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4th Annual Great TB Race


TripCyclone

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As we finish up with the final quarter of the 3rd Annual Great TB Race, it's time to start considering whether or not to hold the race in 2012.

 

The Great TB Race is not your typical race for mileage. It is a race for points. Points are awarded each time a TB meets a goal. For example, 2 points are awarded every time it crosses a state line. 5 points for a picture being posted. 20 points for attending an event. This makes things a bit more interesting by providing a variety of ways for racers to earn points as it moves. Plus, with varying amounts of points ranging from 1 point to 40 points (for attending a MEGA event), the ways that a racer can move up the rankings isn't limited by how fast or far it moves (but those can help).

 

The race is a year long race, with an official starting point. The past three years have started in Kansas City, Dallas, and Phoenix respectively. At the end of each month, our group of scoring volunteers tally up the scores for the monthly rankings. At the end of the year, a final points tally is done and the top five contestants will be awarded prizes. We've averaged over $200 in prizes each year. Last year, after a public vote, we instituted a minor entry fee. This helps to cover the costs of purchasing and shipping prizes.

 

At the moment, I am gauging interest in the race before we make any plans. If you are interested, just post a comment on here or you can go to the race website and post a comment stating your interest on THIS POST. Feel free to look around the website. You'll find the races organized by years at the top. Check out 2009 and 2010 to find pages about the prizes we awarded. There is also a "Subscription" link on the top of the site so that you can be kept up to date on any announcements we make.

 

If interested, please try to respond in the coming week. I would like to make an official announcement by the end of the month and the sooner I can find out if there is interest the better. And feel free to ask questions here and I'll try to respond in a reasonable amount of time.

 

TripCyclone

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You do a fantastic job with this. I thank you for doing it for the last three years. I would love to participate again. Of course the fact that I'm winning at the moment makes it even better. What are the chances of doing this well again??? I'm willing to give it a try!

 

deb3day

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I've never been in a TB race before, although I have helped a couple of TBs continue on their ways. How does it work? Do we buy a TB and send it to you to put in the "starting" cache? Or do we need to live in the city where the race begins? Sounds like fun.

 

We haven't made an announcement yet. I wanted to gauge interest first. But if we go ahead with another year, you would need to buy a TB then mail it to a provided location (still to be determined). Then, on January 1st, 2012, an event will be held where all of the TB's that entered the race will be released. You do not need to be in the city though you are welcome to travel there.

 

Check out the 2011 Race Details page (link at the top of the site) and look at the race rules. Minor changes to the rules may occur but the basic premise and workings of the race will be close to what we are doing this year. We had tried a few things in 2010 but decided to get rid of those elements as they caused problems.

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I think I will *not* be participating again for 2012. This year was my 2nd year to participate and both years my TB's were stolen. Last year my TB only got to travel a couple of months before it "disappeared"; this year, mine made it up to 2nd place before some novice cacher decided to retrieve it then lost interest in geocaching and apparently in email as well (since there has been no response to my inquiries). This year was my partner's first attempt to participate and his TB has gone MIA too. It's just so disappointing to be following the race with anticipation only to have things come to a screeching halt by some thief. I realize that it seems to be the fate of most TB's to be lost in the wild at some point or another but if we can't even make it for a whole year before that happens, then there's no sense in entering the race again. This is no reflection on how the race is administered as all measures are in place to label the race contestants with information about how the race runs for those retrievers who are interested in reading same. We also made sure we didn't enter contestants with objects of value attached tempting someone to keep them.

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Okay. Arrangements are being made for the starting location. I need to put together a few documents to be provided when people register, and set up the registration process. Here are a few questions I can answer:

 

1. The entry fee is $2. However, we do provide a discount for families, and you can waive the fee through a prize donation. I'll provide more details in the race announcement on Wednesday.

 

2. The starting location will be Nashville.

 

Please await further details. I am aiming to have everything ready by Wednesday to make an official announcement.

 

Thank you for showing me that people are interested in the race.

 

TripCyclone

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@LauraSpain

 

International entries are welcome. You just need to ensure the item is shipped on time. As to where to send it, that information has now been announced. However, the specific address will only be provided upon completing the registration form.

 

@EVERYONE ELSE

 

The 4th Annual Great TB Race is now open for registration. Just go to the Great TB Race website and visit the "2012 Race Details" tab at the top of the site to find out everything you need to know to enter the race. When you first visit the site, you'll also see a post titled "Official 2012 Great TB Race Announcement". It just contains a few brief items about what is changing and where people can go to register.

