The 2008 location for Primal Quest is still a secret and won’t be announced until the fall of ‘07, but you can get an insider’s view thanks to Devon O’Neil’s latest article in the Summit Daily News.

Hear from PQ Director Don Mann, PQ course designer and AR superstar Danelle Ballengee, and officials from the The Centennial State.

Primal Question
BY DEVON O’NEIL
summit daily news
August 23, 2007

SUMMIT COUNTY - Ever since he agreed to take over the most prestigious and richest adventure race in the world this past spring, Don Mann has wanted to stage the 2008 Primal Quest in one place.
| Read the Full Article |

Michael Tobin’s Balancing Act
by Jacqueline Windh

Michael Tobin juggles the moment as he juggles his life – a few moments with newborn son Jack, a few words to wife Jenny, chatting with a nosy reporter on the phone… all as he packs up to leave for a five-day adventure race in China.

Michael entered the crazy world of AR relatively late, while in his mid-thirties. But rather than work his way up through the ranks, Michael (now 43) pretty much started out right at the top. And through the years, he has just stayed there. Since competing in his first adventure race in 2000, his impressive list of international AR wins includes EcoChallenge 2001, Raid World Cup 2004 and 2006, ARWS 2004 and 2007, as well as every edition of Primal Quest (Telluride 2002, Lake Tahoe 2003, San Juan Islands 2004, and Utah 2006). Some of his other titles include Xterra World Champion 2000 and 24-hour Orienteering World Champion 2004, as well as countless other victories in Xterra triathlon and duathlon.

Read the rest of this entry »

If expedition adventure racing had a patron saint, my vote would go to Primal Quest owner and managing partner, Denise Watkins. While not a household name (even in many homes populated by adventure racers), Denise and her husband Bill have done more and given more to further the sport of expedition racing than any two people in recent memory.

In November, Denise and her Team Beyond Sisters will participate in the Breast Cancer 3 Day, a 60-mile walk over the course of three days. Net proceeds benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust, funding important breast cancer research, education, screening, and treatment. We all know people who have suffered from Breast Cancer won’t you consider supporting this worthy cause?

Visit Denise’s page to donate today!

Professional adventure racer, freelance journalist, and coach Travis Macy just interviewed PQ Director Don Mann for the GoFAR (Go For Adventure Racing) World Class Adventure Podcast.

GoFAR revolutionizes adventure audio through podcasted interviews with the world’s elite adventure racers, mountaineers, climbers, triathletes, runners, expeditionaries, and industry leaders.

Check out the interview via the GoFAR site or on iTunes!

Reporter Jacqueline Windh managed to track down the ever elusive (but always accesible by phone) PQ CEO Don Mann for an interview about the 2008 race.

Primal Quest’s CEO Don Mann, just returned from a route-scouting trip, shares his thoughts about next year’s race…

Highlights include his thoughts about the route, funding, and the future.

Read the full interview today over on SleepMonsters!

It is never to early to crank the engine on your team’s very own media blitz.

While everyone would love to have their very own stipple drawing show up in the Wall Street Journal, even a mention in your local paper can lead to bigger and better things. Two early case studies are PQ 2008 teams #23 Lucky and #71 Bagel Works. Both teams have received great press coverage recently including Team Lucky’s piece in Thursday’s Sacramento Bee, one of the five largest newspapers in California.

Check out their stories below and then start pitching your own team’s story to your local press! Then be sure to share with us your success and we will help spread the news via the PQ site!

Read their stories after the jump!

Read the rest of this entry »

Most in the adventure racing world know the story, but it’s hard not to be inspired every time you hear it:

In December of 2006, 35-year-old Danelle Ballengee lay helpless in a gulley in Moab after slipping on ice during what she thought would be a routine two-hour trail run with her dog, Taz.

The adventure racing champion and one of the best multisport women athletes of all time spent the next 52 painful hours wondering if she’d live or die, unable to move more than a quarter mile (to a puddle she’d drink from) by dragging herself across the canyon floor. She had broken her pelvis.

Temperatures dropped into the 20s during the two full nights she lay there, and Danelle, wearing only thin, long pants and a short sleeve shirt, did sit-ups to try to stay warm. Her dog Taz, a three-year-old German Shephard, Golden Retriever mix, lay his head on her stomach the first night, but the second night, Taz paced back and forth and wouldn’t come near his wounded owner. On the third day, Taz took off running, but returned with help.

Read the rest of this entry »

Primal Quest wants to know your adventure racing stories of glory and/or woe!

Tell us about your racing, training, and/or team support adventures. Simply fill out this form and your stories may be featured on the Primal Quest website - a great way to get your team out there for your sponsors-and potential sponsors!

Please forward this opportunity to everyone you know who is involved with adventure racing. Submit soon and submit often, the more stories we get by THIS FRIDAY, August 10, the better!

Jamie & Chris Webster (f/k/a Chris Rumohr)
Directors of Competitor Relations

Jamie.Webster@ecoprimalquest.com
Chris.Rumohr@ecoprimalquest.com