You can follow the race live at the Primal Quest website.  Checkpoint Zero also is also providing PQ coverage.

If you’re curious about past PQ’s you can search this blog.  I volunteered for both the 2003 and 2004 events.  I didn’t care to travel to Utah to volunteer, but I would have liked to have volunteered for this years race if I had the vacation time.

For those of you looking for a race in October, I suggest you check out the Strong Adventure Race. The race will feature a youth event (2 hours) and a longer main event (6 hours). The race takes place in Chattanooga and benefits a local YMCA so the proceeds are going to a very good cause. The Strong AR is directed by our very own Cathi Cannon!

Registration is currently underway and the price is very reasonable. Your money includes a goodie bag, food, drinks, and an event shirt. 3 person coed teams (main event only) will compete for a $1,000 cash purse. Check out the race website for more information.

When Cathi and I started Adventure24 scouting in 2004 she lived just down the street from me and we got together to look over maps and planned the areas we wanted to visit. Scouting a new area is an adventure itself. You’re exploring new land and seeing sights you’ve never seen before. Those scouting trips were exciting.

Times have changed since those early days. Cathi lives in Chattanooga and I’m married and living in a 70 year old house. Trips to scout for the race used to be time away from my empty condo which required very little attention. Now scouting trips are time away from my new wife and our home that needs way more attention that I ever expected. I’m also in the process of getting back into school to finish up my masters degree that I started a few years ago. Needless to say, the amount of free time I have has been drastically reduced and I need to prioritize.

What does the future hold for Checkpoint Adventures? Well, the UOG is just a few weeks away and it will be a great event. Patrick and I have been hard at work placing checkpoints in Prentice Cooper gearing up for what again will be an event to talk about. As for the Adventure24, it might return one day. If it does return, it will be in a new location because part of the enjoyment of race directing is seeing and experiencing new areas. There might even be some new events and new people in the coming years. If you are interested in helping plan an event but don’t know where to start, contact me and we’ll talk. We’re on the lookout for a few good men or women to keep you adventurous types busy.

As for me, I’ll be spending less time working on events and more time out on the trails myself. I dusted off my mountain bike last weekend on a nice 9 hour bike/push suffer-fest that reminded me of the first NGAR I raced in (the snow edition). My teammate and I called that NGAR “Nature Walk with our Bike” because we pushed our bikes as much as we rode them that day. Last weekend was the same way, I even ran out of water like I did at that NGAR (where my water frozen and I got dehydrated). I’m also going to go camping and sit around the fire and drink some beers with my friends. And for once, it won’t be a camping trip revolved around scouting the area. See you around, and hopefully at the starting line again.

What: Up to 24hrs of mountain biking, navigation, paddling, and trekking in BEAUTIFUL Cherokee National Forest in Southeastern Tennessee.
When: July 20-22, 2007
Where: Benton, TN
Teams: Solos and teams of 4

Solos use up to two support crew members and teams of 4 use a revolving door system where 3 race and one supports while switching teammates in and out at any TA. The elite division is the coed team of 4. There is a cash purse of at least $1,000 for the elite division, which will increase as the number of teams register. Sponsor prizes given to same sex and other division winners.

The Adventure24 is part of the Checkpoint Tracker National Points Series so family and friends can watch your progress at home. You’ll also earn points for the Checkpoint Tracker National Points Series if you are competing in the series.

Using the 4 person teams, this is a great event for someone to get their feet wet in AR or to try out a longer race without racing the entire time! Novices and experts alike enjoy racing this format and if you’ve never raced this format it’s a good time for everyone. If you want to race a 24hr event but aren’t sure if you can race for an entire 24hrs, THIS is the event for you.

There are a limited number of slots available and the solo division is also limited (total of 40 teams). After May 21st, the prices go up $25 for each division so sign up early for the cheaper registration price. There is also a TBARC discount available.

For more information and to register, visit the website here.

We hope to see you in TN in July!

I’ve done a little data mining with both editions of the Adventure24 and put together some charts that show some pretty amazing results.

In the 2005 A24, the race was very tight with Adventure Sports Magazine SE beating Racemetrics by a scant 17 minutes. But the graph below tells us even more. If Racemetrics spent the identical amount of time in the transitions areas as ASM SE, they could have won! You’ll also notice a direct correlation between finishing place and time spent in the transition areas. As your place goes down, your time in the TA’s goes up. You’ll notice however that Litespeed is an anomaly to this rule. The reason for this is because they missed a checkpoint which gave them a 3 hour penalty which knocked them from first to third. Had they not received the penalty, they would have won.

While the race was not as close in 2006, the same trend regarding place and time spent at transition areas remains true (charting all five of the 4 person teams). Again, there is one anomaly though. While team Thoughtprocess.net had the second fastest TA times, they traveled inadvertently on a prohibited road and were given a DQ. Had that not happened however, they would have come in second place.

While I’m sure the correlation of place and time spent at TA’s will not always hold true, it did for my samples. So what can you learn from this? You don’t necessarily have to get physically faster to place better. By improving your efficiency in TA’s, you can spend less time on the course and more time at the finish line. If you have any great efficiency tips, share them with everyone else in the comments below.

“Our sincere apologies for not officially communicating with everyone sooner regarding the status of the next Primal Quest Expedition Adventure Race.

Since the conclusion of Primal Quest Utah, we have been diligently trying to make arrangements to enable the race to take place in 2007 and beyond. As you know, PQ is a complex undertaking that requires substantial planning, financing and partnerships in order to maintain the high quality standard that PQ is known for. We realize placing the event on hold affects the racing community to a great degree, but please know we are continuing to explore every option in staging the expedition in the future and appreciate all the input we’ve received.

On behalf of our entire team, we sincerely appreciate your support and wish you success in the upcoming racing season.”