By Michael Spiller 

You may be asking yourself, “Why is there an article about adventure racing in my favorite local triathlon magazine?” Well, because Team Enduring Freedom has some exciting news to share.

First, let’s cover the basics. What is adventure racing? If you are unfamiliar with the sport, it is a multi-disciplined race that usually involves any combination of orienteering and navigation, cross-country running, mountain biking, paddling, climbing, and yes, sometimes swimming. However, swimming in adventure racing usually means with your clothes and shoes on and in temperatures that are less than 65 degrees. Adventure racing is enjoying a recent surge in popularity and is slowly
becoming nationally known. It generally attracts physically active people
from their early twenties through their mid-fifties.

[Click here to read the entire story - PDF]

From Don Mann:  

Hello PQ Competitors and Friends,

This is an important period of growth here at PQ. We’re finalizing what we believe to be the most beautiful and athletically challenging course in PQ history. We have exciting changes to the traditional AR ropes disciplines and are proud to welcome Jay Smith, Kitty Calhoun, Conrad Anker and the rest of their crew as they join the PQ staff to create another world-class ropes course.

We’re also proud to introduce this year’s course designer, George Rice, known to many of you as Director of the Mountain Adventure Race. George, who knows the Montana wilderness better than anyone in the sport, has been working closely with Course Director Chris Caul to design the most challenging, aesthetic and safe wilderness course the Big Sky state has to offer.

We’ve also been ramping up our plans for the Primal Quest Sprint Series, which starts with three events in 2008:

• May 10 Pocahontas State Park – Richmond, VA
• Sept 6 Moraine State Park – Pittsburgh, PA
• Oct 4 US National Whitewater Center, Charlotte NC

We’ve been negotiating with additional venues for the 2009 series and are currently planning 8 – 12 events for next year. The winner of the point series can earn a free team entry into the following year’s Primal Quest Expedition Adventure Race!

Today we release THE THIRD OFFICIAL COMPETITOR NEWSLETTER FOR PRIMAL QUEST MONATANA. I encourage you to read this entire newsletter and ensure each of your teammates (including support) do as well, as it is full of very important information that is critical to your success at PQ Montana.

We hope your training is going well and we look forward to seeing each of you in June!

From EndurancePlanet.com: 

It’s called “The World’s Most Challenging Human Endurance Competition”. It’s Primal Quest. And while some of the best adventure racers on the planet are gearing up for the big event, the creators of Primal Quest have created some shorter races to attract novices. Today on Endurance Planet we hear from Primal Quest CEO Don Mann.

Play in Windows Media                                     

Play in RealPlayer

Play mp3 stream

Direct link to mp3 file

Primal Quest Montana’s Course Director, Chris Caul, has been sending daily reports from the field to PQ World Headquarters and while we can’t divulge much, we can share with you this photograph and ask the following question:

Can you name these two World-Class Climbers?

Clue: They are the leaders of the Primal Quest – Montana Climbing Team

Leave your guesses in the comments!

Check out the Sportales blog which has just named Primal Quest as one of the Seven Hidden Wonders of the Sporting World/ Seven Most Spectacular and Hardest Sporting Events in the World.

Officially the most intense adventure race on the planet, this ever moving event pits man against the elements and his opponents. Taking place over multiple days, trekking, mountain biking, kayaking, white water swimming and navigation are only some of the skills athletes need to rely on the finish this grueling test of endurance.

PQ joins the likes of the Marathon de Sables, The Iditarod, Badwater Ultramarathon, Dakar Rally, Crocodile Trophy, and the Hawaii Ironman World Championships.

While many of us were fast asleep Friday morning, the Director of Primal Quest, Don Mann, and Chief Operations Officer, Dawn Taylor Mann were busy climbing to the top of one of the Seven Summits.

We received this quick note from Dawn yesterday:

We’re back after a successful summit of Kilimanjaro at 6:45 am Jan, 11. All six people in our party made the summit despite the -5 degree wind chill on the top (after the sun came up). The entire 7-day trek was more wonderful than any of us ever dreamed of… although the 6+ hour steep summit push in the dark, windy night was a real soul searching experience… very difficult! The views, the people (guides & porters) and every aspect of the trip so far have made this an experience of a lifetime. We had sunny skies the entire trip. A rare commodity, as we understand.

Don and Dawn are following up their climb of the 5,895 metres (19,341 ft) tall mountain with a four day safari. We can’t wait to hear their stories and see their photos in person!

Photo: Flickr/pintaa Some rights reserved.