Adventure Races Powered by Manassas Company

Michael Spiller is the architect of races that run across rivers and through deserts, creating experiences that he describes as some of the toughest in the world.

That description may conjure images of Spiller working in an exotic locale half the world away, but he and his company, Rev3 Adventure, work out of Manassas.

Responsible for organizing days-long adventure races across the country, Rev3 works to design contests that test participants in feats of endurance with activities like hiking, canoeing, cycling and rappelling.

Rev3 is just three years old, but it’s already started to gain a foothold in the adventure racing industry, according to Spiller, the company’s race director and co-founder.

“We started off organizing family races here in Northern Virginia, but we eventually started running the Shenandoah Epic Adventure Race in Luray,” Spiller said. “That grew into the largest race weekend on the East Coast, and then we had several different cities contacting us about starting races for them.”

The race now attracts close to 525 racers and 100 of their family members each year, and Rev3 has continued to see an increase in both local and national interest.

“We probably register about 2,500 athletes yearly,” Spiller said. “Of those, close to 1,500 are local to Northern Virginia, so it’s a clear sign the community supports us.”

Rev3 might have started locally, but it’s expanding with its upcoming Cowboy Tough Wyoming Expedition Race from July 18-21. The contest is an expedition that stretches over close to 485 miles of terrain in southeast Wyoming.

“Wyoming was really looking for a company to highlight the state’s history and natural beauty, and they chose us to help do so,” Spiller said.

Racers will follow historical pathways like the Oregon Trail and the old route of the Pony Express, but the event isn’t simply for history buffs. Participants are required to have completed at least one 24-hour race or an ironman triathlon prior to competing.

“This is an incredibly difficult experience that maybe only 50 or 60 teams in the country could even do, and we’ve registered 30 of them,” Spiller said. “These guys are either former military or adrenaline junkies, but either way they’re looking for a real challenge.”

Competitors will be handsomely rewarded for their efforts should they win the race; Rev3 is offering $20,000 in cash and prizes to the victors.

But for the company, Cowboy Tough is just the beginning. Rev3’s success has started to yield interest from all over the country.

“Venues are calling all the time. Going into next year, we’re looking at events in the Poconos, the Adirondacks, Knoxville, and South Dakota,” Spiller said. “We’re even working something up where people could follow the route Lewis and Clark took in their explorations, so next year should be really exciting.”