Rocky Mountain 1000-Day

By: © Nelson Taylor 2008

Festival Location: Laramie, WY, USA

Festival State: Wyoming Festivals

Festival Type(s): Endurance Sports Events, Marathons | Ultramarathons | Fun Runs

Since 1992, the U.S. Orienteering Federation has sponsored the 1000-Day, which is a week-long orienteering festival in America. Orienteering is a sport that is rapidly catching on not only in America, but around the world. Over 600 orienteering events currently take place in America on an annual basis. So what is orienteering? It is the sport of navigating with maps and compasses to find points on the landscape. Participants set out on pre-designed courses, using both mental and physical skills. There are different levels for participants of every ilk, men and women, young and old. Some choose the more extreme, physically challenging courses, where they're required to sprint up mountains and across tough terrain. And then some prefer to enjoy the natural settings and choose the more leisurely events. The 1000-Day occurs during the final days of July and first days of August annually. It attracts around 225 competitors every year. The cost is $100 for nine days of racing.