The gruelling challenge was held on the island of Borneo in the country of Malaysia—a tropical rain forest complete with everything from rugged terrain to blood-thirsty leeches. The dangers of the landscape proved challenging to both the challenge's competitors and planners.

"It is hard to watch and feel yourself falling apart," said Sarah Boardman of Team Outrageous Adventures.

Preparing for the Worst

The Borneo locale presented dangers that even the most seasoned adventurer may not have expected. But Eco-Challenge officials say they knew the potential dangers and were thoroughly prepared when trouble arose.

Burnett said potential threats, such as diseases and harmful animals, were researched before the competition. During the Eco-Challenge, a medical team headed by Dr. Adrian Cohen was on hand to assist afflicted contestants.

"Eco-Challenge: Borneo was the year some competitors simply ran out of luck," said Cohen.

At the Borneo competition, the medical team performed 1,200 consultations and dozens of rescue operations—more than any previous Eco-Challenge. The most common competitor ailments included dehydration, heat exhaustion, foot injuries, and rashes.

Mountain biking proved one of the most treacherous parts of the course: David Laux of Team Ernst & Young impaled himself on a tree branch after a biking accident. Cohen and a rescue paramedic raced to the scene using a four-wheel drive vehicle and motor bike. Laux was evacuated by helicopter to a local hospital.

In a forest of wild animals and harmful plants, the most serious flora-and-fauna-related injury was an allergic reaction to a bee sting.

With Adventure Comes Risk

Just as Eco-Challenge planners knew the risks of a Borneo-based race, the competitors were also briefed on what they would face in the forest.

One such element was tiger leeches, which leave a wound that bleeds for hours. But contestants soon learned that leeches were part of life in the Borneo rain forest.

"I mentally decided I had no choice," said competitor Laura Roberts-DeWitt. "They were not going anywhere and neither was I. So we decided to cohabitate. I fed them my blood and they let me race in their jungle."

All contestants were required to sign waivers, said Burnett, and entered Eco-Challenge with the understanding that all activities are at their own risk.

Contestants didn't complain if they were injured, he said, "It [would have been] like signing up for a rodeo riding lesson and complaining because you got bucked off the horse."