We are excited to interview Nathalie Long, about the Raid the Rockies 2026 adventure race. Nathalie is the CEO of Adventure Immersion Lab
Planning an adventure race is a bit of a unique skill set! How did you get involved in organizing adventure racing?
I was a racer for over 10 years on the world circuit before I started organizing races. When I moved to BC I was just amazed with the perfect adventure racing terrain that was around me and that’s when the idea of creating an expedition race in the area came to mind. I first started with some smaller races to understand how the organisation and course designing worked and then moved on to bigger races.
A lot of scouting, a lot of studying maps and looking up on the web to find the hidden gems of an area and lots of time testing out the course. Then prior to the race it’s setting up the course and organising all the logistics, volunteers, swag, etc.
How did you decide to partner with MRS and Camping Hiking Adventures as sponsors?
My adventure immersion lab team has been racing with the
Barracuda R2 Pros for the last few years and it just seemed to be a great partnership to have
MRS as the preferred packrafts for this race.
This is the 3rd edition of the race. How has Raid the Rockies grown from its first year to becoming one of only two North American events with a free World Championship entry?
Raid the Rockies was sold out this year. The support from the community has been amazing and the feedback from this year's race has been overwhelming. The racers loved the course! This was the 6th event that I created under the
ARWS flag and I am very proud of this.
What made this year event's unique?
This year was very unique for me as we welcomed our first adaptive team into an expedition style race. And this year was also the best event I have created so far. I think the last 5 years taught me a lot regarding race designing and I am hoping the events will be better every year.
How did you choose the location and what makes Hinton, Alberta such a great spot for adventure racing?
There are a lot of hidden gems around Hinton that aren’t very well known. Great mountain bike trails, beautiful mountains for hiking/trail running, some Great Lakes and rivers.
Unlike continuous expedition races where teams push through the night with zero sleep, Raid the Rockies brings racers back to HQ at the end of each day. How does returning to a bed at night change a team’s race strategy and pacing?
Some teams actually don’t get much more sleep than in an expedition race but at least they get the comfort of a bed. Some will say that it can be harder as teams are pushing harder day after day
Between ropes, bikes, packrafts, and mandatory safety kit, staging for a multi-day race is a logistical puzzle. What’s one piece of gear you advise teams never to skimp on?
Safety gear! Racing in the Rockies means you can face all seasons in one day so having warm and waterproof gears that are appropriate for the terrain and the mountains is essential. And of course bear spray is a must!
What were some highlight from Raid the Rockies 2026?
Seeing all the teams having a blast on the course! The first day packrafting through the lake system, the amazing bike trails in town, the canyoning section and the monster trek of day 3 were all highlights
Any moments that you will cherish in your memory?
The kind words of all the teams during and after the race.
What can you tell us about Raid the Rockies 2027?
Raid the Rockies is taking a break in 2027 but will be back in 2028! In the meantime Raid the Okanagan will make a debut in 2027, a 24-30 hour race.
For someone sitting on the fence about stepping up to a multi-day stage race, what would you say to convince them to get to the start line?
Come do raid the Okanagan next year :)
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