Good afternoon!
We’re just a bit over a week away from race day, and the 18 hour racers will be dusting off their gear at this next time next week in preparation for a fun night in the woods.
For the final Adventure Race in Wisconsin for 2023, we have a tremendous amount of teams racing every race length this year. Thank you so much for supporting the Wisconsin Adventure Racing Series and USARA!
This is Race Update #2. There will be one final race update next week with locations and GPS coordinates of drops. Please read in its entirety.
Please read the details below carefully and look through all the materials on https://www.maffadventurerace.com/
Race Instructions and Guidelines:
In your race packet that you receive at check-in, you will find a list of rules and guidelines for the race (regardless of the race length you are participating in). Please ensure that you read this and understand the rules.
Registered Teams:
Please check out the registered teams at the bottom of the following page: https://runsignup.com/RaceGroups/124722
If you don’t see your team, let us know ASAP so we can address.
Final Race Start Times:
10PM-4PM (18 hour race) – Pre-race meeting will be held at Race HQ – Check-in starts at 8pm at HQ
9AM-5PM (8 hour race) – Pre-race meeting will be held at Race HQ at 8am – Check-in starts at 6:30am at HQ
11AM-3PM (3 Hour Race) – Pre-race meeting will be held at Race HQ at 10am – Check-in starts at 8:30am at HQ
HQ location: for all lengths, HQ is at Trecker Lodge at Lapham Peak State Park
Parking at HQ is in the Trecker Lodge parking lot and overflow parking next to parking lot
18 HOUR RACERS – The Lapham Peak State Park gate CLOSES at 9pm. If you are late, you will not be able to enter the park. You will be bussed to the race start (TA1).
Pre-Race Meetings:
We will have pre-race meetings for all race lengths (see times above).
We will have a virtual pre-race meeting with Q&A on Thursday at 7pm via Microsoft Teams. We will send a link to all team captains as a separate email.
Rules and Reminders:
We will discuss some final elements of VERY important rules in our pre-race meetings, but here are a few items that everyone must understand:
- Trail passes MUST be purchased and carried. This is a key element of our permits, and these are required. Don’t take the “wait and see” approach. The weather looks nice this year, and we fully expect the MTB portions of this race to be open!
- At the bike drop (for 18 and 8 hour racers), there will be a specific location where your bikes are allowed. If your bikes are left outside of this area, they will be removed by us or the DNR.
- We will be using parts of the Ice Age Trail in multiple areas of the race. Although signage exists, remember that NO bikes are allowed on the Ice Age Trail. Don’t walk your bike, ride your bike, or think about riding your bike. These are for foot use only for any orienteering. We will discuss these areas and specific maps in pre-race meetings.
- Bikes are not allowed during the paddle. Don’t even think about it =)
- There are specific sections of the race where the method of travel is defined. If the section is a foot trek, you must be on foot. Do not deviate from the rules of travel.
Bike Drop (18 and 8 hour only):
The bike drop location will be shared in Race Update #3.
Race Embargo:
All locations are embargoed as of this coming Saturday, November 29. This includes Lapham Peak State Park (Race HQ) and all of the surrounding areas of the Southern Kettle Moraine Unit of the Wisconsin State Park system.
Food and Drink (Post-race party):
Please stick around for food, beverages, and more after the race! We will do our best to meet dietary requirements, so please let us know if you have any specific requests.
Mountain Biking:
Yes, there will be mountain biking (or so we hope – as long as the weather holds up – and it looks positive for Saturday!). 3 hour racers will have less opportunity to be on trails, and we will have a larger hike-a-bike if trails are closed. Think about your tires and bike choice!
Paddling:
Another reminder – just to be clear on this. You may bring your own PFDs and paddles (and one small bag or bin) that will be transported to and from the paddle transition. Please, please, please label your gear and ensure that it is able to stay together. We are not responsible for the safety of your gear, and it will be transported in a trailer, so make sure it’s safe and packed.
For all teams (not solo racers), we use standard canoes with no middle seat. Do not sit on the middle support – they are not made to be sat on. If you are a team of 3, please do your middle paddler a favor and bring something for them to sit on. They will thank you.
Map Overview:
Final maps are printed. Here’s a quick summary:
- USGS Topo maps are used for several parts of the race
- Aerial maps
- O-maps
- Open Street maps
- State and County park maps
- DNR-issued trail and park maps (not to scale) – these maps (in your race packet) or used for reference and do not contain any CPs or other markings
We will discuss the scale for each map at pre-race meetings. However, for reference, the overall race maps range from 1:50,000 to 1:24,000.
Many of the other maps are 1:10,000 or 1:12,000.
Weather:
We’re in Wisconsin, and the weather is always in flux. As we watch the 10 day forecast, race day is looking positive. However, we may experience precipitation, and regardless of whether the low temperatures overnight remain positive, it will be cold. Dress appropriately (and, if possible, wear bright colors for safety in the woods).
18 hour racers: We will have an additional gear drop where we will bring a bin or bag for you to an early transition area in the race. Pack a change of warm clothes or gear. We will then bring that bin or bag back to HQ for the end of the race. Please ensure this is labeled with your team name (same as required for paddle gear).
E-Punch:
All racers will be using e-punch this year. If you are not familiar with e-punch, we’ll explain everything in pre-race meetings. Please note that team captains will be responsible for their fingersticks if these are not returned at the end of the race. The fee is defined in the race rules in your race packet.
Live Race Tracking:
The 18 hour racers will have live tracking. Team captains will be responsible for trackers if these are not returned at the end of the race. This fee is defined in the race rules in your race packet.
Anyone can track racers during the race at the following location:
https://live.enabledtracking.com/maff2023/
Gear:
Please make sure you check the mandatory and recommended gear lists!
If this is your first race, PLEASE read and re-read all materials and join our virtual pre-race meeting.
Please read the details below carefully and look through all the materials on https://www.maffadventurerace.com/