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'09 Race recap, report, and points '08 Race recap, report, and points '08 Race report by Joe and Lisa Photography Event Highlights by Chuck Kozora

“I don’t think you understand! We have over 80 racers, their families, young children and two different newspapers coming to this event and these guys are talking about 35 truckloads of asphalt! There is no way we can “share” this space with that!” The voice on the other end of the phone was just not getting it. “Go to another park?!! This event is tomorrow!! In two hours most of the racers will be here for a pre-race meeting. We can’t go to another park. Can’t they finish paving the bike trail on Monday?”

Andy and I had gotten to Moraine State Park much later than anticipated and now we were faced with a problem that was much larger than the amount of work that lay ahead of us. The paving company that was hired to resurface the bike trail that snakes through this park was a day behind due to rain and was anxious to spend Saturday catching up. The amount of work left would require 35 truckloads of asphalt over an 8 hour stretch, and these monster trucks were planning to turn around to back down the trail in the same area that we had chosen for our transition area. It was looking like a David vs. Goliath battle was about to erupt and Ranger Rick was being less than helpful. Fortunately the drivers had the answer and pointed to the phone number on the side of their trucks. Within a few minutes of conversation with the company owner a resolution was reached. The drivers would access the trail further down the road and work backwards. It would be a small headache having them here but there would be no safety issues and no major conflict. Problem solved—time to get to work!

We lost over an hour fixing this problem—now we would have to be efficient. Start with T/A, then hold the pre-race meeting. Next will be constructing the hazards, then mark the bike trail. And finally set out the buoys for the swim. Without any hitches we’ll be asleep by 4:30!

“Holy smokes!! What are these people doing here so early?” It is 5:30 and Bethann and I are barely aware of where we are. We are in the back of the van of course and I am still soaked from last night’s late boating session. We scramble to find anything and everything warm to put on and go out to greet the masses. The prologue is slated to start at 6:15 and the compass clinic at 6:00. There was a lot to squeeze into the next 45 minutes—and here we were without any coffee!

This year’s edition of the MAD started with a 2 mile bearing course. Competitors would run down a one mile stretch of the bike trail (yes—the same trail that would be paved starting at 7:30!) and hit four different bearing points. From those points they would take two bearings—one to the right and one to the left—and run into the woods to find a concealed orienteering punch. They had 20 minutes to retrieve as many punches as possible and each punch had a point value. Total value for the course was 20 points and racer’s would receive a starting credit of 30 seconds for each point they retrieved—however they would be penalized one point for each minute they went over the time limit. A “starting credit” meant that a team with all 20 points would not start at 8:00 am but would instead start at 7:50. This would be a significant head start.

Team Snot Rockets recorded the fastest time finishing a full 90 seconds before their cut-off. Team Big Lead Pipes was close behind. Other teams trickled in at a steady rate with different levels of success. In the end the excitement level was high and infectious and everyone thought this a great way to start the day.

All teams were off the prologue course by 7:00am which meant that they had 50 minutes until the start of the race. However at 7:40 T/A was shut down and every team had to send one teammate to the start and one to follow staff member Toby Angove to an undisclosed location. This was to be the first “hazard” of the race and was titled “Lost Teammate”. The “lost” teammate was to follow Toby on the marked bike trail to a point where they would drop their bike and continue up the trail. The teammate at the start was to be given directions that stated:

With complete disregard to the 50 meter rule, your teammate has “jumped the gun” and ridden ahead on the blue marked bike course. In the meantime he has wrecked and is wandering aimlessly through the woods with a concussion. Now you must locate your teammate’s bike, then find your teammate and proceed on the bike course.

Unfortunately things got very hectic at the start trying to decipher all the start times and…..well……these directions were never distributed. Fortunately staff on the other end (Toby) picked up the slack and got everyone on the right track. The racers were never aware of the omission and continued on to the six mile marked bike course with out a hitch (well, judging by the condition of the racers returning to T/A there were some hitches but none caused by us!).

As racers returned from the rocky, technical mountain bike leg they were greeted by staff directing them to the second “hazard”. This was termed “Math Equation” and required teams to read all directions before starting. The directions included a series of equations using the teams bib number and ended with a directive stating that they should ignore all equations and find their maps and coordinates that are hanging in the trees by using their bib number. Either way you did it you got the right answer—but if you read the directions first you got it a lot faster!

