Dear Primal Quest Volunteers,

I want to personally thank you for either taking time out of your busy schedules to come out and support Primal Quest Montana; or for having expressed an interest in doing so. We are all very grateful for your devotion to this sport, to PQ, and to creating an event that will change many lives, including yours! Primal Quest volunteers are widely known as being the most dedicated and experienced in the industry, and we truly owe the success of our events to you! One of the most frequent compliments we receive from competitors is how impressed they are with the professionalism and hard work of our volunteers.

My involvement with producing adventure races dates back to 1997. During that time we have produced hundreds of multi-sport events and have built, in my opinion, the most experienced AR team (staff and volunteers) in the world. For the most part, our staff all started as volunteers. Many of our best volunteers who had the desire, time and willingness to do more joined our staff ranks. If you have an interest and the time and would like to be more involved with Primal Quest and the Primal Quest Sprint Series, please be sure to let me know. Both PQ and the PQSS are going to expand and we are looking for some more great talent to join us for this expansion.

Don D. Mann
Director
Primal Quest Expedition Adventure Race
A Don Mann Production

The Blackwater: Escape and Evasion Adventure Race was announced just a few days ago, and already it’s building buzz in the AR community. Mike Bitton from CheckPointZero.com has written an excellent article about the event after speaking with Primal Quest CEO Don Mann who is managing this new race. The article takes a peek at what we can expect out of the Blackwater E&E and explores the potential role of Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater Worldwide, in the future of adventure racing.

The following is an excerpt from the article:

Don Mann, former U.S. Navy SEAL and the CEO of Primal Quest, is an adventure racing entrepreneur with an unusually rich history. During his decades as an “operator” on the Teams, Mann did countless things he can’t tell anyone. But here’s a little something he told me. Adventure racing has a new prince. And it’s a prince with a capital P.

Back when Mann was on duty at SEAL Team 2, prepping to lead fellow sailors through a Raid Gauloises expedition adventure race, he was approached by a member of SEAL Team 8, one Erik Prince, about what essentially amounted to a sponsorship for Mann’s adventure racing team. Prince liked the concept, Mann said, of a SEAL Team competing on a global stage. And, lucky for Mann and his AR teammates, Prince had just come in to some money. “He wrote me a check on the spot,” Mann recalled. The men have been friends ever since.

To read the entire story click here.

Blackwater Extreme Racing and Don Mann Productions are proud to announce the Blackwater Escape and Evasion Adventure Race. An endurance event unlike any other, the Blackwater E&E is set to challenge adventure racers, triathletes, or anyone else looking for a challenge, in unique and exciting ways this November.

This 24-hour race will pit teams of two against one another in the traditional adventure racing disciplines of trail running, mountain biking, paddling, and orienteering. But as the name implies, there is more to this race than just reading a map and finding checkpoints. Racers will also be challenged along the course by a series of special events, and surprises that could only be made possible by the combined expertise of Don Mann and Blackwater Extreme Racing.

The Blackwater Escape and Evasion Adventure Race will take place November 7^th and 8^th in Moyock, North Carolina. Mark those dates on your calendar now and prepare yourself for an adventure racing experience unlike any you’ve experienced before.

Stay tuned for more information on this exciting event, including the launch of the Blackwater E&E website, news on registration, and more. For more information contact Don Mann at don.mann@ecoprimalquest.com

Article by Craig Stein

The premiere edition of the Primal Quest Sprint Series (PQSS), www.primalquestsprintseries.com, is now upon us with the first race being held May 10, 2008 in Chesterfield, VA at Pocahontas State Park. This four to six hour multi-sport adventure race presents participants the opportunity to experience the high energy of the sport without the huge time/financial commitment required to tackle a 400+ mile expedition adventure race course. It will challenge the elite level racer with its intensity and introduce the beginner to the world of adventure racing. Two additional 2008 races are scheduled for September 6 at Moraine State Park in PA, and October 10 at the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, NC.

The PQ Sprint Series courses will feature many disciplines associated with an expedition length race such as mountain biking, trekking, paddling, and orienteering. In addition, there will also be unique endurance challenges, as well as technical decision making skills. Log PT drills and a ropes obstacle course are unique legs of the race that racers will face.

Click here to read the rest of the article. 

Front Royal, Virginia – Production company Race Day Films, LLC announces sponsorship of the Primal Quest Sprint Series.  As a part of sponsorship, Race Day Films will shoot the first ever Primal Quest Sprint Series race on 10 May at Pocahontas State Park, Virginia.

“We are very pleased with our new relationship with Primal Quest,” said Race Day Films founder John Stann.  “The Primal Quest Expedition Adventure Race is heralded as the “World’s Most Challenging Human Endurance Competition”, and I am sure the shorter, faster Primal Quest Sprint Series races will be incredible too.”  “We are also proud to support the Virginia film industry by shooting at Pocahontas State Park,” added Director Kevin Hershberger.

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The Primal Quest Sprint Series in the news…

Following four successful expedition length races, the Primal Quest organization has launched the first Primal Quest Sprint Series. In 2008, its premiere year, the PQSS will consist of two races, the first on May 10th at Pocahontas State Park just outside of Richmond, VA. Starting next season, the PQSS, with eight races scheduled, will give amateur and elite athletes alike, the opportunity to win a spot in the 2009 Primal Quest Expedition Adventure Race.

Read more of Cory Rosen’s story over at Xtri.com

Adventure World Magazine is now available online!

One magazine for all adrenaline and adventure junkies is finally available!  And, the publishers and creators of Adventure World Magazine are scouring the globe to give fellow athletes the latest and edgiest event destinations, outdoor venues, and gear on the planet.

“This publication was launched out of a passion for the sports that Adventure World Magazine will cover in our upcoming issues,” said Clay Abney, AWM Editor-in-Chief, “We are athletes first and journalists second.”

Numerous magazines on the market today are dedicated to individual adventure sports, but there is not an all-encompassing publication for the adventure sports industry.  Abney says after researching this void for over a year he realized many athletes were craving this type of media outlet.  “I have been on dozens of messages boards, and interviewed numerous pros and race directors throughout North America,” said Abney, “and the result was a resounding desire for one entity which will cover all things in the realm of adventure and endurance sports.”

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