Mexico’s La Ruta Madre expedition race returns as a Qualifier for the Adventure Racing World Series in March 2027
MONTERREY, MEXICO — Mexico’s La Ruta Madre expedition race returns as a Qualifier for the Adventure Racing World Series in March 2027 with a landmark partnership uniting the course design skills and international reputation of Bend Racing with the established local expertise of the La Ruta team, led by Javier Barreda.
The race took a break in 2026 and was last won by Bend Racing in 2025, so the new members of the race direction team know the event intimately and they want to share their experiences in the mountains of Nuevo Leon with many more international teams. Jason and Chelsey Magness of Bend Racing will bring their passion, organisational skills and mapping expertise to a race with a unique Mexican heritage and a location unlike any other in the ARWS.
The 500km 2027 edition marks the 10th edition of La Ruta Madre, an event founded in 2017, that has become a benchmark for technical difficulty in the world of adventure racing. The canyons, cliffs and caves of the Sierra Madre mountains of Nuevo León will once again be the stage for the many spectacular rope stages which are a speciality of the race. They will be integrated into a course open for 6 days, which teams will navigate with map and compass and without any outside assistance.
The route will traverse the unforgiving geography of Nuevo León and the vertical complexity of the Cumbres de Monterrey National Park. The course design will have significant vertical ascent and high-adrenaline technical stages. These will include both upstream and downstream canyoneering, technical rappels, wet rope ascents and roped rock climbing. This will be combined with technical mountain biking and t trekking through the Sierra Madre, racing to remote checkpoints requiring precise navigation using different scale maps.
Chelsey Magness of Bend Racing explained why they were inspired to work on another expedition race, on a third continent. Bend Racing already stages two ARWS Qualifiers, the Magnificent in New Zealand and Expedition Oregon in the USA, and they will shortly host the ARWS North American and USARA Championship.
“We are bringing 25 years of high-level global racing and race-direction experience directly into the infrastructure of La Ruta Madre. Our goal isn’t to change the raw Mexican soul of the event, but to infuse the race with the Bend Racing design philosophy: from logistics, precise mapping, and course flow that emphasizes the incredible technical terrain and opportunities in the area. We always aim to eliminate the logistical challenges that sometimes plague international races, allowing athletes to focus entirely on the execution of their own race strategy.
She added, “Having won La Ruta Madre twice, I can say without hesitation that it offers some of the most visceral, authentic adventure racing on the planet. The terrain is unapologetically wild and unlike anything we've experienced in nearly 100 other races around the world. It demands much, yet rewards you with jaw-dropping, mystical vistas around every corner. Beyond the mind blowing topography, it’s also the human element; the warmth, passion, and hospitality of the local culture that makes the race so special and the grass roots organization is unmatched.
“La Ruta Madre is technical and a full-on wilderness epic-ness. The feel of the race is incredibly raw and unfiltered. One day you are navigating through massive, deep canyons - jumping off waterfalls and swimming deep pools. The next you are pushing hard across high-altitude ridgelines and getting snowed on - In MEXICO! It possesses a unique contrast of technical terrain and vibrant, welcoming culture. It is a true, old-school expedition wrapped in a stunning, high-drama landscape that you simply cannot find anywhere else in the world.”
“It’s a race that gets under your skin. You don't just finish La Ruta Madre; you survive and celebrate it. That deep connection is why we can't stay away, and why we want the rest of the world to experience it.”
The 2027 La Ruta Madre is one of six global ARWS Qualifiers for the season and the winning premier mixed team will secure a free, guaranteed entry at the AR World Championship in Croatia in September.
Race dates are 13–19 March 2027 and entry is now open at https://larutamadre.mx/.
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