ITERA and ITERA-lite Return to the Scottish Highlands

We’re back – and we’re bringing the world with us. From August 10–15, the Scottish Highlands will once again host one of the toughest tests of endurance and teamwork on the planet: ITERA and ITERA-lite.

Competitors from 8 countries are already making their way to our race HQ at Badaguish Outdoor Centre, on the edge of the mighty Cairngorms. In total, 54 teams will line up across two epic challenges:

ITERA Expedition Race – 500km of non-stop, multi-discipline racing, part of the Adventure Racing World Series and a qualifier for the World Championships.

ITERA-lite – a 300km adventure as part of the ARWS Europe calendar.

This isn’t our first Scottish adventure – far from it. ITERA has explored these lands before, and Scotland was the birthplace of the very first ITERA-lite, held in the Borders where we’re based. But every race is unique, and this year’s courses are set to deliver another once-in-a-lifetime journey.

Race Director and founder of Durty Events, Paul McGreal says:

“Scotland is my playground, and I love showing it off to racers from across the UK and the world. The course will take them to truly exceptional places – from fast-flowing rivers and vast lochs to craggy mountain summits and historic landmarks. Scotland has it all.”

And the twist? Teams won’t know their exact route until the race briefing the day before the start. From Badaguish, we can head in any direction and still deliver a world-class course.

Here’s what racers do know:

ITERA Expedition Race (teams of 4) will tackle 14 stages of trekking, mountain biking, paddling, orienteering, and surprise “special stages”. They’ll be entirely self-sufficient for up to 5 days.

ITERA-lite (pairs) will join the full-course athletes on Stage 8, starting at 14:00 on Tuesday, and race alongside them to the finish.

The first expedition teams will set off from a secret location at 12:00 noon on Sunday.

The field is stacked with experienced, world-class adventure racers. Expect fierce competition from:

• UK – Team Leaping Fish, Endurancelife, and Questars UK
• Ireland – Rachel’s Irish Adventures
• USA – Strong Machine Adventure Racing, RIB Mountain Racing (currently 1st & 2nd in ARWS North America rankings)
• Netherlands – Including the organisers of Raid Lowlands, last year’s European Championships
• Poland – On Sight Navigatoria
• And many more from Estonia, Belgium, France, Canada, and beyond.

Prizes are serious too – ITERA-lite winners will earn a free place at the 2026 ARWS European Championship in Denmark, while the Expedition Race champions will take a free spot at the 2026 ARWS World Championships in France.

📍 Registration for ITERA takes place Friday and Saturday at Badaguish, before teams find out the details of their epic journey.

📡 Follow the action live and dot watch via link at www.itera.co.uk, and check our socials for news, photos, and video throughout the week.

Article adapted and courtesy of Rob Howard, Sleepmonsters.