Musing and Errata on the world of Adventure Racing from the Yak
presented by MPGear.com

Traditionally, race promoters that have offered online registration have used Active.com or a similar 3rd party event registration service.

These services usually charge the promoter a flat fee and a small percentage on top of the base credit card processing fee for each transaction. This how they make a profit.

The value proposition they offer is obvious.

Even with their cut included, the total percentage fee they charge for each credit card transaction is still cheaper than what most promoters would pay if they got their own merchant account. This is because these companies process TONS of credit card transactions and pay a lower fee per transaction.

You know who processes even more credit card transactions than these 3rd party registration services?

PayPal and Google, that's who.

It's now trivial for anyone with even the most basic of web development skills to put together a simple online registration application that uses PayPal or Google Checkout to process credit payments. The total transaction fee is less than 3% for each of these services.

Checkpoint Zero, LLC used Checkpoint Tracker for online registration for the first time last year for the Checkpoint Zero Adventure Race.

We used it a second time for the same event this year.

Now that we've worked the bugs out we're sharing the love.

Infiterra Sports is now offering online registration through Checkpoint Tracker for the upcoming Adventure Rage.

Over time we expect to offer online registration for more and more events in the Checkpoint Tracker Adventure Racing Series presented by Inov-8.

From a recent press release:

On Saturday, May 10, 2008 Don Mann and Dawn Taylor-Mann, the producers of the Primal Quest Expedition Adventure Race, will usher in a new addition to the world of adventure racing, the Primal Quest Sprint Series (PQSS).

The Primal Quest Sprint Series offers fast-paced adventure racing for teams of two and features the classic adventure racing disciplines of trekking/trail running, mountain biking, and paddling. Teams will also face special events like a cargo net climb, ropes bridge, low crawl, and straight out of Don Mannâ??s Navy SEAL Training events, the infamous log PT!

PQSS race courses do not require certifications and are perfect for new adventure racers, runners, bikers, triathletes and other traditional athletes. They will also remain fun and challenging for more experienced teams who can use the PQSS as tune-ups for longer competitions. Top finishers will complete the courses in about four hours, while less experienced teams will finish in approximately six hours. The two person teams can choose to race in either the co-ed, female, or male categories.

All finishers receive: Awards, Race T-Shirt or Race Cap, Post Race Meal, and an Adventure Experience of a Lifetime!

The first PQSS is Saturday, May 10, 2008 at Pocahontas State Park, just 20 miles from downtown Richmond, Virginia. Registration for this event opens March 1, 2008 at http://www.ecoprimalquest.com.

The second PQSS is scheduled for the fall of 2008 and will be held in North Carolina at a location to be announced soon.

The team behind the Primal Quest Sprint Series has more experience producing multi-sport competitions than anyone else in the world. Don Mann has selected Michael and Jennifer Staton as the PQSS Race Managers. He says of the Statonâ??s experience,
â??I hand picked Michael and Jenifer because I have worked with them, producing challenging competitions for many years, and they have proven themselves time and time again as extremely professional, competent and knowledgeable event managers.â??
Joe Moerschbaecher, an experienced and elite adventure racer, backcountry guide, and professor at Brevard College in North Carolina, was selected as the PQSS Race Director and Course Designer.

On a grander scale, The Primal Quest Expedition Adventure Race, is a 5 â?? 10 day, 450+ mile long adventure race billed as â??the Worldâ??s Most Challenging Human Endurance Competition.â?? Seventy to ninety teams of four from around the world will compete in this yearâ??s Primal Quest Montana beginning June 21, 2008. Primal Quest is still accepting applications from teams interested in competing in this yearâ??s race. Full race details can be found at http://www.ecoprimalquest.com.

For more information about the Primal Quest Sprint Series, please visit the official race website: >http://www.primalquestsprintseries.com.