​The Strong Machine Development Squad is a new program launching in 2020 that will seek to bring new racers into the sport of adventure racing. Strong preference given to those new to adventure racing and people from New England.

Team members receive:
  • free/discounted race entry fees
  • free gear and pro deals
  • mentorship and optional team training weekends
  • team captains who know what they're doing and can help you navigate the sometimes-steep learning curve of AR.

The application period closed in January 2020 and the team roster will be announced soon.

Team Captains (pictured left to right):

EMILY MORESHEAD:
Racing since 2018, Emily is in it for the team and the snacks. She firmly believes homemade chocolate chip cookies and Italian sandwiches should be included in all races' mandatory gear list.

DAVID ALAZRAKI: 
David has been an adventure racer since 2016, with past experience as a weekend warrior. The thrill of getting lost outdoors quickly became addictive and shortly after his first 8-hour race at Strong Machine's Maine Summer Adventure Race, David found himself in Australia with his older brother and two strangers for the brutal 40-hour Wildside Adventure Race. David has now completed six adventure races, with three of them 24-30 hours in length. 2020 will be a challenging year with two "are you crazy?"-level expeditions.
 
ELYSE NEWMAN:
Elyse is a newly-minted adventure racer with finishes at the Green Mountain Adventure Racing Association Frigid Infliction and Bitter Pill, as well as the Wildlands Adventure Challenge. 

JEFF O'CONNOR:
Jeff served as the official photographer for the Maine Summer Adventure Race until jumping into the sport himself in 2018. Since then, he's competed in several events hosted by Rootstock Racing and Strong Machine Adventure Racing, including the 2019 Maine Summer Adventure Race and Wildlands Adventure Challenge.  

DAN FOSTER:
Midway through binge-watching Ultimate Survival Alaska, Dan learned that there was an actual sport behind all of the made-for-TV drama, and within hours he had signed up for his first adventure race. After throwing himself into rivers, watching the snow falling silently in the woods on countless night training rides, and paddling all night down the Kennebec with only the light of the Milky Way, his only regret is that he didn't start adventure racing sooner.