Storm Affects Day 5 of the Adventure Racing World Championship in Corsica

Parts of the course were hit by a storm front which swept onto the West coast of the island, bringing thunder storms, higher winds, cooler temperatures & rain.

BENTONVILLE, AR, UNITED STATES, October 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- By the morning of day 5 of the Adventure Racing World Championship in Corsica, the leading teams were climbing up into the high mountains, heading towards the summit of Monte Cinto, the highest point on the island.

At the same time teams further back on the course were setting out on a 5 hour sea paddle along the coast, passing the cliffs, caves and sea stacks around Capo Rosso. Both parts of the course were affected by a storm front which swept onto the West coast of the island, bringing the risk of thunder storms, higher winds, cooler temperatures and rain.

On the sea the waves quickly whipped up and conditions became difficult for the teams, who are paddling in sit-on-top kayaks, which are exposed to the elements. Alyssa Godesky of US team VERT said, “We had just about every sea condition on that paddle, including waves a metre high.” Damon de Boor of the Trufflehunters team from South Africa, lamented, “We had 4 days with no wind, and when we get on the sea it changes!” He added, “It’s been a fun paddle!”

Both of these teams were amongst the last to finish the 29km sea kayak stage, paddling close to one of the most spectacular coastlines in Corsica. Behind them some teams who had started the paddle and not yet passed Capo Rosso were escorted back to the starting point by the race safety team. Only a few teams were affected as the paddle stage was due to close at 11am for the first short-cut of the race, and the decision to close the paddle was made less than two hours before this.

The teams who started to paddle before the 11.00 cut-off continued as full course teams, getting back on their bikes to ride to the next transition area, where the paddle was due to finish. Those arriving after 11.00 did the same, as they were affected by the planned cut-off, but will not be classed as full course teams.

Up in the mountains the top four teams had completed a major ropes stage which crossed the summits of Capu Tafunatu and Paglia Orba via technical routes requiring ropes for security, and included roped ascents and descents. The mountain guides managing the stage decided it was too slippery to continue safely in the rain, and 3 teams which had started the stage were escorted back to the Refuge Ciuttulu di i Mori, which served as the start and finish point of the stage.

The leading team, Luberon MUC (France) took 8 hours 40 minutes to complete this demanding technical stage and the Race Directors and referees are working on timing adjustments to ensure a fair outcome from the situation for all of the teams. The guides had been on the mountains for two days setting up ropes for this showpiece stage of the race, and for the teams it was to be one of the highlights, so it was a disappointment for everyone.

The race issued a summary statement on www.arwc2026.com and said, “A severe deterioration in conditions is affecting Corsica’s west coast this Sunday, bringing rough seas and violent thunderstorms. Faced with these conditions, the ARWC 2026 organisers have had to make urgent changes to the course. Two sections are affected: Section G, the sea kayak leg between Cargèse and Porto, and the ropes section at Capu Tafunatu. The changes have been made with one overriding priority: ensuring the safety of all competitors while preserving sporting fairness as far as possible.”

Co-Race Director, Thierry Grisard, commented, “Unfortunately the weather made it impossible to continue those parts of the course safely, and in any adventure race we all adapt to the weather and continue. It means we have to make some decisions we don’t always want to, but that’s outdoor sport!”

In the competition Team Luberon MUC continue to lead and race favourites 400team Altore have moved into second place as the teams come to the end of the high mountain stage. However, there is now a group of teams close behind them and it’s still a close race as the 5th night of racing begins.

Following the mountain trek, there are still four more stages to complete. These are a technical packraft descent, a bike ride to Saint Florent on the coast, then a final trek which teams have been warned has a difficult finish and lastly a trek and packraft stage. These are predicted to take around 21 hours, but the race is 12 hours behind the expected schedule so it may take more time for the tired teams to reach the finish line at Ile Rousse.

Follow the progress of all of the teams in this incredible sporting spectacle by watching the live satellite tracking and following the race news and social media. www.arwc2026.com

Media Director
Adventure Racing World Series
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Day 4 highlights at ARWC 2026