There has been a lot of rumors circulating over the past few months about the possible return of Primal Quest, one of the biggest events ever in the sport of adventure racing. After disappearing from the AR landscape for more than five year, it seemed the possibility of PQ's resurrection were quite dim. But not only will the race be back in 2015, registration for the event opens on Saturday.When the news first broke about Primal Quest's return back in June, there was a lot of speculation about who was behind the race, and whether or not it was actually going to happen. That was an understandable reaction at the time, as we've been teased more than once about a potential new Primal Quest race. Yesterday, I exchanged emails with Maria Burton, the new CEO of PQ, and she assures me that the event is moving ahead, and that there is a lot of excitement and momentum behind it.
At this point, we know that PQ will return to its original format, which pits coed teams of four against one another in standard adventure racing disciplines, such as trail running, mountain biking, and paddling. The event will take place August 22-29, 2015 in the Lake Tahoe area. We're promised a 7-day, non-stop race, covering more than 400 miles (643 km) through the wilderness of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Race management is hoping to attract as many as 40 teams from around the world to compete.
As a fan of adventure racing, its great to see Primal Quest finally returning next year. But it should be pointed out, that while Maria has ties to the original event, this isn't the same team that brought you the previous PQ's. In fact, she tells me she is still putting her team together, but that the staff will be ramping up in the weeks ahead in preparation for the race next summer. The goal is to create an event that is the spiritual successor to past Primal Quests, with the hopes of creating a sustainable race that will be with us for years to come.
Hopefully we'll learn a lot more about this new incarnation of Primal Quest in the days ahead. But for now, teams interested in racing in the event should start making their plans. That includes registering for the race on Saturday.
