Outdoor Quest Offers the Best of Borneo in 2004
[September 9, 2004, Hong Kong]: The world’s elite adventure racing teams will gather for a third consecutive year in spectacular Sabah, Malaysian Borneo for the Outdoor Quest 2004 (OQ 2004) from October 28 to November 2, 2004.
The OQ 2004 course provides a taste of the ‘Best of Borneo’ which compiles the best features from 2002 and 2003 events and offers interesting new modifications that reinforce the event’s reputation as the most uniquely varied of the world’s top adventure races. This year’s event covers seven sports in an expanded race of five stages over six days; the additional race day means that approximately 300 kilometers of Borneo terrain will be covered by race end. Now in its eighth exciting year, the OQ is the only adventure race to be created and run entirely in Asia and has been instrumental in growing the popularity of adventure racing as both a participatory and spectator sport in the region.
The course for the OQ 2004 offers the ‘Best of Borneo’ from the pristine beaches of Sabah to scaling the highest peak on Malaysia’s Mount Kinabalu. After intensive scouting from land, sea and air, the organizers have created a course which incorporates not only extreme physical challenge but also enables greater interaction with the unique culture and natural splendor of Sabah’s remote areas. The course design also incorporates feedback from participants in 2003, creating a tailor-made challenge that will both awe and inspire the participants - pushing them to personal heights never experienced before.
The stage titles say it all - from Stage One’s First Step to Glory to the physical challenges of Paradise Beach, the Valley of Adventure and the Borneo Heights, all capped by the final day’s Victory Run - confirming that this year’s OQ is again offering an experience unrivalled by the world’s other top adventure races. The Outdoor Quest 2004 features a challenging combination of grueling physical and mental tasks with the unique integration of special adventure challenges that not only task teamwork skills but ideally reflect the indigenous culture of Malaysia. These adventure skills sections have become an integral part of the OQ experience and have earned the event a legendary status as the coolest event on the international adventure racing circuit.
To ensure that the race is as physically and mentally challenging as it is culturally rewarding, the organizers have varied the terrain and enhanced the technical sections across the seven disciplines for 2004, adding to the overall difficulty and ensuring that athletes and spectators alike will be treated to an extreme experience that exemplifies the spirited individualism of adventure racing.
The organizers’ athletes-first approach is further emphasized in 2004 by the addition of a new rest stage designed to provide a smoother and more stress-free racing experience, ensuring that the world’s top adventure racing teams and athletes can concentrate solely on their racing. This concentration will come in handy with the expanded prize purse for Outdoor Quest 2004 of US$255,000 and the new cash rewards offered for stage victories.
The diligence and experience of the technical team behind the course selection, Murphy Reinschreiber (Race Director), Ian Adamson (Course Director), and John Howard (Technical Director), helps account for the OQ’s success and popularity amongst adventure racers. With the tireless efforts of these veteran adventure race athletes, the Outdoor Quest has reinforced its claim as the most athlete-friendly of all adventure races and the most uniquely cultural adventure racing challenge. This reputation has helped spread the popularity of the Outdoor Quest and adventure racing to new audiences in China, Malaysia and around Asia.
Joseph Wang, Chairman of Promotional Campaigns (Asia) Ltd., Event Holder of the Outdoor Quest commented on the event’s pioneering role: 'The Outdoor Quest was the forerunner of adventure racing in Asia. Before OQ, adventure racing was hugely popular in the west, but relatively unknown in Asia. Since the Outdoor Quest’s inception as the world’s only premier adventure race created and staged entirely in Asia, the popularity of the OQ and the sport of adventure racing have grown rapidly in the region. This popularity is confirmed by the increased participation from Asian athletes and teams in the OQ. With this continued growth, we are looking forward to the time when we can crown our first Asian team champion for this uniquely Asia-inspired event.'
