Announcement from Endurance Town USA, American Trail Running Association partner at the 2018 US Trail Running Conference.
California-based Race Director and marketing professional joins global ultramarathon producer, RacingThePlanet, to expand its reach and tell its epic 20-year story.
Endurance Town USA (ETUSA), a media production company focused on fostering human connection through outdoors, adventure and endurance sports, is teaming up with RacingThePlanet to connect the global audiences of ultra athletes, fans and adventure enthusiasts. Additionally, ETUSA founder Samantha Pruitt will serve as the Namib Race (Namibia, Africa) Event Director, and a digital storyteller for all the RacingThePlanet/4 Deserts races and forge the path for RacingThePlanet to grow even stronger as it enters its third decade.
RacingThePlanet is a unique series of ultramarathons set in the world’s most stunning and culturally rich places. The races consist of the 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series comprising the Atacama Crossing (Chile), Special Edition Georgia, the Namib Race (Namibia), and The Last Desert (Antarctica). A fifth annual race called the RacingThePlanet Ultramarathon moves to a new location each year, with the 2022 destination set for Lapland.
Competitors in the races traverse 150 miles on foot over seven days, with all of their provisions for the week in specialized running backpacks. Course safety, water, and emergency medical care are the only aid provided during the race. Soon to celebrate its 20th year, RacingThePlanet is more resilient than ever and will be expanding its reach by digging deeper to tell the stories of its participants in culturally rich destinations, offering free master class online workshops and interactive LIVE interviews.
With over 100 endurance races under her belt, including her pandemic personal challenges of a solo 135-mile run across Death Valley and 10 marathons in 10 days through Australia, plus 15 years of professional race production and marketing media experience in the endurance sports industry, Samantha Pruitt is the perfect choice for the growth role with RacingThePlanet.
Starting her life transformation at age 30, self proclaimed ex-couch potato Pruitt overcame a severe health crisis and poor lifestyle choices to find her calling through running. Now 52, Samantha has used her passion and experience for the last 22 years to help others build their own best selves through endurance sports and outdoor adventure. As a Coach and Businesswoman, she founded Race SLO, a nationally recognized endurance sports event production company, and launched Endurance Town USA, a media company devoted to empowering storytelling around the endurance lifestyle.
Samantha Pruitt
“I discovered RacingThePlanet many years ago as a Volunteer at the Sahara Race in Egypt. I have continued to be impressed by this female-owned and operated race production company, and I decided to reconnect after closing my own company during the pandemic. They invited me to assist with the Namib race in Africa in October 2021,” said Pruitt. “The Namib Desert, at 55 million years old, is the world’s most ancient desert, as well as being one of the driest. Its beauty and African culture were like nothing I have ever experienced. Then, to witness the strength of the global human spirit in these life changing conditions, coming back from a pandemic, was truly remarkable. I’m pleased to help produce a race of this magnitude and be able to share the stories of people who endure, inspire, and who are truly extraordinary yet completely relatable.”
Endurance Town USA, a division of Rock Harbor Marketing, media and marketing team comprises outdoor enthusiasts, event producers, digital media professionals, storytellers and art creatives. Since its inception, it has continued to grow locally, nationally, and internationally. Pruitt’s goal is to continue expanding by connecting event producers and active brands with global audiences by providing inspiring and authentic content through digital media.
“My plan for the RacingThePlanet project is to support athletes of all levels as they chase their personal dreams, through education and inspiration. The master classes will provide an educational component through free virtual workshops. A panel of diverse competitors with different abilities will discuss how to prepare, from training to equipment, food and mindset for each unique race. The inspirational piece will highlight individual athletes’ stories through Facebook live videos, podcasts, and blog posts. RacingThePlanet is a life-changing and community-enhancing experience, and I will work to bring that experience to even more people around the globe.”
RacingThePlanet and the 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series was founded in 2002 by American Mary Gadams. A former investment banker and strategist by day, Gadams herself was a well-known figure in adventure and endurance sport with finishes in numerous marathons, ultramarathons, and wilderness competitions worldwide.
By the start of 2022, RacingThePlanet had staged 67 races over nearly 20 years, with more than 10,000 participants from around 100 countries. The series has been twice named by TIME magazine as one of the world’s Top 10 endurance competitions.
As the world continues to confront the COVID-19 pandemic, safety processes and protocols have been implemented and successfully trialed at RacingThePlanet: Georgia in August 2021 and the Namib race in October 2021, with both races staged without a single reported case of COVID-19.
Registration is now open for 2022 and 2023 races, with the Namib race coming up on May 1, Special Edition Georgia race on June 19, RacingThePlanet: Lapland on August 14, the Atacama Crossing on September 25, The Last Desert (by invitation only) on November 22, and RacingThePlanet: Georgia (a special edition race) on June 19, 2022.
For more information about RacingThePlanet, visit racingtheplanet.com. Learn more about Endurance Town USA at endurancetownusa.com.
