Greetings Wildlands Adventure Challenge 8-Hour racers!
We are now around two weeks out from race day(s), and we are getting pretty excited! We’ll be sending out one more update (Racer Update #2) on Sunday, October 4, but this will serve as Racer Update #1.
Check your registration
We have finalized our registration process. Please double-check to make sure which day you're signed up to race on here: https://www.wildlandsar.com/registered-teams.html
Pre-race details
Registration will be located outside of the Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery building at 306 Hatchery Rd in East Orland, Maine. Parking is available in front of and around the building - we will have volunteers helping people to get parked.
Please bring your own water and plan to start with enough water for the entire race to minimize the use of the limited supply we will be able to provide, which will primarily be available at mid-race transition areas.
We will not be providing any food until after the race, so make a plan for breakfast and bring enough food to last you through eight hours of racing.
There are several pit toilets at the start area and we've rented a bunch of port-a-potties which should be sufficient so that there won't be long lines before the race. There are also a few more formal bathroom opportunities along the course.
Race check-in will begin at 6 a.m.. We highly recommend arriving as early as you can to this time because maps will be handed out as you register, so arriving early means you will have more time to plan your route. Maps will be distributed to the team when all team members have checked in.
The race will start at 8 a.m. with a staggered start. Details of how this will run will be included in Racer Update #2, but expect around five teams to begin every two minutes.
Please bring your own water and plan to start with enough water for the entire race to minimize the use of the limited supply we will be able to provide, which will primarily be available at mid-race transition areas.
We will not be providing any food until after the race, so make a plan for breakfast and bring enough food to last you through eight hours of racing.
There are several pit toilets at the start area and we've rented a bunch of port-a-potties which should be sufficient so that there won't be long lines before the race. There are also a few more formal bathroom opportunities along the course.
Race check-in will begin at 6 a.m.. We highly recommend arriving as early as you can to this time because maps will be handed out as you register, so arriving early means you will have more time to plan your route. Maps will be distributed to the team when all team members have checked in.
The race will start at 8 a.m. with a staggered start. Details of how this will run will be included in Racer Update #2, but expect around five teams to begin every two minutes.
Mandatory Gear
Please review the gear list carefully and plan to carry all mandatory gear for the noted race segments. We reserve the right to check for mandatory gear items at any time during the race. We will provide paddle gear (double-bladed kayak paddles and PFDs) but you are welcome to use your own equipment if you prefer, though you must use the provided boats. Note that all personal paddle gear must be contained within a bag with your team name clearly marked on it. We are not responsible for lost gear that is not sufficiently bundled together. You will not need to carry your paddling gear on other stages of the race.
Virtual Q&A
Members of Strong Machine Adventure Racing will be hosting a virtual Q&A tomorrow, Monday, September 28 at 8:30 p.m. on Zoom, with a focus on helping beginner teams prepare for the Wildlands Adventure Challenge. The link for the call is:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86348560744?pwd=ZTNHbGtPbXdtenkxSlBYSzc1NzJiQT09
Meeting ID: 863 4856 0744
Passcode: 976899
We will be making a recording of the Q&A session available publicly on Facebook and YouTube, so don't panic if you can't make it! If you have a question you would like answered and want to send it in advance, email us at StrongMachineAR@gmail.com. Please plan on attending or watching the video later if you've never done an adventure race before - we promise the tips our team will provide will help you avoid mistakes, have more fun, quite possibly find more checkpoints, and help you plan your race so you finish on time!
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86348560744?pwd=ZTNHbGtPbXdtenkxSlBYSzc1NzJiQT09
Meeting ID: 863 4856 0744
Passcode: 976899
We will be making a recording of the Q&A session available publicly on Facebook and YouTube, so don't panic if you can't make it! If you have a question you would like answered and want to send it in advance, email us at StrongMachineAR@gmail.com. Please plan on attending or watching the video later if you've never done an adventure race before - we promise the tips our team will provide will help you avoid mistakes, have more fun, quite possibly find more checkpoints, and help you plan your race so you finish on time!
Pre-Race Briefing
Typically, we would have an in-person pre-race briefing the morning of the race, but we are trying to avoid this by hosting the meeting virtually on Facebook Live the week before the race. This video is mandatory viewing for all participants, as it will contain important details about the race! The pre-race briefing will take place on Monday, October 5 at 8:30 p.m. The link to the briefing will be sent out in Racer Update #2 and posted on our Facebook page. Additionally, it will be recorded for those who cannot attend the live event. We'll post a link to the recording on the Wildlands Adventure Challenge website.
