Trioba Adventure Racing is excited to announce our 2009 schedule. We have planned a sprint race and a 24-30 hour race.

The sprint race will be held in a beautiful area that has not previously hosted a race. In addition, it will include white water rafting, a discipline that has not been used in North America .

Our 24-30 hour race, part of the Checkpoint Tracker Adventure Racing Series presented by Inov-8, will be held in an area that is considered a mountain biker's and trail runner's paradise. This race will be epic in its proportions and when you finish, it will leave you satisfied at what you have accomplished and where you have been.

In addition, during 2009 we will be holding events and clinics on adventure racing, navigation, and other topics. Our first event will be held in Seattle.

TRIOBA Wild Sky Sprint Adventure Race presented by the Outdoor Adventure Center

Date: May 30, 2009
Location: Near Index, WA
Duration: 6-12hours
Cost: $150 per participant
Disciplines: White Water Rafting, Treking, Mountain Biking Cost Includes: Land use fees/permits, taxes, high-quality maps, all equipment necessary for rafting section, insurance, post-race party including food and drink, prizes, give-a-ways, and one unbelievable adventure race!

TRIOBA 24-30 Hour Adventure Race

Date: September 18-20, 2009
Location: Near Plain, WA
Duration: 24-30hours
Cost: $200 per participant
Disciplines: Treking, Mountain Biking, Flat Water Paddling Cost
Includes: Land use fees/permits, taxes, high-quality maps, insurance, post-race party including food and drink, prizes, give-a-ways, and one unbelievable adventure race!

Adventure Racing in the Pacific Northwest presented by Trioba

Date: April 30th, 2009
Location: Seattle Downtown REI
Time: 6:30-9:00PM
Cost: Free

Come get information on adventure racing and Trioba. We will be talking about adventure racing by sharing stories and answering questions you may have about the sport. In addition, we will have a short slide show presentation and talk about gear, strategies for success, and the skills you need to be successful. This event is for those who are new to the sport, experienced racers, and volunteers.

To register for Trioba events visit visit http://store.mpgear.com.

For great gear and adventures in the Northwest visit http://www.mpgear.com and http://www.outdooradventurecenter.com.

Primal Quest has posted previews of each of the four episodes that make up the PQ Montana TV special which which is set to begin airing internationally on the VOOM network in the not too distant future.

US fans will have to wait for the DVD or a new broadcast partner, whichever comes first. Based on the short preview clips I just watched...it'll be well worth the wait.

Team ROC Gear/4LPH4 1337 is proud to announce the launch of the inaugural Atomic Adventure Race Presented By Fuji Bikes, to take place at Amicalola Falls State Park in Dawsonville, GA on May 16th, 2009.

The starting line will welcome a host of racers from across the country, as the 24-hour Atomic Adventure Race is a participating event in both the Checkpoint Tracker Adventure Racing Series presented by Inov-8 and the USARA National Adventure Racing Series.

"We're really excited to have a lot of out-of-state teams already on the competitor map. It really signifies the exposure we have within the adventure racing community," said Josh Forester, Race Director of the Atomic Adventure Race, "Not only is the momentum building on the competitor side of the race, but on the sponsor side as well. We have got a great group of sponsors at both the national and local levels who are tremendously supportive of the race and the sport, and it shows."

Fuji Bikes is joining forces with Reality Bikes and Skateboards of Cumming, GA to be co-title sponsors of the race. "We are fortunate to be partnered with Reality Bikes, said Paul Jellen, Fuji Territory Manager in the Southeast Region. "The adventure race gives us a perfect venue to highlight our competitive mountain bikes." As such, competitors in the Atomic Adventure Race will be firing on all cylinders day and night to see who crosses the finish line first. And it will not be for nothing--among the individual prizes, series points, and bragging rights awarded to the winners--a Fuji Bikes full suspension mountain bike frame. "I'm riding a Fuji Outland RC I bought from Reality Bikes right now, and believe me--it's a sweet ride," noted Josh Forester.

