We are excited to announce the 2025 Buff Betty! 

Launching out of the scenic and remote James River State Park in Virginia. 

 

Race overview 

 

Over the last 15 years, the Buff Betty has introduced hundreds of women to the sport of adventure racing. It's a race for women designed for women, by women. The Buff Betty introduces racers to the sport in a fun, laid-back, friendly, and supportive environment; teams have two races to choose from, based on experience. Solo racers and teams of 2, 3 or 4 will hike, bike, paddle and navigate their way through either a 6-hour course, or a longer, more advanced, 10-hour course. 

 

With the growth of female racers and all-female teams in the sport over the past few years, the 10-hour course will challenge all levels of solo racers and teams, with more miles, more strategy, more route choices, and more complex navigation. If you have done the advanced Buff Betty over the years, you probably know that we don't water down the race just because it is all female! Make sure that at least one person on your team is comfortable and confident with map and compass-based navigation. 

 

The 6 hour "Taste of the Race" will be simpler and more straight-forward, with less biking, trekking and paddling. The course will be designed with beginners in mind: checkpoints will be on easily identifiable features such as trails, buildings, etc. No prior racing experiencing or navigation experience is required! Just a sense of adventure, basic ability to read a park map, teamwork, and a willingness to push yourself a little harder and farther than you thought possible. It is also the perfect race for introducing a daughter or a niece to the sport! If you have done a 5k, have ridden a bike in the woods, or come from another endurance sport such as triathlons and have been curious about how adventure racing works, this is the race for you. 

 

As is standard for our events, all checkpoints will be optional, although all transition areas will be mandatory. Teams and solo racers will be able to do as much of the course as they feel comfortable doing, to ensure that all teams get to the finish line. 

 

Both courses will have teams paddling a scenic moving Class 1 section of the James River. Overall the river is very tame and there is nothing to be concerned about if you have never paddled a moving river in a canoe or kayak. If anytime it will be fun, and a few class 1 ripples will spice things up!  All boats and paddle gear will be provided, and teams can bring their own paddles and PFD’s. No boats. 

 

The race venue

 

This year's race will take place at James River State Park, nestled in the hills of central Virginia with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and located on a remote and scenic stretch of the iconic James River, the longest and most important watershed river in the state of Virginia. 

 

We first explored this park for our 2018 Adrenaline Rush and knew that one day we would be back with another race. Modeled after its big brother, Shenandoah River State Park, James River has 15 miles of multi-use trails for biking and hiking, beautiful woods to explore, great topography for navigation, interesting history, and numerous access points on the river. It is also one of the more remote state parks in the state, with little to no development in the surrounding area. James River received the International Dark Sky Park designation in 2019 and is ideal for stargazing.

 

Due to high season in the park in early October and the limited lodging in the area and park (the park is already almost full with regards to cabins and camping), we have reserved the group camp site in the park for the race. The camp site will be available for racers on Friday and Saturday night and will be first-come, first-serve. The site can accommodate up to 42 people. Racers will be able to tent camp or car camp. The site is free, but is primitive camping. There are a handful of picnic tables and fire pits, as well as access to bathrooms at a nearby shelter within walking distance. Racers will also be able to use the bathhouses at the main campsite in the park. If you have any questions about the group camp, please reach out to us. 

 

If you would like to stay in the park and NOT use the group campsite, we HIGHLY RECOMMEND making reservations immediately for a cabin or camping. The park will be sold out race weekend. 

 

The closest towns for lodging are Gladstone, Amherst and Arrington.

 

The Buff Betty is a USARA-sanctioned event. Racers must either have an annual USARA membership or purchase a single-event license through RunSignUp. Annual membership is instrumental in sustaining USARA’s efforts to support the US-based AR community and host an annual National Championship. In addition to supporting the community as a whole and having single-event fees waived, annual membership includes access to ExpertVoice, an incredible resource for athletes that unlocks pro-deals to hundreds of name-brands. For new racers, check out USARA's New to Adventure Racing database, a terrific collection of articles that will help you dive into the amazing sport of AR!