Adventure teams from all over the world have begun arriving in Aspen, Colorado, for the start of tomorrow's Salomon X-adventure race. This independent series of 36-hour long races was created three years ago in Europe and will unite some of the world's best athletes on US soil for the first time since the Eco-Challenge rocked America in 1995.

The race consists of over 50 three-person teams battling diverse terrain with the hopes of claiming the first US Salomon X-adventure title. Adding to the competition is the fact that the 2000 Eco-Challenge begins in Borneo in less than 30 days and its roster includes many of these X-adventure participants.

The teams will battle in orienteering, mountain biking, canoeing, horseback riding, abseiling, and in-line skating, a rarely used discipline in adventure racing. Racing against the clock and a pre-determined time limit, teams will travel from checkpoint (CP) to checkpoint. Once a team reaches the established CP, it is able to use the remaining time to sleep, eat, and prepare for the next stage of the race.

Another important factor along the course are the assistant points (AP), in which teams may opt to swap out a member for a predesignated "assistant," or substitute racer. It is only at these designated APs that a swap can be made. There is no limit on the number of times swaps can be made at these points.

Much like the larger race formats there is also a night cutoff time established by the organizers, so teams need to get as far as they can and then wait until dawn to head for the finish line. Organizers estimate teams will begin reaching the finish between 1pm and 6pm Sunday, July 23.

A unique feature of the Salomon X-adventure series is its non-exclusivity. Which means the John Doe or Jane Jones from your office, church, or neighborhood blockwatch will be there racing alongside the best in the world, like Team Salomon East Wind, the only Japanese team ever to finish an Eco-Challenge, and Team Salomon Eco-Internet, a US-based team which includes famed racer Ian Adamson. And so, as all adventure enthusiasts know, there is no safe bet in adventure racing and your officemate just might surprise you.