TEAM Endurox R4, captained by Dubliner Avril Copeland, has finished ninth in the Eco Primal Quest in Dakota -- the best ever result by an Irish-based team in the toughest adventure race on the calendar.

Two Americans and two Irish came together to take on the Eco Primal Quest. Americans Pete Spagnoli and Mark Lattanzi were both longtime members of the team set up when Copeland was based in Nashville, while Irish ultra-running record holder Eoin Keith was a last-minute addition. His navigational experience proved vital.

It was a long, tough race -- more than 600 miles and nine days of pure exhaustion. Along the way, the team ran, hiked, climbed, biked, swam and paddled through the famed Badlands and Black Hills of Dakota.

Their worst moment came when they lost part of their map and were forced to wait until another team came along. Fortunately, this team agreed to share their map until both teams reached the next control point. Such is the spirit of adventure racing.

The finish still couldn't come soon enough for a team that survived for 10 days on pre-packed food and two hours of sleep a night.

"We were ready to be home. Every corner you turned you'd be looking and hoping you'd see the finish line, but it dragged on quite a long time," said Copeland.

At last they made it -- one of only nine teams from the original 32 to complete all 38 stages of the gruelling course. There to greet them were fans and supporters who quickly supplied the famished team members with pizza, ice cream and champagne.

For Copeland, this was a fifth Primal Quest and a best ever result after finishing 18th at her first attempt in 2003 and 11th last year.

Although they had never raced together before, they ended up covered in smiles -- a winning team.

"The teamwork was fantastic. For a team that had never met each other before basically, we just gelled so well and had a great time together," said Keith, who was making a return to his adventure racing roots.

The team was using the race as an opportunity to raise funds for Pieta House in Lucan, a crisis centre for the prevention of self-harm or suicide.

- Lindie Naughton