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.

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“I can’t say enough how lucky I feel to have raced with the same three guys for four years,” says Jari Kirkland. “I know that this is the exception to what a lot of people have experienced, and I would never take it for granted.”

Jari (whose name is pronounced “Yari”) races on Colorado-based Team Salomon Crested Butte with Jon Brown, Bryan Wickenhauser and Eric Sullivan. “They really are family to me. I look forward to a few more great years with them.”

Prior to getting started in AR, Jari had been racing Xterra. She met Jon at a race, “another 24 hour solo race where, in the middle of the night, you ride up to about 11,500 feet, put your bike on your back and hike over a 14,000 foot peak. It was a bit crazy.” Jon told her that his team was looking for a girl to compete with them in a race called Primal Quest.

“So I lipped off and said I would do it – when really I knew nothing about it. Then, less than three weeks later, I was in Tahoe at Primal Quest!” Jari had practically no training, and most of the gear that she raced in was borrowed. “But that is how it started, and it’s a perfect fit for me.”

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If trends mean anything at all, Bob Miller and his team should do well at Primal Quest this year.

Canadian team Supplierpipeline finished a respectable tenth at PQ 2003.  The following year, they bettered that with ninth place at PQ 2004.  Then, in 2006 they moved right up to fourth place.  If Bob, along with teammates Denise McHale, Greg McHale and Scott Ford, can maintain this momentum, we should expect to see them cheering at us from the podium at PQ 2008.

“Our goal is to win!” affirms Bob.

Although the team will be racing under a new banner this year (they are currently looking for a new sponsor), the core group of Bob, Denise, Greg and Scott will remain the same.  Bob is the first to admit that there are some Canadian teams who have been on the international AR scene longer than they have, and also some Canadian racers who are doing extremely well competing on American teams.  But, as far as recent performance goes, this team is undoubtedly right at the top of the Canadian AR scene.

Bob explains that, after a strong year in 2006, this past year has not been a good one for the team.  “We attended Bimbache Extreme last March in Spain, where I managed to fracture my femur in a mountain bike crash.  I’m still recovering, and not yet able to run.  We’re hoping PQ 2008 will be our next big race together.”

Bob has been focussed on the Adventure Racing circuit since 1998, when he decided to slow down on all of the other things he was competing in – mountain biking, triathlon and running events – to devote himself to AR.

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ad·ven·ture
n.

1. An undertaking or enterprise of a hazardous nature.
2. An unusual or exciting experience.
3. Participation in hazardous or exciting experiences: the love of adventure.

Primal Quest would like to introduce you to Kraig Becker and The Adventure Blog. Kraig’s blog is a great source for news, commentary, and insights on adventures and adventurers from around the globe. Becuase the topics he covers are more or less first cousins to adventure racing we are happy to announce that selections from Kraig’s blog will be available on the Primal Quest website.

To kick off our latest feature, we bring you a recent interview with Primal Quest Director Don Mann. Read the full interview below and see what new things Don has to say about Primal Quest 2008 as well as learn about his recent mountaineering exploits and future plans.

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For a relatively new team on the AR scene, New Zealand’s Orion Health have amassed quite a string of top-ten finishes in major international competitions. But, perhaps more significantly, they also have shown themselves to have a strong tendency for improvement year after year. In the Adventure Racing World Championships, they placed 5th in 2006 (Sweden) and then an even better 3rd in 2007 (Scotland). In the XPD Australia, an ARWS qualifier, they were 2nd in 2006 and then moved up to take first this year. They are also unbeaten in 24 hour races in their home country for the last three years – registering an astonishing 13 straight wins!

In PQ 2006, they surprised all by putting in a strong showing for such a new and inexperienced team, taking 8th. Now, with two years’ more international racing experience under their belts, they are hoping to continue that tendency to improve in PQ 2008.

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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.
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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.

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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!