ADVENTURE RACING

GODZone Team To Race At Prestigious Primal Quest In Lake Tahoe

By GODZone Adventure

The GODZone adventure racing team is set to take on North America’s premier adventure expedition race, Primal Quest, in Lake Tahoe this week.
 
Former World Champion adventure racer and GODZone Race Director Warren Bates will lead the New Zealand based team that includes his partner Lisa Bates and adventure racing sisters Sonya Clark and Sarah Fairmaid. For Bates and Clark, this is the second time they have travelled over to the US to take on Primal Quest, one of the true iconic races in the sports history.
 
“ We jumped at the chance to race at an event which has always had a legendary reputation. We were also lured by a brilliant host location that is surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. We’ve been exploring the wider area for a few days now and we just know the course is going to be extremely demanding but at the same time hugely rewarding and inspiring.
 
GODZone and Primal Quest recently announced a partnership that will involve the two events working together to promote the sport internationally and encourage more participation from around the world. Bates says its good to have Primal Quest back on the racing calendar.
 
“When I first got involved with the sport of adventure racing there were two or three races that stood head and shoulders above all others. Primal Quest was one of those races and it is a huge positive for our sport that it is back up and running.”
 
The eight-day Primal Quest expedition runs from the 20 – 28th August and is limited to just 20 teams from around the world. Bates says the GODZone team is highly experienced and looking forward to taking on the challenges of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding Sierra Nevada mountains.
 
“ Both Sonya and I raced at Primal Quest back in 2006 with very mixed fortunes. My team retired when a teammate broke their arm. Sonya, racing with the Orion Health team, went on to a top five finish. It was a spectacular course with mind-blowing ropes. We expect more of the same this time around in Tahoe.”
 
The GODZone team has been chosen to feature on an exclusive television program with Outside Television, the only national television network solely dedicated to action adventure programming in the US.
 
Outside Television will document the extraordinary pursuit of teams of adventurers as they traverse, trail run, mountain bike, paddle, ascend and rappel over 450 plus miles non-stop for eight days.
 
“ It is a real bonus to be chosen and included in the television coverage of Primal Quest and it should make for some fascinating television viewing particularly given our team is perhaps slightly unusual as in three females racing with one male,” says Bates.
 
Generally it's the other way around and so there could be some interesting moments that will be caught on camera for the whole world to see.”


Sonya Clark, Sarah Fairmaid, Lisa Bates and Warren Bate of Team GODZone. Photo courtesy of GODZone Adventure

For more information on Primal Quest and to follow the GODZone teams progress go to http://primalquest.org/race/course/

For GODZone go to http://godzoneadventure.com  or the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/godzoneadventure