Once teams secured their maps and coordinates they were allowed into T/A where they could rack their bikes and begin plotting their checkpoints. Once plotted, the topographical maps were enough to locate the 6 CP’s that would comprise the run course. However these maps had only (1) trail on them and—from the racers perspective—no clear route on how to get to the CP’s. The other thing these maps had—unbeknownst to the racers—was a very small blue line indicating the location of each CP. This was to be a guide to aid the plotting and reduce the time it took to check and double check the maps. Judging by post race comments there were very few racers that noticed these “aids”.

With points plotted and checked for accuracy, the racers could now leave T/A and begin their trek. But first there was another “hazard”. This one termed the “Monolith” was optional and directions stated:

You have all the information you need to complete the run leg of this race. However, there is some additional information that may help you complete the course more effectively. This piece of information is located at the bottom of (1) of the (2) chimney slots in the monolith in front of you. It is up to you and your teammate to determine if you want this information. Then it is up to you to determine how you want to retrieve it.
1) You may climb on the monolith only and cannot use the bracing in any way.
2) You may decide if this is best done with one or two teammates.
3) You may choose to ignore all of this and proceed with the information you have in your possession.

The “Monolith” stood 8’ high and had 2 slots that were 4’wide x 16”deep x 8’ high. Inside of these slots were stacks of paper. One slot had a detailed and plotted trail map while the other had blank sheets. Once inside it was difficult to get out and racers had to choose carefully. Many had to climb twice! However, no one regretted doing so as these maps made things much clearer. With PFD’s in hand racers now left T/A confident that they could navigate their way around the course.

The run leg was to be completed as a Rogaine in that racers could decide which direction they wanted to tackle it and which points they would focus on retrieving. If done in order (i.e. CP 1- CP 6) racers would follow the bike course they had just ridden to a lightly marked “bushwhacking” trail which would take them to CP1 at the waters edge. Once they punched their card racers would swim less than a half mile to the other shore of this cove and find another lightly marked bushwhacking trail. This second trail would lead them to the next entry point for a more than half mile swim across Trout Cove to CP2. From CP 2 they would follow the Yellow Blazed hiking trail north along the lake and then northwest off into the woods to CP 3 at the Mountain Bike Trailhead. From there they would get on the North Country trail (blue blazed) and follow it to a junction with the Yellow Blazed Glacier Ridge Trail for CP 4. Next they would simply follow the Yellow Blazed trail away from the lake and uphill until it turned sharply south. This Horseshoe bend was the location of CP5. Finally racers would follow the Glacier Ridge Trail ‘til it junctioned again with the North Country trail and that is where they would find CP. Easy—right? And that’s why the race directors decided to put a time limit on it.

Just to increase the challenge (and appease park officials concerned about the second bike leg) a cut-off of 12:00 noon was implemented for the start of the second bike leg. In order to complete the full course racers had to return from the run course to T/A and be on their bikes by 12:00 noon. Otherwise they would be “short-coursed” and ranked separately from those that completed the full course. This was an important fail-safe that allowed for most racers to finish at around the same time and made the park happy that racers would be off the course before the park reached its busy period.

As racers straggled into T/A there was plenty of evidence of bushwhacking. Legs were ripped and torn and those that didn’t make the cut-off were more than happy to be done for the day. Those that did make the cut-off were pushing hard to gain or maintain as the race was heating up. Snot Rockets and Big Lead Pipes were leading the charge and it was looking like an exciting finish was in the making. Of the two teams Snot Rockets are the runners and Big Lead Pipes are the bikers. This, however, was the bike leg now and it was Big Lead Pipes that took control and finished the race a full 10 minutes faster than race directors had anticipated at 3 hours and 49 minutes. Snot Rockets came in close behind after losing 10 minutes on the bike course with a time of 4 hours and the Batty Boys were the third finishers with a time of 4 hours and 9 minutes. Team Blaze was the first co-ed finishers with a time of 4:30 and Control Freaks were close behind at 4:32. Team Spang closed the top three with a time of 4:56.

The Moraine Adventure Dash was by far the most successful race to date and the Grass Roots Staff wants to thank all who supported the event and made it possible. We look forward to seeing all of you at the TURFF on August 18th at the South Side Works REI.

To read more about the MAD and about Grass Roots Racing as reported by the Tribune Review go to:

MAD - Pittsburgh Tribune Video MAD - Pittsburgh Tribune Write-up

MAD Overall

MAD Category

Overall Series Points