Hi Maine Summer Adventure Racers,

This is the second update for participants in the 2025 Maine Summer Adventure Race, taking place July 12-13. Update #1 can be found here, and there will be a final update sent out the week before the race. 

Before we jump in, we wanted to let everyone who hasn't signed up yet that registration will remain open until Sunday, July 6 at 11:59 pm. Registration can be completed at MaineSummerAR.com, or at this link:
REGISTRATION - MAINE SUMMER ADVENTURE RACE

8-hour race update:
First, and most importantly, we have changed the start location for the 8-hour race only. The start will now take place at the Gem Theater, located at 48 Cross St. in Bethel. Volunteers will help you park in the correct lot once you arrive, and we have rented the theater, so you’ll have a warm and dry place to look over your maps in the morning. The best news of all is that there’s a Dunkin’ Donuts just across the street that opens at 5 am! The finish will remain at Pine Hill, so unfortunately, you’ll have to bike back around 1.5 miles to your cars after the race. But it's mostly downhill and we promise to feed you first!

3-hour and 24-hour race start/finish will be Pine Hill:
The 3-hour and 24-hour races will both begin and end at Pine Hill in Bethel (see previous update for directions). It's a remote property so don't be expecting much beyond a parking lot and some port-a-potties!

24-hour race hike-a-bike help:
For our 24-hour racers, we wanted to share a couple of useful videos if you’re looking to learn how to best to carry your bikes for the two-mile hike-a-bike you’ll be doing. There are many ways to do this, but here’s one great solution from Team ThisAbility:
Team ThisAbility: How to strap your bike to your backpack
Here's one that doesn't require any straps:
How To Carry Your Mountain Bike | Hike-A-Bike Techniques
And if you want to splurge on even more adventure racing gear, here's one using the Restrap harness (sold separately from race entry):
How-to: Hike a Bike Harness - YouTube

Course estimates: 
We have gotten several questions asking about our initial estimates, so here they are again, slightly revised and confirmed:

3-hour racers will have a minimum of 1 mile and a maximum of 10 miles of total hiking/biking. 
8-hour racers will have a minimum of 5 miles of hiking, 2 miles of biking, and 4 miles of paddling. 
24-hour racers will have a minimum of 5 miles of hiking, 30 miles of biking, and 11 miles of paddling.

As previously noted, these estimates represent the absolute minimum miles to travel to complete the race. Obtaining all checkpoints will require significantly more miles (looking at you, 8-hour racers wondering why there’s only 2 miles of biking. Hint: we strongly recommend a mountain bike for all the non-mandatory miles).

Since so many of you have asked, we will be providing a course overview/schematic for the 8-hour and 24-hour races in our final racer update.

Discounts:
Good news for all racers, we’ve gotten more discounts on lodging.
The Bethel Inn is centrally located in downtown Bethel and we’ve gotten special group rates.
3-bedroom Condo $299/night
2-bedroom condo $259/night
2-bedroom suite $199/night
Superior Room or Studio $159/night
Standard room (no frills) $129/night
All rooms are subject to lodging tax and small resort fee.
Either book online with the code: 17201 or call the resort directly at (207) 824-2175 and mention the Maine Summer Adventure Race to receive the discounted price.

We also have a discount at the Rostay Inn, with rooms at $145. Use this link to book:
https://hotels.cloudbeds.com/reservation/tcM0eU#promo=MSAR2025

And for those who prefer to camp,  we have secured 15% discounts at the Pleasant Hill Campground (which has 75 campsites and RV sites and six brand-new cabins). Use the code MSAR2025 at checkout, with a a two-night minimum. We also have a 15% discount at the Stony Brook Campground (use code MSAR 2025 at checkout).

We’ve also secured a 10% discount on bike rentals and gear at Barker Mountain Bikes at 53 Mayville Road in Bethel. Call in advance to reserve a bike (he’s got several nice mountain bikes in most sizes available for rent) or stop into the store before the race to pick up any gear you need at a sweet discount! 

And as a reminder, our fantastic sponsor OutThere is offering a 25% discount on their fantastic AR-specific race packs. Use the code: StrongMachine25

We have one last great sponsorship to announce: Steam Mill Brewing! This fantastic microbrewery in Bethel will be providing a beer tent with four locally brewed ales and a hard seltzer. And our host, Gould Academy, may be supplying a jam band to help set a celebratory mood for all our 3-hour and 8-hour racers finishing on Saturday.

Before I leave you to more dot-watching of the Endless Mountains Adventure Race, where Strong Machine AR and 39 other amazing teams are still going strong on Day 4, a couple of other reminders:

Complete your team:
Signed up already? Are you sure all your teammates are as well? Check your team's status on RunSignUp – teams with teammates who have not yet signed up must do so as soon as possible to guarantee their place in the race.

Gear list: 
The gear list of mandatory and suggested equipment is live on our website and can be found here:
Required Gear — 2025 Maine Summer Adventure Race
Canoes (and river kayaks for solo racers) will be provided for the 8-hour and 24-hour races.
Racers must bring their own bikes for the 8-hour and 24-hour races. Mountain bikes are strongly recommended for the 8-hour race and required for the 24-hour race.
There will be no paddling in the 3-hour race, and the biking section is optional, though we recommend bringing mountain bikes if you have them.

Maine GearShare: 
We are so excited to announce a partnership with Maine GearShare at the 2025 Maine Summer Adventure Race! Bring any gear in need of repair to the race and the expert fixers at Maine GearShare will do their best to get it back in working order. All done for free while you're off racing through the woods! All items must be clean. Common repair types accepted: stuck or misaligned zippers, nylon with rips, puffy coat holes, broken backpack buckles and straps, seam failures, etc. Some stoves, tents, snowshoes and other hard goods can be repaired on a case-by-case basis. 
If possible (though not required), please use this link to submit your repair requests. After you enter a submission, you will receive an email with a repair ID that should be attached to your item when you drop it off. This is not required but will help Maine GearShare plan its day in advance.
This is part of Strong Machine Adventure Racing's commitment to sustainability and giving back to the outdoors community.

Thanks as always to our supporting sponsors: L.L. Bean, Squirt Cycling Products, Zanfel, OutThere Packs, Sap Hound Maple Company and Pasokin. 

Still have questions? You can reach us with any questions at StrongMachineAR@gmail.com.