Don Mann
Race Director

Don is President and Founder of Odyssey Adventure Racing. He is a retired Navy SEAL and Race Director for all of Odyssey Adventure Racing's events. Don is also co-author of the Complete Guide to Adventure Racing. He has been active in long distance endurance sports since 1976. Some of his accomplishments include: * Boston Marathon was his first running race. Completed 30 marathons/ultra marathons during his first 36 months of running. * Hawaii Ironman veteran. At the time of his first Ironman, only 15 people in the world ever attempted such a race. It was Don's first triathlon. He is ranked 38th in the World Ironman Triathlon Championships. * The Raid Gauloises 10-Day Adventure Race was his first adventure race. He was one of the first Americans to compete in the sport, and has since completed 4 Raid Gauloises, more than any other American. * Don has competed in over 1000 international endurance events and has coached hundreds of athletes around the world. * Once rode his bicycle from Florida to Texas, 300 miles a day for 5 days, covering over 1500 miles at a World Record Pace. Has set many running and cycling records around the world.

Military Experience Includes: Decorated Combat Veteran; Corpsman, EMT, paramedic; personal trainer; SEAL Special Operations Technician; Special Forces Medical Laboratory graduate; static line, high altitude free-fall and advance free-fall parachutist; open circuit, closed circuit oxygen and air scuba diver, diving supervisor; jungle survival, desert survival and arctic survival instructor; small boat operator for craft up to 65 feet; technical rock climbing, mountaineering; small arms weapons instructor, foreign weapons instructor, armed and unarmed defense tactics, advanced hand-to-hand combat; photo intelligence; Survival, Evade, Resistance and Escape Instructor; proficient in German and Spanish. B.S. International Relations, B.S. Liberal Science, and Masters in Management.

Race Experience Includes:

• Navy Men's Senior Athlete of the Year Award 1997
• Captain, Trans-Himilayan RAID Gauloises - 17th place
• Captain, First All-American Team RAID '98 Ecuador -13th place
• Captain, RAID '97 South Africa - 16th place
• Captain, RAID '95 Patagonia - 23rd place
• Captain ESPN Xtreme Adventure Race 1997
• Captain Great Nor'easter 1997 - 3rd place
• Numerous 100+ mile Bike Races; Century and Metric Century Rides
• Iditasport 100-mile bike race, Alaska February 2000
• Around the Island of Okinawa, Japan 231-mile bike
• Florida to Texas 300+ miles/day - 1500 in 5 days (World Record pace)
• 24 hrs of Canaan Mt. Bike Race - 4th place/7th place SOLO; 16th
• 18-Hours of Ivor Mt. Bike Race SOLO; 12-Hours of Ivor Mt. Bike
• Assault on Mt. Mitchell 100+ mile Bike Race 1997
• Fat Tire Duathlon - 2nd place 1998 and 1999
• Shenandoah 100-mile Back-Country Mountain Bike Race 1999
• Paddle for the Bay Kayak Race 1998 - 1st place
• 100s of Triathlons including the Hawaiian Iron Man - 57th in 1980 and 38th in 1981