During the event, the heat of the desert scorched the teams by day; by night they shivered together as temperatures plummeted. Of the 50 teams that began the event, only 21 officially finished.

Twelve international teams were invited to compete in this 320-mile race; only eight teams were able to officially finish.

The third Eco-Challenge event was held in the Canadian province of British Columbia in 1996. Only 13 other teams officially finished what competitors claimed as an endurance race of a lifetime and the toughest yet.

Held in tropical North Queensland, the race introduced the added peril of local wildlife including poisonous snakes, spiders and plants as well as the ever-present danger of crocodiles.

For the first time, the race included two new disciplines: coasteering, where competitors scrambled along the Atlantic coastline, climbing boulders and negotiating cliff edges in a rush to beat the incoming tide; and camel riding, a colorful, unforgettable Moroccan experience.

Held in the extreme terrain of Patagonia, this proved to be the most competitive Eco-Challenge yet with the top finishing teams from past Eco-Challenge races competing together for the first time. Competitors navigated deep fjords in sea kayaks, paddled whitewater rivers in inflatable kayaks, and crossed the expansive windswept pampas on horseback. Teams also traversed the ridges of the Andes, the longest mountain chain on the planet and ascended a glacier to the summit of a 12,000 foot peak.

The seventh Eco-Challenge in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo offered competitors a chance to explore one of the last truly wild places on Earth. With over 2,000 species of animals on the island of Borneo, the theme of the 2000 race was Malaysia's wildlife. International competitors competed in what was the most difficult and exotic race in Eco-Challenge history. Only the second US team to win the event, Team Salomon/Eco-Internet won the race in 5 days, 23 hours and 41 minutes.

Seventy-Five international teams, each with four competitors converge on the South Island of New Zealand in October, 2001. The teams traversed 500 kilometers of breathtaking terrain that tested the skill and endurance of even the best adventure athletes in the world.

Day One. The 10-day race adventure begins. The creator, Mark Burnett, reveals the task before the 81 Teams compete for the course. The narrow, remote river gorges present opportunities for teams to travel using both inflatable kayaks and packrafts.

The race continues. Teams make use of their mountain bikes to explore deep into the heart of the jungle, passing cascading waterfalls and curious villagers.

Day Three and Day Four events continue. The jungle takes its toll on the racers as they navigate and trek over mountain ranges and highlands, bushwhacking through intense jungles to remote villages. Teams makes use of their mountain bikes and navigate deep into the heart of the jungle, passing cascading waterfalls and curious villagers.

The remaining events continues. Team Seagate.com finished the 501km course in first place with the total time of 6 days, 22 hours, and 51 minutes. They were followed by Team GoLite/Balance in second place with the total time of 7 days, 4 hours, and 56 minutes. In third place is Tean Air Pacific, who ended up with a total time of 7 days, 7 hours, and 50 minutes. Team Mazda and Team Earthlink finished and tied in fourth place, both ending with the total time of 8 days, 0 hours, and 22 minutes. The rest of the Teams who finished the course are as follows: 6 Nokia Adventure (Finland) 7 Spectrum Access (USA) 8 Subaru Canada (Canada) 9 Subaru USA (USA) 10 North FaceKona (UK) 11 Spie (France) 12 Canon Quasar Lontra (Brazil) 13 Pharmanex (USA) 14 TriWest Allied Spirit (USA) 15 OneWith Izod (USA) 16 Rustic Pathways (Australia) 17 Stray Dogs ExOfficio (USA) 18 PEAK (USA) 19 Cranksports.com (USA) 19 Washington Adventure Racing (USA) 21 EMA Brasil (Brazil) 22 Oxy