Virginia Beach, Virginia –– Bowing to economic pressure and unwilling to compromise the safety of his racers, Odyssey Adventure Racing founder Don Mann has cancelled the Beast 2000 Adventure Racing World Championship.

Fourteen months ago, Mann announced that the Beast would race through a challenging course in central Alaska. In the absence of an international sanctioning body, and after many discussions with top adventure racers, he designed this version of the Beast to be a World Championship Race, giving top teams and newer teams the opportunity to compete together on a challenging world-class course.

This was not done for personal or financial gain, but to provide an opportunity that did not currently exist. Since that time Odyssey has worked extremely hard at securing permits, media, sponsorships, and dealing with the enormous amount of logistical work involved in putting on a first-class event.

Regrettably, the effort invested and the World Championship envisioned will not be realized. Mann, a four-time veteran of the Raid Gauloises, said, "I am so sorry to have to do this. I understand what goes into preparing for a race like this, from training, coordinating a team, and purchasing gear and airline tickets. I know how disappointing and inconvenient it is to have a race cancelled out from under you. We are simply crushed and feel so bad for the racers who have been so supportive."

While working in Alaska in February, Mann learned that many of the top teams who had expressed interest in the World Championship were being persuaded to race in the Eco-Challenge, which had been scheduled to conflict with Mann's race.

Mann took pains to avoid criticizing those racers who committed to Eco-Challenge Borneo, "We do not blame the racers for their decision to do the Eco over the Beast. Adventure racing is unfortunately a sponsor-driven sport and many partners require that there is TV coverage, which we were still negotiating at that time. We eventually lost many well-known teams to the Eco-Challenge, and thus an important TV deal. We were later able to secure international broadcasting, but not US broadcasting. Without US coverage, we lost the interest of sponsors and also teams, who are dependent on sponsors."

With just over a month to go before race day, Odyssey, which had more than 70 teams for its last adventure race, saw its enrollment for the Beast drop to fewer than 20 teams.

Odyssey has invested well over $200,000 in the World Championship, much of it coming from personal loans from Mann. The cancellation, while financially and emotionally difficult on Odyssey and the adventure racing community, is necessary. Without improved financial support, the race would have been unable to offer extensive and redundant safety measures. Said Mann, "It costs real money to have an effective safety net, from qualified mountaineers, glacier guides, whitewater guides, helicopter support and a full medical staff. That is stuff we just can't compromise on."

Odyssey will continue to hold all of its other races this year and has a full schedule lined up next year, including the Beast of the East and the Mega Dose. All teams entered in this year's edition will be granted a spot in either race. The organizers will be providing refunds for entry fees already paid for the Beast 2000, unless teams prefer to have this money put towards other Odyssey races (i.e., Beast of the East, Endorphin FIX, Mega Dose). Odyssey will add an additional 50% to the transferred entry fee, if teams choose this option. For example, if a team paid $3750 toward Beast 2000, they will have a $5625 credit toward Odyssey races through 2001.

Mann urged all racers enrolled in the Beast to contact him personally to discuss this unfortunate turn of events for the young adventure racing industry. "We are all sort of in mourning here, but I want to hear from anyone who has anything to say about the event, and I will be available to help in anyway I can."

Racers can contact Mann at OARSEAL@aol.com, or at (757) 425-2445.