With the full support of the Ministry of Youth & Sports and the Sabah Tourism Board, the Outdoor Quest has rapidly become a fixture in Malaysia and across the region. The continued success of the OQ has attracted several prominent co-sponsors in 2004, including Malaysia Airlines, Suunto, Nexus Resort Karambunai, Spritzer, Wall’s and Mera Pharmaceuticals. For more information on the Outdoor Quest please visit the official website at www.msoq.com
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Ivan Kwok
Email ivan.kwok@octagon.com
Tel (+852) 2534-5019
Fax (+852) 2598-0280
Ms. Eleana Leung
Email eleana.leung@octagon.com
Tel (+852) 2534-5027
Fax (+852) 2598-0280
The OQ 2004 course provides a taste of the ‘Best of Borneo’ which compiles the best features from 2002 and 2003 events and offers interesting new modifications that reinforce the event’s reputation as the most uniquely varied of the world’s top adventure races. This year’s event covers seven sports in an expanded race of five stages over six days; the additional race day means that approximately 300 kilometers of Borneo terrain will be covered by race end. Now in its eighth exciting year, the OQ is the only adventure race to be created and run entirely in Asia and has been instrumental in growing the popularity of adventure racing as both a participatory and spectator sport in the region.
The course for the OQ 2004 offers the ‘Best of Borneo’ from the pristine beaches of Sabah to scaling the highest peak on Malaysia’s Mount Kinabalu. After intensive scouting from land, sea and air, the organizers have created a course which incorporates not only extreme physical challenge but also enables greater interaction with the unique culture and natural splendor of Sabah’s remote areas. The course design also incorporates feedback from participants in 2003, creating a tailor-made challenge that will both awe and inspire the participants - pushing them to personal heights never experienced before.
The stage titles say it all - from Stage One’s First Step to Glory to the physical challenges of Paradise Beach, the Valley of Adventure and the Borneo Heights, all capped by the final day’s Victory Run - confirming that this year’s OQ is again offering an experience unrivalled by the world’s other top adventure races. The Outdoor Quest 2004 features a challenging combination of grueling physical and mental tasks with the unique integration of special adventure challenges that not only task teamwork skills but ideally reflect the indigenous culture of Malaysia. These adventure skills sections have become an integral part of the OQ experience and have earned the event a legendary status as the coolest event on the international adventure racing circuit.
To ensure that the race is as physically and mentally challenging as it is culturally rewarding, the organizers have varied the terrain and enhanced the technical sections across the seven disciplines for 2004, adding to the overall difficulty and ensuring that athletes and spectators alike will be treated to an extreme experience that exemplifies the spirited individualism of adventure racing.
The organizers’ athletes-first approach is further emphasized in 2004 by the addition of a new rest stage designed to provide a smoother and more stress-free racing experience, ensuring that the world’s top adventure racing teams and athletes can concentrate solely on their racing. This concentration will come in handy with the expanded prize purse for Outdoor Quest 2004 of US$255,000 and the new cash rewards offered for stage victories.
The diligence and experience of the technical team behind the course selection, Murphy Reinschreiber (Race Director), Ian Adamson (Course Director), and John Howard (Technical Director), helps account for the OQ’s success and popularity amongst adventure racers. With the tireless efforts of these veteran adventure race athletes, the Outdoor Quest has reinforced its claim as the most athlete-friendly of all adventure races and the most uniquely cultural adventure racing challenge. This reputation has helped spread the popularity of the Outdoor Quest and adventure racing to new audiences in China, Malaysia and around Asia.
Joseph Wang, Chairman of Promotional Campaigns (Asia) Ltd., Event Holder of the Outdoor Quest commented on the event’s pioneering role: 'The Outdoor Quest was the forerunner of adventure racing in Asia. Before OQ, adventure racing was hugely popular in the west, but relatively unknown in Asia. Since the Outdoor Quest’s inception as the world’s only premier adventure race created and staged entirely in Asia, the popularity of the OQ and the sport of adventure racing have grown rapidly in the region. This popularity is confirmed by the increased participation from Asian athletes and teams in the OQ. With this continued growth, we are looking forward to the time when we can crown our first Asian team champion for this uniquely Asia-inspired event.'
With the full support of the Ministry of Youth & Sports and the Sabah Tourism Board, the Outdoor Quest has rapidly become a fixture in Malaysia and across the region. The continued success of the OQ has attracted several prominent co-sponsors in 2004, including Malaysia Airlines, Suunto, Nexus Resort Karambunai, Spritzer, Wall’s and Mera Pharmaceuticals. For more information on the Outdoor Quest please visit the official website at www.msoq.com
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Ivan Kwok
Email ivan.kwok@octagon.com
Tel (+852) 2534-5019
Fax (+852) 2598-0280
Ms. Eleana Leung
Email eleana.leung@octagon.com
Tel (+852) 2534-5027
Fax (+852) 2598-0280