Sky Meadows Tenderfoot Adventure Race

Is it time for something new? Try having some fun in the woods in an adventure race! Because you gotta start somewhere we’ve created the Tenderfoot Adventure Race—an event for beginners and families to mountain bike, trek, strategize, navigate, perform challenges, and paddle by following a map with marked checkpoints. Basically, it's an all-terrain scavenger hunt with a handsome reward…great prizes, muddy legs, a sweaty body, and proud smiles like you may not have seen in a while.

This adventure race at Sky Meadows, in a valley nestled between foothills and the Blue Ridge Mountains, will have you exploring amazing Virginia history and beauty just an hour from DC, half an hour from NoVA, and right around the corner from local wineries. You’ll take on the park via woodlands, rolling pastures, historic farmland, meadows, and forests. Once you and your team have found as many checkpoints as you can in the allotted time, join us for delicious post-race food and the awards ceremony.

The morning of the race, we'll give you a map with checkpoints and a list of "Rules of Travel." This gives you clues to checkpoints and tells you how you'll get to them--by trekking, paddling, or mountain biking. Teams will have 3 hours to find as many checkpoints as possible. The highest point accumulation in the shortest amount of time will determine ranking. Once the teams have found all of the required checkpoints, they sprint back to cross the finish line.
We offer two "types" of Tenderfoot categories: Family and Adventure Class. The family team (with 2- or 3-person teams) must have at least one member younger than age 16 and participates in a shorter, easier version of the Adventure Class course. (It's still an achievement for teams but not meltdown inducing.) The Adventure Class (soloist or 2- or 3-person teams) offers a longer, more challenging course with a lot of optional opportunities to really have an adventure and hone those navigation and trail skills. Families will have 3 hours and Adventure Class participants will have 4 hours to complete the race. (Note: We have found that if the youngest team member is 13 or older, Adventure Class is a better choice, offering more of a challenge.)