World champions top teams to feature in 400-km Adventure at Mechukha

New Delhi, Nov 15 (PTI) World's top adventure racing teams, including reigning world champions, will feature in the Adventure at Mechukha 2026 for a gruelling 400-km expedition across the challenging terrain of Arunachal Pradesh from November 14 to 23.

     The event has attracted 22 teams, including five ranked among the world's top 20, and will serve as Asia's qualifier for the 2027 Adventure Racing World Championship in Croatia.

     The expedition will feature eight legs of mountain biking, kayaking and trekking, with participants navigating an unmarked course through the Eastern Himalayas, relying on teamwork, endurance and navigational skills.

     "We are very excited. We have worked hard for two years, preparing everything. The athletes are here, the route is ready, the weather is looking beautiful and the local community is involved," international race director Stephan Muller told PTI Videos.

     Muller said the course covers approximately 400km, with the winning team expected to finish in three days despite the race continuing non-stop through day and night.

     "We presume that the first team will probably only sleep three hours in three days, which is quite phenomenal. And then the last team, hopefully, we will get them home in six days," he said.

     The competition has attracted a strong international field, including reigning world champions, who won the title in Corsica around two months ago, besides leading teams from Malaysia, the United States and hosts India.

     "Out of the 22 teams here, we have about five of them in the top 20 in the world, so we've got very good competition here," Muller said.

     The race also carries significant importance for participating teams, with the winners of designated qualifying events earning entry spots for the 2027 World Championship.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)