|
Adventure Ozark Racers! We are just 6 weeks out from the return of the Adventure Ozark and 8 hours of rewarding adventure racing in Northwest Arkansas! Temperatures in the Ozarks are already beginning to climb as the first welcoming signs of spring can be felt in the air (be on the lookout for those first daffodils). As many of you know, Northwest Arkansas absolutely comes to life in the spring - and we are excited to share it with you all in just a few weeks. This email has some *new* race updates so please read it thoroughly and, as always, feel free to email us with questions! 2024 RACE DETAILS Packet Pickup Packets will be available from 5-8pm on Friday April 12th at Lawrence Plaza in downtown Bentonville. Many of you may already know, but this time coincides with the finish of the 5-day Expedition Ozark adventure race and Friday evening will see many of the first teams coming in from 100+ hours of racing! Plan on coming to packet pickup and then sticking around to cheer on some of the top adventure racing teams from around the world! Expedition Ozark is a huge event for our region with professional teams from 5 different continents (yes you are reading that correctly, CONTINENTS) and that includes the #1 team in the world! There will be a large celebration in downtown Bentonville on Saturday afternoon, April 6th to welcome the teams to town before the Expedition Ozark race starts and we would love to have the community attendance. Save the date - more details soon!!!
USARA Membership All racers MUST have a USARA annual membership or single-event membership (just $8!) to compete in this year’s Adventure Ozark. Memberships should be purchased from the USARA website ahead of the event.
Race Start The race will start promptly at 8am on Saturday, April 13th from Lawrence Plaza in Downtown Bentonville. There will be a mandatory team meeting at 7am at Lawerence Plaza on Saturday morning before the start. Parking is limited in the downtown Bentonville core, so consider options to avoid being late while looking for parking ! Click here for a convenient map detailing the variety of public parking options available in downtown – many of them free!
Finish Line Celebration (presented by Visit Bentonville) Race cutoff time will be at 4pm on Saturday April 13th. Race awards will be presented alongside the award ceremony for the Expedition Ozark, starting around 4pm. Afterwards, plan to stick around for a festival-style celebration of all things adventure racing including live music, drinks, and other festivities all evening long! Friends and family welcome! The Finish Line Celebration is made possible with support from our friends at Visit Bentonville, Arvest Bank, and the Ozark Foundation – a Bentonville based nonprofit working to position Arkansas as the leading outdoor recreation destination in the country.
Volunteer for Adventure! Volunteers are needed to support this year’s Adventure Ozark competition and we encourage participants to share this link with friends and family that could be interested in the opportunity. Volunteers that raise their hands to help are in for a rewarding experience and a front row view as adventure racers from around the country descend on Northwest Arkansas!
ADDITIONAL PRACTICE OPPORTUNITY BENTONVILLE ADVENTURE LEAGUE Bentonville Parks and Recreation partners with 37 North Expeditions to host an Adventure League for adult teams that will put a twist on the fun activities of biking, trail running and paddling by making it a team sport similar to other recreational leagues. Grab your friends and join us for an 8-week series that combines biking, paddling and trekking on our soft/hard surface trails in scavenger hunt style. Each week teams will meet at a new location and given a new map that has that week’s course of checkpoints and compete to get as many as they can in the allotted time! Each week is a different “course”, or set of points, that may include all, or only some, by foot/bike or paddle. At the end of the 8-week league, the team with the most combined points will be declared the league winner! Registration On Bentonville Parks website! CLICK HERE
GENERAL ADVENTURE RACE INFORMATION
// Common Adventure Racing Acronyms AR = Adventure Race CP = Checkpoint GPS = Global Positioning System HQ = Headquarters PFD = Personal Flotation Device (i.e. lifejacket) TA = Transition Area UTM = Universal Transverse Mercator // Automatic Reasons For Disqualification Not staying within 100 feet of your team mate(s) Using mode of travel not specified for a segment of the race Use of any electronic navigation device Littering on course, including leaving items behind in TA’s Non-assistance to person in danger Traveling onto or through private property or out-of-bounds/off limits areas Taking a boat that is not yours
// On the Race Course Teams must obey all traffic laws, signs, and signals. Ride single file on public roads. Rear red blinkie must be on. Each team will visit a series of CPs that are described on the clue sheet. You can get the CPs in any order using the mode of transportation described (unless otherwise described on the clue sheet). The team that visits the most CPs in the least amount of time will be the winner. Each team will receive a control card, a.k.a. passport. You will punch the passport at each numbered CP in the corresponding numbered square on the passport until you have visited all the CPs. Each team will receive an official race number. This number must be pinned to the racer’s clothing or pack and be visible at all times. There will be no time penalty for a missed CP. Teams that find all CPs will automatically be ranked higher than teams that missed CPs. All original members of each team must check in together at each CP. All members of each team must remain within 100 feet of each other during the event. All team members must cross the finish line at the same time. Each team’s time will be determined by the last team member across the finish line. In the event that one or more teammates, or an entire team, does not wish to continue (due to injury, exhaustion, sickness, or willpower failure), they must drop out at a staffed CP or TA and notify race management. Incomplete teams may continue unofficially, but they will not receive a final ranking. Incomplete teams must carry all mandatory gear. A single teammate must join with another team who commits to staying with that new racer. Solo racers are not permitted. All racers, volunteers, and spectators must follow a LEAVE NO TRACE ethic. No littering of any kind is allowed. Teams must follow race instructions and avoid private property and out-of-bounds/off limits areas.
// Transition Areas Team members will not be allowed to receive support OF ANY KIND in the transition areas or on the race course from a non-racer, except in the case of a non-competitive team in a specified non-competitive division. Non-team members are not allowed on the course without approval of the race directors.
// Gear Information Teams must carry all required gear throughout each leg. Gear checks may be performed on the race course. Helmets must be worn during all biking legs. All racers must have a red, blinking taillight on their bike at all times. All team members must properly wear a Coast Guard Approved Type III Personal Flotation Device at all times while on the water. No GPS devices allowed. Any team found using a device with GPS capabilities will be automatically disqualified. Those teams wishing to track their race for later review must check in their GPS device at the start line to receive an opaque sealed bag. This bag is not waterproof. The bag must be presented at the finish line to be opened by race staff in order for the team’s finish to be official. Mandatory cell phones for emergency use that have GPS capabilities (i.e. all smartphones) must also be checked in at the start line, sealed in an opaque bag, and presented at the finish line to be opened by race staff in order for the team’s finish to be official.
// Race Management The time recorded by the race staff or volunteers will be the official time. Rules may be added or changed at any time before the event. Team members must sign all waivers and be present at the pre-race meeting. No illegal drugs shall be used before, during, or after the event. Adventure Ozark is not responsible for stolen, lost, or damaged equipment. CP penalties can result for failure to stay on the prescribed course, not carrying required gear, not having race numbers visible, and unsportsmanlike conduct. Additional rules and penalties may be added and announced through the website updates and at the pre-race meeting. All decisions of the Race Directors will be final.
See you all in a few weeks!
Expedition Ozark Team
|
