By the start of April, the students of Southern Adventist University are growing restless. This year’s long winter has too long kept them indoors, away from the mountains, the rivers and the trails. But in one night, that will all change. People will crawl over campus, climbing ropes, blindly moving through tunnels, racing the clock and each other to claim the prize of winning this year’s Dusk ’til Dawn Adventure Race.
It’s exactly what you’d expect it to be: an adventure race that lasts through the night, from dusk until dawn. Outdoor Leadership Adventure Program Coordinator Mike Harris swears it’s so much more than just a race-it’s a skills competition, a team building exercise and a way to push your limits.
And while that seems run-of-the-mill, consider this: There’s building climbing, rope climbing and rock climbing, followed by pool challenges, tunnel crawling and fire building. To win, every team must have at least three members complete each task … and be the first to do so. All in the darkness of night. Once, the school tried to turn the tables and offer a “Dawn ’til Dusk” race, making the competition more accessible.
“We started in the morning and went throughout the day,” Mike laughs. “But it failed! No one liked it. The students wanted to be up all night and the best part is that it’s all night long. The students love it.”
Together with assistant to the Outdoor Leadership Program Ryan Kloosterhuis and a band of volunteers, Mike is finalizing this year’s obstacles. More than a dozen “elements” face the competitors, and they change yearly. The first year valiantly featured a helicopter, but due to complaints from Collegedale, that was removed. Fearing that a long, grueling caving expedition wasn’t a favorite activity, it was nixed. So was carrying 100-lb body weight out of a smoky building while wearing firefighter gear.