At the end of Day 6, after more than 130 hours of non-stop racing, the leading teams in the Adventure Racing World Championship are preparing to face one final night before reaching the finish line. Three teams have broken clear and now look set to fill the podium places. But the gaps are so small that any one of them could still claim the world title.
By the end of the fifth night, the leaders had completed the huge trek across the island’s highest peaks, including the summit of Monte Cinto (2,706m), followed by a canyon descent to reach the end of the section. After leading the race for three days, Luberon MUC (14) lost some of their advantage and were caught by 400Team Altore (01) at the transition to the next section: a 24km packraft down the Golo, Corsica’s largest river.
Once on the Golo, which features several Class III rapids, 400Team Altore (01) moved into the lead for the first time in the race. The pre-race favourites had until then adopted a slightly more conservative strategy than Luberon MUC (14). Above all, they can draw on far greater experience, built over two decades of expedition racing and including a World Championship title won in Ecuador in 2024. The third team still firmly in contention for victory is Estonian ACE/La Sportiva (02), who also made up considerable time towards the end of the mountain trek. Ranked world No. 2, the team are no strangers to close finishes and have twice finished runners-up at the Adventure Racing World Championship.
Can 400Team Altore (01) hold on to their lead and claim a second world title? Will Luberon MUC (14) find the energy to fight back at this late stage of the race? Or can Estonian ACE/La Sportiva (02) overhaul both rivals and finally claim the title they have been chasing for so long?
Before crossing the finish line in L’Île-Rousse, the three teams must first complete the final mountain bike section of the race, covering 41km, followed by a 39km trek expected to take around nine hours, before a final 10km packraft. The trek through the Agriate could prove decisive. It initially follows a coastal path before becoming much more challenging towards the end, with difficult navigation through wild terrain. Exhausted after almost six days of racing, the teams will be searching for checkpoints in darkness. A single navigational mistake could cost them precious time – and perhaps the world title.
All of the leading teams have now completed the mandatory ten hours of rest required under the race rules, so this will no longer influence their strategy. One question remains: will any of them dare to sleep during this final night? And if none of them stop, how much will extreme fatigue affect their judgement during the final hours of this extraordinary course?
The race will finish on Plage Napoléon in L’Île-Rousse, with the new World Champions expected to arrive on the morning of Wednesday 7 October.