Please pass the pre-race letter along to all of your team members.
January 21, 2008
Welcome to the Big Chill Adventure Race. We want to give you some pre-race info to help keep everyone happy !
Check-in will be from 6-9 pm Friday, January 25th or from 8-9 am Saturday January 26th. Check in will be at the Deer Run camping area in Bastrop State Park by the pool. We have reserved all 16 sites and they will be given out on a first come, first serve basis to those teams that reserved them. We will have a TA area for those not camping. You may proceed directly to the check in as Too Cool is paying for entry fees and camping.
New this year...we are sending the USARA waiver and rules by email. Please fill out and bring with you to check in to expediate the process!
USARA: We are a USARA sanctioned event. You will need to either present your USARA card or purchase a 1 day or annual license.
Outside Maps: DON'T DO IT!! 'nuf said!
Protest Forms: Got a gripe? Put it in writing and get it to us no later than 10:05 on Sunday morning and we will try to straighten it out. Play nice and this won't even come up!
IMPORTANT!Chuy's Challenge : The team that brings in the most canned goods will win dinner for 4 from Chuys. Pretty cool, huh? This year donations will be taken before and after the race and the team that wins announced at the awards on Sunday. You help the food bank than you and your team gets to chow on some serious tex-mex. We raised over 1000 pounds of food for the food bank last year. Come on, we can beat that this year!!
Boat drop off: can be done Saturday morning beginning at 7 am. Boat drops are approximately 15 minutes away for both sport and adventure course. Please leave enough time for this. More info will be given at check in.
Bike Drop Off: More info on this for both courses will be sent in next pre race.
Mandatory Gear: See website.
Recommended Gear: See web site.
Weather: The race is on, rain or shine. Severe weather might make race directors have to modify the course. If you are on the water during severe weather you must pull over to the nearest land. We will do everything we can to ensure a safe, fun race.
Post Race Refreshments will be served after the race finish.
Awards and prizes will be given to the top five 4 person coed teams in each division (sport and adventure course).
Race cut-off will be 10 am sharp on Sunday, January 27th. A checkpoint will be deducted for every 5 minutes past the cut-off. Awards will be at 10:15 am for the 24 hour division. To ensure our sponsors get recognition, at least part of your team must be present to collect awards/prizes.
Thank you, Robyn & Art
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Big Chill 2008 Pre Race #2
Okay kids, this is it until you get to the race site!
Deer Run Campground-that’s where we’ll be! For those of you interested, check-in coordinates are 066562/333175 (but no outside maps allowed after the race start!) If you have reserved a campsite it is first come first serve for the padded sites. If you haven’t reserved anything or are not camping you can set your TA up in that area as well just not on a numbered , padded site. Each reserved site has a pad, picnic table, fire ring w/grill. There is water spigots in the area. If you come early we may be playing in the woods. Don’t take a reserved site if you haven’t spoken to Art!
CHANGED!!-
Check-in-will be from 6-9 Friday night and now from 7-9 Saturday morn. In addition, Pre race meeting-has been changed to 9:15 instead of 9:30
Boat Drop-will be done after 7 am on Saturday for both the sport course and the adventure course. Directions to the boat drop will be given at check in.
Bike Drop for the Adventure Course only-the 18-24 hour racers only…there will be a bike drop this year for the adventure course racers. After 6 pm Friday night or after 7am Saturday morn (but ya’ better make it back to the pre race meeting by 9:15!!), teams need to drop their bikes off at Rocky Hill Ranch. Rocky Hill Ranch is located off of hwy 71 in Smithville on 153. http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?addr=578+fm+153&csz=78957&country=us
Now some important stuff about the bike drop. We will have someone there to watch the bikes overnight. You may leave your climbing gear with your bike…you may leave your climbing gear with your bike. Got that? BUT, whatever you stage at the bike drop must go with you when you pick up your bikes during the race.
Bike Drop for the Sport Course only-the 6-12 hour racers...sport course racers will be able to drop their bikes off after 7 am Saturday morning. Directions to the bike drop will be given at check-in.
Team Numbers-as wonderfully endearing as I find most of your team names there is simply too many of you for each volunteer to remember. Therefore, when we give you your team number Remember it!! There will be some manned cp’s this race and the volunteer will need your number to expedite the whole process. Thanks!*
Chuys Challenge-team that turns in the most food by the end of the race will win dinner for 4 from Chuys...come on everybody...bring it!
Mandatory Gear-
all teams will be required to carry with them for the duration of the race; First Aid Kit, Compass, Lighter or waterproof matches , Fully charged cell phone in waterproof bag, extra headlamp
all racers will be required to carry with them at all times; food, water, emergency blanket, whistle.
Like it says on the web site, you may be required to carry other stuff with you for portions of the race, therefore make sure you have it. 24 hour racers make sure you have strobes or glow sticks attached to your PFD’s. Look it over, know it, be it!
Maps-you will be getting the usual Too Cool mytopo waterproof map, but you will also be getting some maps that are not waterproof. come prepared.
Adventure Course-you guys and gals can expect at least 1 long leg where you may be away from TA for a while. Be prepared.
Doug is offering the GPS tracking program for this race. See website forum for details.
Checkpoint Tracker leader board-cool stuff! Friends and family can watch and post shouts to your team at http://www.checkpointtracker.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=app.showLeaderboard&eventID=130
**attached with this prerace letter are a copy of the rules and USARA waiver. Have everything filled out before hand this year and move right through check in.
Can’t wait to see everybody,
Art and Robyn