Tb Race

[robtone247]

I have learned much from this forum, but am still very much a newbie to geocaching.

 

I would like to create a "TB race" with 10 friends but am not sure of the most practical way of setting it up and establishing rules and goals. Specifically:

 

1. I am debating between a goal to reach certain geographic checkpoints vs. a goal to travel the farthest distance in a given time vs. a point system based on uploaded pictures verifying predetermined scenarios (or a hybrid of the three). Which do you think makes the most sense?

 

2. Would it be a bad idea for all 10 TBs to start the race at the same cache? I want it to be fair but i don't want to clog the system or risk starting in a dormant cache. But my friends (who are essentially muggles) are more interested in watching their TBs move than hiding them. I don't want to be in charge of hiding all the TBs then be accused of selective placement. Any suggestions?

 

3. Any other etiquette I should know about before sending a flock of TBs out in this manner?

 

Thanks in advance!

[+the hermit crabs]

1. I am debating between a goal to reach certain geographic checkpoints vs. a goal to travel the farthest distance in a given time vs. a point system based on uploaded pictures verifying predetermined scenarios (or a hybrid of the three). Which do you think makes the most sense?

 

I like the points-for-pictures idea, mostly because almost anyone who picks up the bugs can participate in the race (depending on how you define your predetermined scenarios). For the longest-distance one and the checkpoint one, a lot of cachers will say "well, I'm not going on any long trips or traveling in that direction, so I'll just leave this bug here". But for people who don't have a digitcal camera, maybe your idea of doing some kind of combination would be good, although it may be a lot of work for you to keep track of all the points.

 

2. Would it be a bad idea for all 10 TBs to start the race at the same cache? I want it to be fair but i don't want to clog the system or risk starting in a dormant cache. But my friends (who are essentially muggles) are more interested in watching their TBs move than hiding them. I don't want to be in charge of hiding all the TBs then be accused of selective placement. Any suggestions?

 

Maybe you could start them all at an event? The racers in the 2005 Cannonball Run were all started at a breakfast event, I think.

 

3. Any other etiquette I should know about before sending a flock of TBs out in this manner?

 

Nothing really any different from sending out an individual bug, really. At attached goal tag describing the nature of the race will be very helpful to people who pick the bugs up. And it would be handy for people who follow the race if you could have links to all of the racers on each bug's page (like our "Breakfast to Go" cereal-car racers), or maybe a link to a single location showing the current race status (like the "Cannonball Run" stats page).

 

Mostly, in spite of the word "race", don't expect the bugs to move very fast or frequently. Also don't expect everyone who picks it up to go along with whatever race-concept you end up going with -- don't be surprised if more than half of your logs are of the "Got it, will move along soon" variety, with moves that have nothing to do with the bugs' goals. As long as they're not MIA, you should consider it a success, no matter how slowly they move or accumulate points.

 

Good luck and have fun!

[+the hermit crabs]

Thinking more about your hybrid idea...how about if you set it up almost as a scavenger-hunt race, with a list of places or tasks for each bug to visit or accomplish? It could include a wide variety of things, such as:

• Visit a desert (post of a picture of the TB in a desert, or drop it in a desert cache)
  
• Picture of the TB with a live turtle
  
• Go to a cache on a mountain
  
• Go to a cache with the word "big" in its name (or any word you want to use here)
  
• Picture of the TB on a farm, with a silo or animals visible
  
• Make a single cache-to-cache jump of at least 500 miles
  
• Go to a cache in any New England state
  
• Picture of the TB next to a palm tree
  
• Write an original poem in the bug log
  
• etc.
  

I'm sure you and your friends could come up with a list of tasks that a fun to do, funny to read about, with some easy ones mixed in with some difficult ones, and with some picture ones mixed in with some geographical ones, etc.

 

You could include a little task-list with each bug, and have cachers check them off as they accomplish them, so the next person to pick it up knows right away which tasks are left to do.

 

First bug to complete the list wins.

Edited March 23, 2006 by the hermit crabs

[+BlueDeuce]

...how about if you set it up almost as a scavenger-hunt race, with a list of places or tasks for each bug to visit or accomplish?

 

Good idea. And then it wouldn't matter where they started.

 

If you don't have ten friends, I'm in.

[CacheNCarryMA]

I like the task list idea. Ten is a nice round number. Have each race participant submit a task, and then compile the list and put it on every TB's page. Each TB owner is responsible for keeping their own score (takes the work out of it since everyone watches there own bug anyway) and the score can be verified at the end. Also, put the links to all the bugs on each bug's page.

 

May I suggest a time limit too (maybe one year?), instead of "first one to complete all ten wins."? It keeps it interesting in case you have a bug that completes the list in a short time.

 

Will there be a prize for the winner or is it just for bragging rights?

[robtone247]

Wow! Thanks for all the great ideas!

 

To answer the question regarding the reward for the winner-> there is a modest cash prize but it's all about bragging rights with us.

 

Sorry BlueDeuce, i already have ten signed up plus some 'maybes'. Besides, i want to keep this one local so we can meet up as it procedes.

 

Again, all of your input is appreciated!

[+BlueDeuce]

 

That's okay. Too many friends and you can't keep track of who borrowed your tools.

 

[+the hermit crabs]

 

That's okay. Too many friends and you can't keep track of who borrowed your tools.

 

getting sidetracked, but: I just saw a book called "The Meaning of Tingo," which lists words in other languages that have no equivalent word or concept in English. On Easter Island, "tingo" means "to take all of the objects one desires from the house of a friend, one at a time, by asking to borrow them."

 

Cool word.

[+ZackJones]

Here's an idea for a race. Lets have a race to have our TB's visit all of the TB hotels listed on the TB Prison bookmark list.