The Beast race course is over 300 miles long, stretching through the wilderness in southwest Virginia. Race disciplines consist of whitewater canoeing, mountain bike riding, hiking and climbing.

Whitewater Canoeing: Competitors begin the paddle section at midnight on the beautiful 4,500 acre, 21 mile long Claytor Lake. There will be at least one portage, and they will need to develop a method by which they carry their boat and all of their gear over land. The solo competitors may use portable wheels.

They will paddle down the scenic and historic New River through some of the oldest river-formed gorges in the world. The New River is a wide, high-volume river with a moderate gradient and class I, II, and III rapids. At average water levels, there are few class III rapids; however, at higher volumes, the difficulty and danger of the New River increase greatly. The average width of the river is 200-300 feet and the surrounding scenery is spectacular.

Competitors will need to be proficient in basic paddling, reading whitewater, negotiating rapids and conducting self-rescue if necessary. Certificates of skills are required.

Mountain Bike Riding: Competitors will ride on some of the roads and trails through the Appalachian Mountains that were used during the Civil War. The majority of these are rideable (not much carrying or pushing involved) and the terrain is hilly. Riders are responsible for all bike repairs while on the course, but support crews may assist with repairs at the Assisted Check Points (ACPs).

The trails will be challenging with several extremely long, steep grades. The constant elevation change will challenge the athletes' physical endurance.

Hiking/Orienteering: Competitors will trek through and over the highest peaks in Virginia, with an accumulated climb of well over 50,000 feet of gain and loss. They will be given one complete set of the US Department of the Interior Geological Survey, 1:24,000 maps (modified for the USDA Forest Service use) that covers the entire course, and they will encounter all types of terrain and conditions on their trek.

The hiking will be on the hilly backcountry trails and Forest Service roads travelling through the deep rural areas of southwest Virginia.

Climbing: The climbing portions will consist of vertical cliff climbing using ascenders (Jumars, etc.) on static lines over the New River and elsewhere on the course. Competitors must be prepared to scale walls up to 300ft with a backpack, sometimes in the dark, and rappel down.

Prior to the race, athletes must supply a practice and knowledge certificate signed by the International Federation/American Mountain Guide Association or equivalent.

Mandatory Assisted Checkpoints
The course contains mandatory assisted checkpoints (ACPs) and checkpoints (CPs). The ACPs are the only authorized points for assistance. Each team and solo competitor will have mandatory items to carry while in the competition. These items will be checked at each ACP, and/or possibly while on the course. They are: