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Racers Plotting the First Points of the Course

Greg Yetter / 22.05.2008

All the racers are checked in, gotten their maps and completed the Race Director meeting. And what a meeting from warnings of ticks falling out of the trees, warnings about the alligator mating season and two species of sea turtles, one coming on land to lay eggs in nest and one’s hatchlings heading out to sea. From the start of the race competitors will have to be on the watch for the local fauna. With turtles heading both in and out of the water, racers have to be cautious with lights and sounds so as not to disturb the breeding cycle of these creatures.

Once racers leave the coast they will have to contend with ticks not only attacking from the ground up, but also a group that will drop from the trees onto unsuspecting racers. Ticks are only one of the smallest creatures racers will contend with, it is alligator mating season. The male alligators will make a barking sound much like a dog; racers were told if they heard this to “go in the other direction�. At night it is easier to spot the alligators, just shine a light into the darkness and count all the red glowing eyes and divide by two.

Racers got their first maps of the course at the 2000 meeting and are now plotting all the points to Transition Area 7. With the start at 0600 tomorrow morning it will be a long night for some teams. From a beach run to start the race moving into the first kayak section to biking teams will face the big three of adventure race disciplines in the first hours of the race.

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