Junior Adventure Racing Worlds crowns six champions in Quebec

The first Junior Adventure Racing World Championship ended Sunday in Témiscaming, Quebec, after four days of racing across Under-18 and Under-25 divisions. France won five of six world titles, while New Zealand took the Under-18 men’s crown in the inaugural youth event.

Why it matters: - The first Junior Adventure Racing World Championship gives the sport an official youth pathway and a global stage for future elite racers. - The event also tests whether adventure racing can grow beyond its traditional older demographic by building junior competition into major races.

What happened: - The inaugural Adventure Racing World Series Junior Adventure Racing World Championship ran from 23 to 26 July 2026 in Témiscaming, Quebec. - Thirty-eight youth teams from 10 countries competed in pairs across Under-18 and Under-25 divisions. - Six world champion teams were crowned when the event closed on Sunday in Témiscaming. - France won five of the six titles. - New Zealand won the Under-18 men’s world championship.

The details: - The competing countries were Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, India, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Uruguay and the United States. - The host organization was Endurance Aventure, led by founder and Raid Témiscamingue organizer Daniel Poirier. - The event opened with a ceremony celebrating local Indigenous culture. - The Desjardins Youth Raid Prologue covered 21 kilometers and paired local school children with international athletes. - Day 1 of the championship on Saturday included a 60-kilometer course with canoeing on Lake Kipawa, mountain biking, orienteering, trail running, slack-lining, swimming and ziplining. - The course finished in Opémican National Park, where athletes camped overnight. - Sunday’s final stage covered another 40 to 50 kilometers and ended at the finish line in Témiscamingue. - In Under-18 men, Luke Jansen and Silas Jones of Black Diamond NZ finished first in 11:36:26. - France’s Elie and Zacharie Dhombres finished second in 11:42:30. - Spain’s Ekain Fernandez-Garcia and Joan Montes Peidro finished third after moving up from fifth on Saturday. - In Under-18 women, Maiwenn Tate and Adeline Choutkoff of Fédération Française de Triathlon Femmes won gold. - Léna Bourdon and Lauriane Bouchut of Luberon Terre de Raid took silver. - Jossalyn Henry and Katharine Virgilio of the United States finished third for Full Steam Ahead 2. - In Under-18 mixed, Amandine Govin and Dayan Molus of Fédération Française de Triathlon Mixte won. - Valentin Bourbon and Ella Gueydan Monjusiau of Luberon Terre de Raid placed second. - Maya Grogean and Jeremy Bel of the United States finished third for Base Six. - In Under-25 men, Anaël Audouin and Robin Galindo of France held the lead from start to finish. - Fletcher Williams and Joseph Mulliss of New Zealand finished second. - Charles Dunn and Nathan Munson of Australia finished third. - In Under-25 women, Melle Chifflet and Laura Berruer of France won after a comeback victory over Canada’s Éloïse Poirier and Émilie Lussier. - In Under-25 mixed, Armel Berthaud and Noélie Gauthier of France took first place. - Daniel Puyuelo-Bretos and Nerea Garcia-Rodriguez of Spain finished second. - Maia and Ness Dalling of Canada finished third. - All teams received certificates and awards at the closing ceremony. - The event was organized with Raid Témiscamingue and the International Adventure Racing Association, which coordinated national associations that selected and fundraised for their top young athletes. - Heidi Muller, ARWS CEO, said the project had been a long-term goal and called the event a turning point for the sport.

Between the lines: - France’s sweep of five titles shows how strong national youth development can shape results even in a new world championship. - The event’s mix of schoolchildren, local cultural programming and international competition suggests ARWS is trying to make youth racing feel both elite and accessible. - The new junior championship also gives federations and race organizers a clear reason to invest in youth programs instead of treating them as one-off events.

What's next: - ARWS wants its 80 races worldwide to add junior events to their programs. - National federations are being encouraged to build youth development pipelines for future teams. - The next Junior World Championship will be hosted by Endurance Quest in Kuopio, Finland, in 2028. - Endurance Quest will stage an expedition-length ARWS qualifier in 2027 before hosting the junior championship in 2028. - More information is available in the full results and event details. - Information on the 2028 championship is available at the 2028 championship site.