COVID-19 protocols
For the 2020 Wildlands Adventure Challenge, we are focused more than ever on maintaining the safety of our race participants, race staff, and greater community in Maine. Please review our COVID protocols - anyone not in compliance with these protocols will be disqualified from the race.
Spectators
Unfortunately, we are not allowing any friends and family to attend the race this year, due to crowd-size limits set by the state of Maine to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Post-Race Celebration
We will be providing a meal-size, individually-wrapped grilled chicken burrito with black beans, seasoned jasmine rice, pico de gallo, cheddar/jack blend, and house chipotle creme for each racer provided by Ellsworth restaurant 86 This! If you want a vegetarian burrito or want to make a special request due to dietary restrictions, please let us know ASAP at StrongMachineAR@gmail.com. And thanks to a generous sponsorship, Fogtown Brewing will be providing free post-race beer. Thank Fogtown for their generosity by visiting Fogtown's beer garden at 25 Pine St. in Ellsworth before or after the race (or both!).Plan on putting on masks (except when eating) and remaining socially distanced after your finish.
Facebook
Please “like” our Facebook page to get updates before, during (for friends and family), and after the race.
Weather
The current forecast for the weekend is for lows in the low-40s and highs in the high-50s Farenheit, with light winds and a chance of rainshowers. Bring clothing appropriate to the weather! And foliage is approaching peak, so bring your camera!
Prizes and Sponsors
At this year's race, we'll give out trophies for the top teams in each division overall, meaning the Saturday and Sunday results will be combined into a master results list. The trophies include:
1st Place Co-Ed Premier Division (3-4 person co-ed)
2nd Place Co-Ed Premier Division
3rd Place Co-Ed Premier Division
1st Place Open Division (3-4 person single-sex)
2nd Place Open Division
1st Place Women’s Division (any size team)
2nd Place Women’s Division
1st Place Solo Division
1st Place Two-Person Co-Ed Division
2nd Place Two-Person Co-Ed Division
In addition, we'll be giving out lots of great raffle prizes donated from our sponsors to randomly-chosen participants. Prizes include Orange Seal Cycling prize-kits, Sap Hound Maple Co. maple syrup, t-shirts and caps from Fogtown Brewing, Balega socks, and a few sweet, AR-specific backpacks from OutThere! In addition, OutThere owner and AR legend Mike Kloser (multiple-time Eco-Challenge winner) has generously provided a 20% off discount code for all purchases made at OutThereUSA.com to all Wildlands races. The code is StrongMachineAR20. We highly recommend OutThere packs for all Strong Machine Adventure Racing races!
1st Place Co-Ed Premier Division (3-4 person co-ed)
2nd Place Co-Ed Premier Division
3rd Place Co-Ed Premier Division
1st Place Open Division (3-4 person single-sex)
2nd Place Open Division
1st Place Women’s Division (any size team)
2nd Place Women’s Division
1st Place Solo Division
1st Place Two-Person Co-Ed Division
2nd Place Two-Person Co-Ed Division
In addition, we'll be giving out lots of great raffle prizes donated from our sponsors to randomly-chosen participants. Prizes include Orange Seal Cycling prize-kits, Sap Hound Maple Co. maple syrup, t-shirts and caps from Fogtown Brewing, Balega socks, and a few sweet, AR-specific backpacks from OutThere! In addition, OutThere owner and AR legend Mike Kloser (multiple-time Eco-Challenge winner) has generously provided a 20% off discount code for all purchases made at OutThereUSA.com to all Wildlands races. The code is StrongMachineAR20. We highly recommend OutThere packs for all Strong Machine Adventure Racing races!
Camping and Lodging
We still have a few openings at the Twin Hills Cottages - email us at StrongMachineAR@gmail.com if you're interested. Otherwise, we recommend finding a hotel room in Ellsworth or camping at the Wanderin Moose Campground, which has pay-for showers (remember to bring quarters!). Contact us if you’re having trouble finding a place to stay.
Questions?
Call Cliff at (207) 650-8698 or email us anytime at StrongMachineAR@gmail.com.
Thanks and can't wait to see you in a few weeks!
Thanks and can't wait to see you in a few weeks!
