Primal Quest: 10 days? Try six

By SEAN FORBES Chronicle Sports Writer

BIG SKY n The sun dropped below the horizon, leaving only a golden glow between the austere stone monoliths of Lone Peak and Beehive Basin, as the first team crossed the finish line in Primal Quest Montana Saturday night.

ERIK PETERSEN/CHRONICLE Team Nike members from left, Michael Tobin, Mike Kloser, Monique Merrill and Chris Forne make the uphill grind past Ennis Lake on their mountain bikes on their final leg from McAllister to Big Sky while leading the Primal Quest Expedition Adventure Race Saturday evening. Team Nike - Mike Kloser, Michael Tobin, Monique Merrill and Chris Forne n finished the 10-day event in six days.

Nike’s lead, which slowly grew after Monday morning’s start, led to a large margin of victory; second-place Merrell/Zanfel Adventure not expected to finish until the wee hours of Sunday Morning.

“We don’t expect Merrell until around two or three in the morning,” said Corey Rosen, press coordinator for Primal Quest, standing with the gathering crowd at the finish line. “It’ll be staggered for the next day or so for the first 10-place teams, and then after that, you’re going to see a mass of teams coming through.”

The finish was set up in front of Big Sky’s Snowcrest Lodge.

In the fading hours of the day, racers and spectators gathered in anticipation of team Nike’s arrival. Athletes already having withdrawn from the race could be seen limping through the crowd.

Alerted via radio of the team’s arrival, the crowd began to cheer, continuing until the four racers crossed the finish line together and accepted the celebratory beers that were ready and waiting.

Amidst the crowd of spectators and cameras, Kloser, the team’s captain, attributed the teams success to luck, good sleep and talent.

“It was a great team effort,” Kloser said.

Team Nike won the $25,000 purse as well as free entry into next year’s event. Teams had to ante up $12,500 for this year’s race.

Asked if many teams were likely to accept the free entry fee n a prize extended through the top five places n Rosen said, “we think so because it’s going to be international next year.”

Though locations around the world have been contacted about hosting Primal Quest 2009, British Columbia is the most likely destination, according to Rosen.

Team Nike will now have a chance to relax, eat and sleep.

Happy to be finished, Chris Forne, from Christchurch, New Zealand, could use the rest. After route changes instituted during the events, the course length had grown to over 540 miles.

“The hardest was the hike today, I’d have to say, not because it was anything particularly tricky, but just because it was the last hike,” Forne said, beer in hand in the finish area, “towards the end your body gets real sore.”

Tim Powell, the director of television coverage for Primal Quest, also a veteran of adventure races, described the length of the event as the distinguishing factor between adventure racing and regular athletics.

“Guaranteed on a 10-day event like this, their lives change,” Powell said, “How many events can you really say that of?”

Sean Forbes can be reached at sforbes@dailychronicle.com

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