Josh Forester, also captain of Team ROC Gear/4LPH4 1337--dubbed the most technological adventure racing team out there, plans to incorporate their computer savvy into the production of the race. "We've got ambitions to provide some of the best media coverage of a 24-hour race you will see in adventure racing." With the help of Checkpoint Tracker, the race's media crew will be following specific teams and covering the race progress in general, providing video/photo/blogging content as the race goes on in addition to maintaining a live leaderboard. "It's not an easy endeavor, but we feel we are better equipped than most to pull it off, " said Joanna Erion, Media Director for the Atomic Adventure Race.

Registration for the Atomic Adventure Race is open with a cutoff of April 3rd. "I think the first twenty captains to register will be pleasantly surprised to find they will be in the drawing for another Fuji Bikes full suspension mountain bike--at this point, we've got a few slots left, and those are pretty good odds." Toiling day and night without sleep through a course fraught with challenges that will test both athletic and mental prowess...what more could one ask for?

We know of marathons, triathlons and adventure races that are challenges in name only, designed specifically for the weekend warriors who work and train...but what does a true Challenge entail? Gravity Play Sports announces the inaugural Purgatory Challenge - a 3 day stage race set in the magnificent San Juan Mountains. Participants can do one, 2 or all 3 days of the racing, and will be challenged each and everyday.

Although the "Purgatory Challenge" in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado might sound like a cakewalk to some, consider the following: In three days, the race combines a 20-mile Up/Down flat water kayak race on the Animas River, a 50-mile single track mountain bike race using the legendary Hermosa Creek Trail. And an epic single track back country mountain marathon. This begs the question is the Purgatory Challenge, heaven or hell?

Staged out of Durango Mountain Resort, known to locals as Purgatory Ski Area, the race courses entail some of the best known recreation to man-kind, including world renowned Hermosa Creek Trail, a fast and spectacular (and mostly downhill) single track trail and the wild & scenic Animas River (river of lost souls) that passes through the mountain town of Durango, Colorado.

Racers will choose from the following individual Purgatory Challenge events.

Friday, June 19th - The Purgatory Challenge Up/Down 20 mile Kayak Race

Saturday, June 20th - The Purgatory Challenge Mountain Bike Race (~50 miles)

Sunday, June 21st - The Purgatory Challenge Marathon Trail Running race (~26 miles)

Racers who complete all 3 days of events within the Purgatory Challenge will vie for title of Challenger Champions. Participants in the Adventure Xstream Adventure Race Series and the Checkpoint Tracker series are eligible for individual and/or team points (see website for additional details). Current leaders in the race for Challenger Champions will done Yellow Jerseys subsequent racing days and vie for more than $10,000 in cash and prizes.

For more information or to register visit http://www.GravityPlay.com.

The location for the 5th edition has been narrowed down to two world class expedition racing regions in Australia. Preferences from the competitors in the 4th edition were taken into consideration and attention is gravitating towards tropical Far North Queensland. While this is still to be confirmed, North Queensland offers a very attractive option for an epic course based out of Cairns. The expedition racing terrain is some of the best in the world and has so many great course and discipline options. It could include the Great Barrier Reef, snorkeling and sailing disciplines. The white water rivers are legendary and flow through pristine rainforest. Not to mention incorporating some of the iconic legs that were part of the Eco Challenge held there in 1997. Wow!

Dates are being investigated for May 2010 which is 18 months after the 4th edition. Entries are scheduled to open in August and will be limited due to the sensitive nature of some parts of the course. A final decision on the course location will be announced in the coming months.

XPD is open to mixed, all male or all female teams of four. The exact course is kept secret until 24hrs before the start. Then with much excitement and anticipation, teams are provided a course booklet and their race maps. The course booklet contains the location of each of the race checkpoints. Once teams start, racing is 24 hours per day; teams choose when and where they will sleep. The winning team is expected to complete the course in 4-5 days. All other teams will be permitted up to 10 days to complete the expedition without mid-race cut offs. XPD will be challenging for first time racers and experienced teams alike.

