Wend, an eco-sensitive, outdoor adventure magazine has done an excellent profile on Primal Quest, and the race’s commitment to protecting the environments that play host to the “World’s Most Challenging Human Endurance Competition”.  The following is an excerpt from that story:

When it comes to large scale sporting competitions, it’s hard to not have a significant environmental footprint; waste and carbon emissions of thousands of spectators and competitors are just the beginning when it comes to the impact that such an event can have. Fortunately some events are taking a more environmentally friendly stance when it comes to their competition policies. But it’s also important to highlight the efforts of those competitions which, due to their nature, are inherently environmentally friendly.

Take Primal Quest: the ecologically aware wilderness Expedition Adventure Race abides by the United States Adventure Racing Association’s “Adventure Racing Ecological Standards,” which incorporate traditional environmental standards similar to Leave No Trace. During the annual multi-sport expedition race, athletes pack out what they pack in (including waste) and are required to practice responsible backcountry travel at all times. Those who don’t abide are disqualified.

To read the rest of the story click here. Thank you Wend!  (Photo by Wouter Kingma)

We have received a number of inquiries related to where and when Primal Quest wold be airing on television and the following statement has been released to address those questions:

We have recently been notified that our broadcast partner RUSH HD has ceased it’s US operations, and as a result will only be broadcasting Primal Quest Montana Presented by SPOT in the international marketplace, which includes 35 countries.

We are very proud of the directing/editing team we put together for this project including award winners Tim Powell and Brian Catalina.  The end result is a high quality,  compelling drama that rivals any endurance sports coverage ever broadcast on television. The show, which consists of (4) 30-minute episodes, is TV-ready and we are currently negotiating with highly regarded networks for immediate broadcasting in the domestic (USA) market.

We will make a broad announcement once we secure a new broadcast partner and we assure our publics that we are doing everything we can to make this happen as quickly as possible.  We are also eager to make the 4-episodes available on DVD once they’ve been broadcast so everyone will be able to purchase their own videos for personal use.

Thank you for your continued interest in Primal Quest!

Don and Dawn Mann

 For more information regarding the shutdown of RUSH HD and the rest of the Voom Networks click here. 

As if trekking, mountain biking, and navigating through 600 miles of South Dakota backcountry isn’t challenging enough for teams competing in Primal Quest Badlands presented by SPOT, they’ll also have to contend with interesting wildlife, such as big horn sheep, bison, and the elusive black-footed ferret.

Of course, none of those are quite as intimidating as the mountain lion, which also calls the Badlands and Black Hills home.  These powerful and graceful predators can weigh in excess of 150 pounds and can be up to nine feet in length.  The cats possess agility that even an adventure racer would envy, being able to jump as much as 18 feet in height or 20 feet in length, and they can drop more than 50 feet without suffering injury.

The lion in the photos accompanying this post was struck by a car on Highway 41, a busy stretch of road that runs from north to south through South Dakota. As you can tell , this is a rather large cat, and those paws should give you a little indication of the kind of damage he can do.

Teams from Primal Quest Montana probably thought that we had left the scary wildlife behind with the all the bears in the Big Sky State, but these cats will give you something to think about out on the course as well. Just remember, you don’t have to out run the lion, you just have to out run your teammates!

PIERRE, S.D. – As a retired Navy SEAL, American adventure racing pioneer, co-founder of Odyssey Adventure Racing and Director of Primal Quest Adventure Racing; Don Mann is the man!

“Don Mann is just one of those guys who has been there and done that. Pulling from his unique life experiences he is able to produce events that allow participants, whether competitors or volunteers, to redefine their limits,” said Chris Caul, Primal Quest Course Director. “I’ve known Don for just over 12 years now and I often wonder how different my life might have been if I had not signed up for that first “Don Mann race”. I am glad I did and am honored to call him a friend.”

Don is an extraordinary person who has inspired and motivated people from all over the world; including business professionals, government and military personnel, Navy SEALs, and athletes from beginner level to world-class. He has staged more multi-day, multi-sport races than any other individual in the world.

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We announced a few weeks back that a “home team” was selected to represent the state of South Dakota at Primal Quest Badlands presented by SPOT, and now it seems that the team is receiving some publicity in their home state as well. 

The Black Hills Pioneer, a local newspaper in South Dakota, published an article about the team and their preparation for the race. Here is an excerpt from the story:

After bikers roll out from the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, adventure athletes will roll in as South Dakota hosts Primal Quest.

Dubbed the world’s most challenging human endurance race, Primal Quest Badlands is a 10-day, 600-mile group wilderness adventure race. Beginning Aug. 15, co-ed teams of four will bike, paddle, and run, plotting a route across a 600-mile course through rolling hills, canyons, climbing up rock walls, navigating through dense forests, kayaking, and even spelunking through Black Hill caves.

For hosting the event, South Dakota is allowed one “home team” for the race, which is sponsored by Primal Quest. Racers interested in competing submitted an essay of goals and qualifications of each team member.

To read the rest of the article, click here.