“Quitte à …” means that there is a risk that what follows will happen, and the actor is aware of that risk and ready to face the consequences. There can be nuances around that core meaning, but I can’t think of a case where “Even if …” would be an appropriate translation.
“Quitte à X, autant Y” means “Given the risk of X, I/we/… might as well Y” or “If I have to risk X, I might as well Y”. If the word order was reversed (“Autant participer à la course, quitte à me faire battre”), it would mean “I might as well Y, despite the risk of X”.
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