In February 2004, the first edition of PATAGONIA EXPEDITION RACE took place. According to the racers themselves, it was one of the most difficult, remote and spectacular adventure races in the world. The route, approximately 520 km in length, was located in one of the most pristine and remote parts of the world - the southernmost extreme of the Americas - terminating at a more southerly latitude than had ever before been reached in any expedition race.

Forty athletes coming from New Zealand, Denmark, Sweden, the Czeck Republic, Spain, USA, Colombia, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile faced the difficult challenge that southernmost Patagonia put to them: Robyn Benincasa, Christopher Morrissey, Neil Jones, Jeff Mitchell, Antonio de la Rosa, Mónica Aguilera, Marcos Barrantes, Fran López, Rubén Mandure, Carol Cattalurda, Nestor Parra, Daniel Pincu, Mikael Nordstrom, Eva Jurenikova, Per Vestling, Per Henriksson, Jorge Llano, Luisa Ríos, Ricardo Ríos, Fernando Parra, Carlos Galosi, Mercedes Sahores, Fernando Aparo, Martín Paredes, Claus Stallknecht, Jeannette Hovslagare, Martín Andersen, Soren Nielsen, Nicolas Pivcevic, Michelle Beth Maislen, Sven Gysling, Andrés Fernández, Francisco Gago, Jose Cembellin, Alfredo Gago, Nidia Barrientos, Mario Vidal, Vanesa Burlando, Marcelo Miranda and Marcelo Echazú.

During the race, a long and difficult route took the racers through the most isolated and wild corners of mythical Tierra del Fuego. Advancing towards the south, they crossed windswept steppes, rivers, swamps, the southernmost forests on the planet, the Darwin Range and the Beagle Channel, finally arriving at Puerto Williams – the southernmost town in the world.

The route consisted of eight principal stages:
1.- Mountain biking 84 km
2.- Sea-kayaking 64 km
3.- Mountain biking 71 km
4.- Mountain trekking 23 km
5.- Sea-kayaking 57 km
6.- Mountain trekking 117 km
7.- Sea-kayaking 47 km
8.- Mountain biking 57 km

In order to complete the entire route of PATAGONIA EXPEDITION RACE 2004, the teams travelled a total of 212 km by mountain bike, 168 km in sea-kayak, and 140 km of tough trekking which include some mountain sections requiring cord work. With only 17 control points along the 520 km route, teams had to be self-sufficient, well practiced in navigation, and intelligent enough to manage their limited resources.