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Primal Quest heading to a "western mountain state"
Email from Don Mann just crossed the
Primal Quest Expedition Adventure Race is set to return to a western mountain state in 2008!Ok, sound off. Where's the race going to be? I know what I think I know...what do all of you think?
Between June 21 and July 2, 2008 seventy-five co-ed teams of racers will take part in the World's Most Challenging Human Endurance Competition.The 2008 edition features new leadership, as PQ 2006 Race Director Don Mann takes over the position of Chief Executive Officer. Mann, who has staged more multi-day, multi-sport races than any other individual in the world, continues to manage the event, bringing with him an experienced team of discipline directors, logistics coordinators, medical staff, ropes crew, marketing, and volunteer personnel. Mann's wife, Dawn Taylor Mann, fulfills the role of Operations Director, as she has done in nearly 100 adventure races, including Primal Quest, Expedition BVI, Odyssey events and the USARA Championships.
While the exact location of the race must remain a secret until the fall of 2007, several states are currently running neck and neck. If you do not have firm summer vacation plans, you may wish to visit places like (in no particular order of significance other than it is an alphabetical list) Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, or Nevada.
Participants can expect as epic a race as Utah and exposure to totally different environments. They will race for five to ten days over 400 - 600 miles of gnarly terrain. In addition to the classic elements of AR: mountain biking, trekking, and paddling, next year racers will face extraordinary sections of whitewater swimming and mountaineering.
Supporting the race will be a small army of 150 staff and volunteers who all share a passion for adventure. Those interested in seeing the sport of expedition racing from a totally unique perspective can register to volunteer online right now!
Race registration opens Sunday, July 1 and already interest in the race is proving overwhelming with hundreds of excited calls and emails a day. The new website is live and will serve in the months to come as the main location for all official Primal Quest information.
We hope to see you soon!
Don D. Mann
CEO, Primal Quest
www.ecoprimalquest.com
posted by Yak @ 3:20 PM
9 comments
9 Comments:
So the states are â??running neck and neckâ??? Meaning what? I read that as being that they are exactly a year away from this and donâ??t even have a location picked? Meaning they have no real course laid out? Meaning they have no permits or permissions in the works yet? Which in that case how can he later state the water white and mountaineering will be so grand?
Seems weird. I understand keeping the location secret, but the way it is worded just seems like the states are in a bidding war or something. If that is the case, I would have thought that step would have happened months ago.
I think they just don't want to tell you where it is and you're reading between the lines looking for something that isn't there :-)
The idea that they don't know where it is yet is crazy. They're just doing what's necessary to keep the secret.
I can tell you from first hand experience that the number of folks that will go to ridiculous lengths to figure this out is astounding.
Ahead of last year's race in Utah I got an email, pretty sure it was from Dan Barger, that included text alleged to have been cut-n-pasted from a US Forest Service permit application.
It listed EXACT locations and turned out to be 100% accurate. I never posted it because...well...you don't shit where you eat and I eat adventure racing :-)
If they are smart, Don's got the permitting process going in several states...on several courses.
Most FS permits can be rolled into another year for a minimal fee, barring any conflicts...
My unscientific vote is for Idaho (if it HAS to be in one State) I know that in the recent past at least 2 highly experienced organizations planned out courses and applied for permits there...The X-adventure was there in 2006...Jonathan Denison lives there doesn't he? Boise is a HUGE OUTDOOR mecca! There's white-water galore! Does any of this crappy speculation mean jack-diddly? No. Does it mean there could be some consulting work going on, No again!But it's fun to speculate...if only I had some $$. sigh nonetheless, it DOES means that Idaho is gorgeous and has some monster mountains to boot. For the MAR expedition folks, I hope it's in MONTANA- maybe they'll get some last minute interest in their race based on only the possibilty. The region near TUCSON,AZ is freakin' awesome too but there's no snow despite the 8 or 9K foot elevation.(even in winter most of the time)Has to be snow for mountaineering, right?
Woo-HOO!
I finally got my cast off today for those that care!
My bet is Colorado. 2 of the 4 Primal Quests used the same areas as the Adventure Xtreme Series, most notably Utah. Which used much of the same course and even the same headquarters and finish as their mid length expedition. Why not make it 3 out of 5. :(
Makes sense though, much easier to utilize someone else's permit work and logistics.
Lets hope they step it up and put it on in a truly untamed and un-raced region. Or what are you paying $12,500.00 for?
I think they are "hustling" to find a course, secure permits, etc. Last year, rumor had it that they planned to hold it in Montana but permits fell through so then they had to go somewhere else(less than a year out) that already had permits in place (meaning other races had held events there and biological & other course assessments had happened already)...which is why they subsequently chose Moab, where AdventureXtreme puts on an annual expedition race. They (AdventureX) must not be too psyched about Colorado being in the running again since they put on races all over that state during the summer. I for one hope it is in Montana as we've never raced there and it would be "new and epic." PQ already has been in Colorado once. Nevada is too hot in the summer plus the mountains are near Tahoe where PQ has already been. Uh, Arizona, hotter than hell in the summer too. And no one wants another moab HOT race. So, it boils down to CO & MT. Why not try something new???!?!!? Don, if you are reading this my vote is for Montana! :) Whitefish, MT area near Glacier specifically!
Is anyone else upset about the $12,500 entry? I know I am...back to the roots it is not with that price tag.
Back to the roots? haha Did you see how many team members they have on staff? Now you know why it is going to cost $12,500. That and they haven't announced a title sponsor.
As for location, I'd guess Colorado or Idaho and Montana.
"Participants can expect as epic a race as Utah and exposure to totally different environments." That excludes AZ and NV unless I haven't seen the lush rain forest of AZ and NV.
For all of you who keep saying AZ is too hot in the summer, Flagstaff sits at 7,400 feet and gets to a scorching 80 degrees in the summer. Plus it sits in the middle of the largest continuous pine forests in the US outside of Alaska.
But my vote is still for Montana. I am already doing the MAR there this year, so of course my option could change.
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