Revision of Extreme North Dakota Bicycle, Orienteering, and Boat Race (END-BOB) from Mon, 05/18/2015 - 10:27

June 6 2015, East Grand Forks MN and Grand Forks ND


Race Summary

The Extreme North Dakota Bike, Orienteering and Boat Race (END-BOB) is back again this year.  It combines a couple of hours of biking (approx. 15 miles) with a couple of hours (8-10 miles) of downstream canoeing resulting in a very challenging (but still fun) event. 

This event will be challenging for big-time competitors, but doable and enjoyable for kids, adults, and adults who like to behave like kids.

This is not a race in the classic sense -- where speed is what matters.  The main challenge in this race is to get to all the checkpoints scattered around the course. 

Freedom!  Unlike those "other" races where the race director tells you where to go and in what order, this one is wide open.  There are almost no rules and you can hit the checkpoints in (just about) any order and any way you wish.  Pure rogaine fun.

In 2015, the race will be held on the Greenways in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, on some country roads in MN, and on the Red Lake River.  Original plans had the start and finish in Grand Forks, but we are moving start and finish to the Crestwood Trail Head in O'Leary Park in East Grand Forks, MN.

So, this will be an event for all: those rabbits who like to set speed records can do their thing – it will definitely be tough and challenging enough to keep their interest.  Others, who want to have fun enjoying some of the best that Grand Forks has to offer, can be more casual.

Details
 

Date: The race is Saturday, June 6, 2015.  Check in, fill out the waiver form, etc. on Friday, June 5 at the Ski and Bike Shop, 1711 S Washington St  in Grand Forks, 6-8 pm.  Alternatively, race day check in will be 7:30-8:30 am at a picnic shelter in O'Leary Park.  Racers will start at 9 am.

Start and End Location: Crestwood Trail Head in O'Leary Park, East Grand Forks.  It is behind the VFW -- to get there, leave the bridges of EGF on Bygland Road SE heading southeast, turn left on 4th St SE, and then left again on the driveway leading to the picnic shelters and bathroom.  Go to GF Greenway map to see a map that will get you to race start/finish and also show where much of the race will be.

Cap: Race will be limited to 30 paying teams.

Registration fee:  $30 per person.  There will be no refunds if the race happens, and we know you want it to happen even if the weather is obscenely poor.

Equipment:  You must provide your own boating equipment (including life vests), bikes, and navigation equipment.  Race organizers will bring your bikes back to the race finish -- if you trust us to move your bikes.

You should have whatever you need for some basic orienteering, including perhaps: compass to figure out which way is north etc., the other kind of compass (to draw circles), ruler, protractor, and pencils.  No GPS units may be used.

 

Entry Includes:  Maps, swag, light post race refreshments, and a prize pool.
 
Teams: Teams may have 2-4 members but practicality suggests you want to make sure your team will all fit in a boat together!  Teams will be grouped into categories based on team size and experience; there will be special categories for teams that include kids!

Biking: The bike course will include dirt and grassy trails, and gravel roads.  A small amount will be on pavement of some sort.  You are welcome to use any bike you wish but skinny tires may not be the best idea!  Length of the ride depends on the route you take, it is on the order of 15 miles long, and a trial run took us almost 2 hours without looking for any check points.

Boating: You may use any water craft you wish, as long as it is human powered and it is something you can get in or on.  Canoe, kayak, row boat, paddle board . . . 1 paddler, 2 paddlers, or more – do it your way. The boat part may be a tad longer than the bike, depending on how well you navigate to the check points.

Swimming: There will be no swimming.

Orienteering: There is no set race course.  Instead, there will be check points.  Your challenge is to navigate to them in the order specified.  To aid you, we will provide you with maps showing checkpoint locations for most points.  Other useful tools (that you may care to bring) include a compass and measuring devices, and a bike computer to measure distances.  No GPS units of any sort may be used!  A waterproof map case might be a good idea.  If you plan to do all of the points -- but you don't have to do them all -- you should be ready to find points by triangulation, or by bearing and distance, or if given map coordinates.
 
Scoring:  Teams collect a point for each checkpoint (CP) they visit during the course.  Fast teams will want to get to all CP's. Other teams can still complete the course by skipping some points. Teams will be placed in approriate categories (based on number of team members and experience) and then ranked based on score.  Teams with the same score are ranked based on finish time.

Any profits from this event will be used to support Ground Up Adventures.