA360 webpage.

R2AK 2024 is only months away—cherish it, then get your game face on for WA360 2025.

R2AK details: https://r2ak.com/