SUGAR HILL ROGAINE II

CNYO’s 20th ANNUAL ROGAINE

2010 UNITED STATES ROGAINING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Date: July 31-August 1, 2010

Time: Mass start at noon on Saturday. issue for planning at 10am on Saturday.

Duration: There will be options for 6, 12, and 24 hours. Only the 24 hour event is the official US Rogaining Championships. See more details further down about award categories and eligibility requirements.

What is a Rogaine? The concept is very straightforward—teams of two to five people have a fixed time (6, 12, or 24 hours in this event) to visit as many checkpoints as possible, , or resting as they see fit. The checkpoints (controls) are spread over a large area, and are pre-marked on a map issued shortly before the start of the event. Point values for visiting each control vary (and are specified in advance) depending on such factors as the distance from the start/finish area, elevation, navigational complexity, and the whims of the setter. The members of the team must stay together throughout the event, for reasons of safety.

Who may participate? Participants in rogaining come from diverse backgrounds, including hikers, cross-country runners, trail runners, adventure racers, ultra-runners, orienteers, and family groups. Even at a championship event such as this, a wide variety of competitive intensity is found, varying from the casual stroller wanting to add some variety to the weekend hike to serious athletes expecting to vie for the top spots in their category, going with no sleep and at a running pace for most of the event. Map reading skill is perhaps the most important specialized technique needed in the event. Route planning strategy is also very important.

Organizers: Central New York

Base Camp, Start/Finish area: A primitive area in Sugar Hill State Forest. Drinking water and toilet facilities are available. Free overnight camping is available Friday and Saturday nights. Bring tents, sleeping bags, etc.

Provided equipment: A special-purpose topographic map consisting of two 11”x17” color sheets and one 8 ½”x11” sheet with partially overlapping coverage, at a 1:30,000 scale, with a plastic bag for protection, and a set of control descriptions, are provided for each participant. The map has been created with a mixture of USGS-provided contour information, aerial photography from NY state, and field checking on the ground. 1 punch card is provided for each team. Food is continuously available at the base camp from 3pm on Saturday until at least 1pm on Sunday. The selection of available food will vary somewhat depending on time of day. Water is available at the base camp and at approximately six locations around the course.

Required equipment for each team: , Water bottle, Watch.

Recommended Equipment: , Liquids, Food, Sunscreen, Insect Repellent, Long Pants, Extra Clothes (including rain protection), Extra Socks and Shoes, Flashlight or (for those in the 12 and 24 hour events), First Aid Kit, Small Pack for carrying the above equipment.

Rules: A full listing of the rules for rogaining may be found at the IRF website www.rogaining.com/resources/rules_01012004.pdf

A number of the more important rules for this race include the following examples, some of which vary from the customs in adventure or individual orienteering events. No vehicular transport is allowed during the race. No GPS systems or altimeters are permitted. No aid from others away from the base camp is allowed during the race (including drops of food or supplies before the race). It is permissible to return to the base camp area to replenish supplies, eat drink, etc. at any time during the event. Team members must stay within sight and speaking distance throughout the event, for reasons of safety. In the case of our race where there are three concurrent events, teams must select the race duration before the start—no changes allowed later (related to initiation of search and rescue operations). If you decide to quit early, you must notify the finish personnel before leaving the area. In this event, you must stay on public land (which includes public roads and a few trails crossing private property).

Checkpoints: Each checkpoint is marked by an orange and white “control”, a triangular prism with sides about a foot square. You use a pin punch hanging beside the flag to mark the appropriate box on your punch card carried with you to prove your visit. You will also be asked to sign a log at each control point, indicating your intended next stop and the current time, to assist in search operations if a rescue should become necessary. It is not compulsory to go to the control indicated on the intention sheet if plans change en route, but please do not intentionally fill in incorrect information in an attempt to mislead competing teams. The control flags will usually be visible from some distance, not intentionally concealed, but also usually not within view of trails or roads. Reflective markers will aid somewhat in locating control points after dark. There will be about 50 control points distributed over the roughly 150 square kilometers covered by the .

Scoring: The point value of all control points visited is summed. The point value of each control is ten times the value of the first digit of the control code printed on the map. A late penalty of 10 points per minute (or fraction) is subtracted from the score of any team finishing after 12 noon on Sunday. Any team finishing more than 30 minutes late will be disqualified. Tie scores will be decided by the order of finish times (faster team winning).

Awards: The primary award categories will be Men, Women, and Mixed teams. Each of these categories is subdivided into Open, Veteran (all team members over 40), Superveteran (all team members over 55), or Junior (all 18 or under). While awards will be presented to the top 3 teams in all of these categories, there will also be USOF Rogaining Champion medals in each category with additional eligibility requirements. To be eligible for these USOF awards, it is necessary for all members of the team to be USOF members at the beginning of the event. An overall compilation will be made of the scores from the 6, 12 and 24 hour events. The awarding of the USOF awards will be from this combined list (e.g. if a 12-hour team should outscore all the 24-hour teams in their category, they get the medal).

Terrain and weather: This area has rolling hills, mostly forested. There are many trails and dirt roads in the area, and a few paved roads. This area is not particularly noted for either ticks or poison ivy, but you might run across either annoyance. The weather at this time of year can provide high temperatures in the 50’s or 90’s (Fahrenheit), so come prepared for either extreme. What weather pattern will prevail on the weekend of the event should be sufficiently evident at the start of the event so that you are unlikely to need to carry the clothing for both extremes during the race.

Directions: From Watkins Glen, at the intersection of NY14, NY414, NY409, follow NY409 west uphill 0.6 mi to County Route 28. Turn right, follow CR28 1.15 mi to CR23. Follow CR23 west 4.9 mi to CR21. Follow CR21 1.1 mi south to Tower Hill Rd. Turn right (west) on Tower Hill Rd (dirt) for 0.55 mi. Finally, turn south on the road to the fire tower camping area, an additional .25 mi. (Clicking on Tower Hill Road, Watkins Glen, NY in Google Maps will bring up a screen pretty much centered on the base camp if you want detailed directions from a greater distance or another direction).

Accommodations: Watkins Glen is the nearest town with a significant number of motel accommodations. There are a number of car racing events during the summer at the Watkins Glen International Raceway, and Watkins Glen is a more general tourist attraction during the summer, so it is safer to book well in advance if you are planning on staying at a motel before or after the race.

Partner matching: If you want to enter the race but don’t have a partner, let us know when you register, along with info about your and endurance abilities. We have had fair success in past years in helping to match up compatible teams—obviously starting inquiries well in advance is more likely to achieve success than waiting until the day before the event. Fees: Preregistration is strongly preferred. Entries postmarked by July 1, 2010 will have an entry fee of $50/person. Entries received with a postmark by July 15 will be charged a $5/person late fee (and might be too late to purchase a T-shirt—a $15 option). After July 15 up through the day of the race, there is a $10/person late fee. Payment by check may be made to Central New York Orienteering. Minors will need a liability waiver signed by a legal guardian. On-site registration by minors will require the presence of a guardian to sign the waiver if the form has not been filled out in advance. All participants will be required to sign a liability release waiver.