- Now that Nike and Merrell are home, and enjoying the spa treatment over at Moonlight Basin all eyes now turn to Bones and Dart-nuun, who are currently neck and neck and powering towards the finish line. Both teams are expected to reach the end tonight, with the fastest team claiming the last podium position.
- Team Nike ACG (pictured) reached the climb site today at about 1:50 PM local time and proceeded to tackle the ropes section. In an interesting move however, they elected to not find any of the orienteering points on the optional O-course, which means they are passing up a lot of time credits to get a jump on the competition and stay on the course.
- The bulk of the teams are still moving through the Bridger mountains and by all accounts, most of the athletes are in good spirits feeling fine and enjoying the views. With a lot of course still ahead of them however, some of the trailing teams may risk getting “short coursed” in order to finish before the cut-off time.
- Over heard on the the course: ”I have been racing since Eco Challenge 96. Primal Quest – Montana is without doubt the greatest AR I have ever competed in. In every aspect, Primal Quest – Montana out-did any other AR!” The person responsible for this quote? None other than Blain Reeves, who has been racing since before the first Eco-Challenge.
- Kudos to Jay Smith and the entire climb team. The teams seem to be enjoying the incredible ropes course he has put together, with Nike commenting that it was the most intense ropes course that they had ever done.
This is a video of Team Merrell as they approach the finish line. The first clip is of the team riding out of Moonlight Basin and heading towards home. The next clip shows the team riding past Lone Peak as they near Big Sky Resort, finally rolling into the finish with the crowd cheering. Finally, we get some thoughts on the race from John Jacoby and team captain Robyn Benincasa.
After 6 days, 2 hours, and 10 minutes of racing Team Merrell/Zanfel Adventure has claimed second place in the 2008 Primal Quest Expedition Adventure Race. Congrats to the entire team for an excellent race.
Throughout the race we want to take an opportunity to thank our partners, without whom there wouldn’t be a Primal Quest. Each of them plays a vital role in the success of the race and deserve credit for allowing us the opportunity to have this great adventure.
MyTopo played an integral role in getting Primal Quest to come to Montana, their home state. When Primal Quest was looking for a location to hold this year’s event, the MyTopo team quickly spoke up with an invitation to come to Montana and experience it’s natural wonders. But their involvement in Primal Quest didn’t end there.
The company, which is headquartered in Red Lodge, MT, specializes in providing custom maps for adventure racers and outdoor enthusiasts alike. Their maps are based off of the USGS topographical surveys and can include up to 12 quads on one sheet. They are ruggedized and water proof to handle the elements and the toughest outdoor environments, and are both GPS and compass ready. Thanks to these impressive, and highly detailed maps, teams have the best navigational aids possible.
In past races, navigators would have had to carry two-dozen maps for the PQ 08 course, but thanks to MyTopo the number of maps were reduced to just seven. Those same maps were integrated into our online tracking system, provided by SPOT, allowing fans following the race from home to follow along, with same maps the racers carried.
MyTopo has been an incredible partner for Primal Quest at every step of the journey. They did so much more than provide maps to each of the teams. They advised on the location, offered amazing support, and served as ambassadors for their state. Without the tireless efforts of the MyTopo staff, the race wouldn’t have run so smoothly and so successfully.
The Primal Quest staff would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our friends at MyTopo. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.
Overnight, Team Archipela Kinetic elected to withdraw from Primal Quest 2008. The team is off the course and resting well, with no serious injuries or issues.
"Look for 2008 Primal Quest on RUSH HD this fall."
Want a Piece of the Primal Quest Action?
PQ is looking for investors interested in growing “The World’s Most Challenging Human Endurance Competition” and the Primal Quest Sprint Series.
If you’re interested in learning more about investment opportunities, contact Don Mann
Random PQ-Related Quotes
"Go PQ! Good luck with the race, reading about the course you and your team have done and amazing job. Thanks for keeping PQ alive. May all the racers enjoy this race and come back safely to Big Sky. Congrats to you, Dawn, Chris and all the team for staging a fantastic race in challenging conditions."
More notes from the course today.
Throughout the race we want to take an opportunity to thank our partners, without whom there wouldn’t be a Primal Quest. Each of them plays a vital role in the success of the race and deserve credit for allowing us the opportunity to have this great adventure.
