NWOGeocachers' Coin Race 2009

[ragbag]

Shroom and I have been bantering about ideas for a race for the geocoins, and I have come up with a tentative set of rules, shamelessly plagiarized from a couple of other races, and slightly modified to suit our situation.  This is a draft set, and we would like your input as to what you think.

Object:  To see whose coin travels the farthest in a year.  (This could be changed to add such things as provinces/states visited, furthest traveled in one direction, etc)

Rules:

1.  This race is open only to geocoins.
2.  A maximum of 2 coins per participant will be permitted.
3.  All coins must be activated, and have 0 distance before the start of the race.
4.  All coins must be trackable on the geocaching.com website.
5.  All participating coins must be present at the start-up event, (time and place TBA), to record the official tracking number of the coin.   (Certain exceptions may be made)  The owner of the coin does not have to be present.
6.  At the start-up event, an official tag will be issued to each coin, identifying it as a particpant in the race, which is to be included with the coin in its travels.
7.  After the start-up event, the coins are to be placed in any cache in Ontario, and the distance travelled will be determined from that cache.
8.  The race will conclude at Midnight on a date to be determined from the start-up date.  At that time, the categories will be checked, and winners declared.

Travelling Rules:
a.  Participating cachers are not permitted to move any of the coins, (including their own, once placed in a cache), or interfere with their progress in any way.
b.  Movement of a coin by a relative, friend, or business associate is prohibited.
c.  Coins are to be moved from cache to cache in the usual manner, with one cacher placing a coin in a cache, and another cacher retrieving it and moving it along.
d.  Coins are to be physically moved by hand from one cache to another.  Movement by UPS, FedEx, snail mail, etc, is prohibited.

This race is run on the Honor System, and relies on the integrity of the individual cacher to follow the ruled.

We also are considering a small fee ($5/coin???) to defray the cost of prizes for the winners.

There they are.  Any suggestion/comments/ideas???

Bob (Ragbag)

[shroomAzoom]

I realize this might be hard for those who want to participate who aren't going to be able to make it to the event, but I was wondering if maybe we might want to change rule 7, so that we start in the same general area? And as I type this, I'm thinking, no, maybe anywhere in Ontario is good. But how about NorWest Ontario?

I was thinking we could add other "objectives" for the coins so that we could have multiple winners. You mentioned this in your post, Ragbag. We could have the most provinces/states/countries visited, the furthest cache north visited, the furthest cache south, the most caches visited in addition to the farthest miles logged.

Looking forward to the contest, thanks for drafting the rules, Ragbag!

Jenn really likes the idea of the $5/coin entry fee. She likes prizes.

[ChrisDom]

Sometimes I pick up coins from caches and am unaware of their goal until I log them.  If the coin gets separated from the tag; I would hope my retieval would be not be considered interference. I may be able to attach another tag.
Just a thought; especially if the race is open to all of North Ontario.

[ragbag]

Chris, if you are a participant in the race, then you would not take one of the coins from a cache, as that would be a breach of the rules .  If you are not participating, it still might ber construed interference by a friend if you moved a coin.  Better to leave the coin for an outsider.

Just my opinion.

Bob

[shroomAzoom]

Right, but if the tag is not with the coin, he won't know until he logs the coin. In that case, I think we'll just use the honour system and trust that if he says it was an accident, then we trust him. No?

[ChrisDom]

If this race is just limited to the new NWO coin; I guess I can refrain from picking them up; tag or no tag.

[JungleBus]

Is the race just limited to the NWOG coins?

[jleecollins]

After everything gets settled out regarding how this is going to work.  I will participate in the races with 2 coins.

[ragbag]

The race isn't limited to just our coins.  However, the rule states that the coin must not have any mileage on it before the race, so that everyone has an even playing field.

[shroomAzoom]

So, the coins are on their way. Time to firm up the race rules and such. My big question is, how are the tags going to work? How do we attach them to our coins (especially like the NWOG coins) that don't have holes (or even little plastic envelopes?)

[ragbag]

What kind of service is that?  No little plastic bags???  (Just joking)  My idea of the tag was simply a way of identifying the coin as being in the race so that someone wouldn't hang onto it.  As for attaching it, I think that putting a slip of paper and the coin into a baggie would work.  That is up to the individual racer, I suppose.  Any idea as to when they will be arriving?  I am leaving on a trip on Tuesday, and would like to have mine so I can drop them off somewhere interesting.

[shroomAzoom]

Your guess is as good as mine. USPostalService Express is the way they're coming. I think I posted the tracking number in the NWOGCoin thread. You're welcome to track it along with me.

Even if we can't get the event together before you leave, if the coins arrive before you take off, I'll deliver yours to you, no problem.

[Mechman]

Rule clarification time - can we get a friend or someone else to make the initial placement?  or do we need to make the initial placement ourselves?  I see a tremendous starting advantage to someone that may just happen to be going out of town soon and ends up in a metro area in southern Ontario with many more cachers than here.  I'd like to suggest this rule to be changed so that all coins start within city limits.

Can we contact cachers who pick up our coin?  I'd say no.  This could lead to some unfair tactics too.  I take it the idea is to basically leave it alone to see where it ends up?  But on the other hand if my coin goes missing for a week or 2 - then I'm going to contact the finder and ask him where the hell it is!  Suggestions?

[ragbag]

The rule was that the coin could be placed in any cache in Ontario, but the milage accumulated starts at that  cache, so if you want to have someone drop the coin off somewhere else, go for it !

As for contacting cachers, I guess it's up to you.  They still have to drop the coin in a cache somewhere....

Bob

[Mechman]

I was thinking more of contacting people that pick up your coin, and don't really drop it into a cache...they sometimes just log in stuff to a cache just to accumulate miles, and then take it right out of the cache.