All over the country people are creating outrageous unofficial athletic contests that are equal parts grueling and just plain silly. What’s going on? When did it become a thing to bike into the mountains, swim across a frigid lake, then complete an alpine climb? To investigate the peculiar rise of this new breed of multisport non-events, which have neither sponsors nor aid stations, we spoke with the folks behind The Picnic, a Jackson Hole, Wyoming invention that has become quite competitive, despite the fact that it was supposed to be all about the fun. The Outside Podcast is made possible by Outside+ subscribers. Learn more about all the benefits of a subscription and subscribe now at outsideonline.com/podplus.