 

The race will start in Nashville, TN this year. If you decide to register, please make sure you read the instructions on the entry form and read the information within the confirmation message that will pop-up after you submit your entry. Please note that we instituted a $2 entry fee in 2011 to help cover the cost of shipping prizes and to help in the purchase of additional prizes. That will stay the same this year. You can waive the fee through a prize donation. As with everything else about the race, follow the instructions above to find out more information.

 

If you have questions that you can't seem to find an answer too, keep posting them on here. I'll try to response in a quick manner.

Edited by TripCyclone
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Nice, I like the point system too. My only suggestion would be to reword the card that is attached to the TB. You have points for "visiting a cache" and "visiting a cache with difficulty or terrain >2.5." Since, if I'm understand the rules correctly, technically a "visit" (dipping) of a TB doesn't get any points, maybe reword it to "dropped in a cache"? Just so the wording on the sheet matches the wording on what you do with the TB when you put it in a cache.

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I'm in again next year!

 

This has been a fun race to be in this year. I looked forward to the monthly rank updates, to see who is moving around. Even though my racer went missing part way through, I liked watching the leaders, and the racers that I was in charge of scoring, move through the ranks.

 

I like that this year there is a re-enter option. The first year, my TB went 17 miles and then disappeared. :mad:

Edited by Team 57
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Nice, I like the point system too. My only suggestion would be to reword the card that is attached to the TB. You have points for "visiting a cache" and "visiting a cache with difficulty or terrain >2.5." Since, if I'm understand the rules correctly, technically a "visit" (dipping) of a TB doesn't get any points, maybe reword it to "dropped in a cache"? Just so the wording on the sheet matches the wording on what you do with the TB when you put it in a cache.

 

Thank you for the reminder. I was going to look at somehow allowing for Visits as it is a bit of a headache to recalculate for dips.

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I think I will *not* be participating again for 2012. This year was my 2nd year to participate and both years my TB's were stolen. Last year my TB only got to travel a couple of months before it "disappeared"; this year, mine made it up to 2nd place before some novice cacher decided to retrieve it then lost interest in geocaching and apparently in email as well (since there has been no response to my inquiries). This year was my partner's first attempt to participate and his TB has gone MIA too. It's just so disappointing to be following the race with anticipation only to have things come to a screeching halt by some thief. I realize that it seems to be the fate of most TB's to be lost in the wild at some point or another but if we can't even make it for a whole year before that happens, then there's no sense in entering the race again. This is no reflection on how the race is administered as all measures are in place to label the race contestants with information about how the race runs for those retrievers who are interested in reading same. We also made sure we didn't enter contestants with objects of value attached tempting someone to keep them.

I am in agreement of not participating. Many times we had to email the cachers that held onto our tb and repeatedly had to send emails to fellow Geocachers asking to release the tb. Finally after going overseas and making huge strides to 3rd place, it was put in a Geocache that not only was difficult to retrieve due to the "steps" involved in discovering it on a small island, it got stolen three weeks ago with less than 12 weeks left in the race. Sad part was I emailed just three weeks before it was stolen to the previous Geocachers who discovered the cache asking if they had seen it and if possible they could go back and retrieve it. Also contacted owner twice pleading if he could remove it with no answer until after it was stolen. It has certainly been a huge disappointment that fellow Geocachers will not help out. So we are out for next year.

 

I would like to note as well to the interested Geocachers who have not done it before...it is fun seeing/watching to see where your TB goes. And the disappearance of TB'S is of no reflection of those in charge of the race. But do not send out something of value and be sure to have a replacement ready to go (we didn't) in case it does go MIA. Good luck.

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I would like to note as well to the interested Geocachers who have not done it before...it is fun seeing/watching to see where your TB goes. And the disappearance of TB'S is of no reflection of those in charge of the race. But do not send out something of value and be sure to have a replacement ready to go (we didn't) in case it does go MIA. Good luck.

 

Racing Roo has been training all fall and hopped on the bus to Nashville for the 2012 race. With a new re-release policy for the race it's a good idea to have that back-up racer with the copy tag ready to go. Just in case the original is lost in the bush.

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And they're off!!!! Yesterday I had 116 TBs at the event. All were taken by various Mid TN cachers and they will be spread out. I'm taking several to Memphis later in the week. Another cacher took several to Chattanooga. Another to Mississippi. Another is going to Alabama and later Bowling Green KY. And another to Connecticut. So you will see them spreading out and moving soon!

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