As a member of the AR World Series, XPD is a qualifying event for the Adventure Race World Championship (ARWC). The AR World Series is an international circuit of premiere adventure races representing 10 countries creating a 12 month calendar of professional events around the world. The top two teams at each qualifying event receive automatic entry to the ARWC.

XPD receives generous support from Casio, Salomon, Smartwool, Adventure Racing World Series and Sleepmonsters.com.

The website has been updated with latest information.

The "Toughest 3 Day race in the Country" has gotten a little tougher and a little longer with the addition of a half of day.

The 2009 E-Fix will be held in beautiful but rugged southeastern West Virginia, where the paddling is plentiful and the mountains go up forever. The race will include multiple paddling and orienteering sections, the mountain biking and trekking sections will be epic and teams will experience challenges only found in an expedition length race. The Endorphin Fix is part of the Checkpoint Tracker Adventure Racing Series presented by Inov-8.

Primal Quest just posted the following statement on their website:

We have recently been notified that our broadcast partner RUSH HD has ceased it's US operations, and as a result will only be broadcasting Primal Quest Montana Presented by SPOT in the international marketplace, which includes 35 countries.

We are very proud of the directing/editing team we put together for this project including award winners Tim Powell and Brian Catalina. The end result is a high quality, compelling drama that rivals any endurance sports coverage ever broadcast on television. The show, which consists of (4) 30-minute episodes, is TV-ready and we are currently negotiating with highly regarded networks for immediate broadcasting in the domestic (USA) market.

We will make a broad announcement once we secure a new broadcast partner and we assure our public that we are doing everything we can to make this happen as quickly as possible. We are also eager to make the 4-episodes available on DVD once they’ve been broadcast so everyone will be able to purchase their own videos for personal use.

Thank you for your continued interest in Primal Quest!

Don and Dawn Mann

No information on which networks might be interested. Adventure racing has struggled to find a TV audience since the heady days of Eco Challenge despite numerous attempts. The TV coverage of Primal Quest Utah was expertly produced and captivating to those of use that understand the sport, but the editorial decision to present it as a race as opposed to a human interest story was probably a missed opportunity if the goal was to draw ratings.

Survivor anyone?

While it's disappointing that we won't be watching PQ in HD any time soon it seems that that is the extent of the fallout from this announcement. I recently exchanged emails with Don and he told me that despite the slow pace at which teams have been signing up that "I can say with 100% assurance that PQ Badlands is definitely a go".

In years past the race has sold out in hours or days. As of right now the team page shows 38 teams registered...which means they've got room and would love to see you this summer. If you're planning on racing it's time to lay your money down and get your team registered.

Bonk Hard Racing, LLC is pleased to introduce the newest adventure race on our 2009 calendar, the LBL Challenge presented by Columbia Sportswear. The LBL Challenge is being hosted at the Land Between the Lakes in western Kentucky on April 4th and offering racers a 12-hour or a 24-hour course.

The Land Between the Lakes, a designated National Recreation Area, offers racers over 170,000 acres of undisturbed forests, over 300 miles of undeveloped shoreline and over 200 miles of single track trails and jeep roads. The Land Between the Lakes is the perfect venue for an adventure race, and both courses will feature some of the highlights of the area and show the natural beauty of the Bluegrass State.

At $155 per racer for the 24-Hour race and $100 per racer for the 12-Hour race, the LBL Challenge is one of the most reasonably priced races in the United States, and with prizes like The North Face tents and sleeping bags, Salomon shoes, Kuat bike racks, Numa Sport Optics sunglasses and a ton of fantastic prizes from our presenting sponsor, Columbia Sportswear, winning teams will have a tough time deciding what prize they want. We will also be drawing random teams from a hat at the awards ceremony to choose prizes as well.

The LBL Challenge is a Regional Qualifier for the 2009 USARA Adventure Racing National Championships and also a part of the 2009 Checkpoint Tracker Adventure Racing Series presented by Inov-8. Friends and family will be able to follow your progress during the race from a computer at home and also be able to read race blogs, view photos and post shout-outs during the race.