OGAR 2011
This is the course description from the 2011 race.
It is left here to help prospective racers gain some idea of what the Ozark Greenways Adventure Race is like.
On race day this page will be updated to the actual course used for the 2012 race. Family and friends of the racers will be able to read a description of the course and some details about it by viewing this website. By clicking on the Live Results tab, they will be able to see which checkpoints their team has crossed and will be able to compare their times to those of other teams as well.
Last year there were some early morning changes in the course due to high water at the Crag O Lea crossing and the Race Director opted to change the course and eliminate that point from the race for safety reasons. They are not reflected in the writeup below. If there are last-minute changes like that in this years race, they will be reflected here as part of the course description after the race gets underway
Again, if you have questions send them to HQ-at-greenwayrace.org and this applies during the race as well.
Race Start:
The race starts with the racers picking up their clue sheets and maps starting at 5 AM. At 5:45 there is a general meeting with last minute instructions and well wishes to all the racers. The racers are told to be on the buses starting at 6:00 and the buses depart at 6:15 for a 30 minute ride to the start point shown on the first map. The bus route takes them on a route on Hwy H from Noel to Pineville. Observant racers will notice the Canoe Putin location on their way. In Pineville the buses will go on Hwy W to Hwy 76 and then East to Plainview Road. At the intersection of Plainview and Neil Robinson road, the racers will stage for the race start at 7:00 when the 'Adventure Begins'.
Phase I
From the start point shown at the very top of the Big Sugar Creek State Park (BSCSP) map, the racers will immediately be faced with the choice of which road to take. They can go down Plainview, a run of about 4 miles, or down Neil Robinsoad Road, a run of about 4.5 miles. The choice is theirs. In looking at the map, it might seem to some to be faster to 'bushwhack' down through the state park to the entrace. However they are instructed to stay on paved or gravel roads. Those taking the shortest line will not only be punished by the briars, brambles, poison ivy, and the possibility of getting lost, but also immediately disqualified when the reach the entrance! The time estimates for this run vary from 30 to 90 minutes.
At the entrance to BSSP, they will receive their first punch on their passport. Although some racers might try to run into the woods on their run, they will again be disqualified if they show up at the entrance with any punches on their card.
Having completed the run they will then enter the BSCSP and start to find the various check points shown on the map. Depending on the route they take, this could be anywhere from 4 to 7 miles of hiking through the dense forest in the BSCSP. As they find each one, they will punch their passport with the special punch there. Each punch is different and the correct punch for each location will be checked at the finish line.
Having found all the waypoints they can find, the racers return to the BSCSP entrance where they will have their time entered on the remote data computers at that location. When you see the first time entry in the data displays, that will indicate they have cleared this location and are on to the next part of their adventure. The time estimates for runners to leave this area vary from 8:30 to 11:00 AM. The large range reflects the orienteering skill level or the racers.
Phase II
After leaving the BSCSP, the racers will pick up their bikes and proceed back towards Pineville. The bikes were staged at this area the night before which unfortunately gives the races an important clue about where the race is going to take place. Recall they do not actually receive the race maps until 5:00 on race day. But, once on their bikes, they travel about 1/2 mile down the road they will find a trail marked that will take them to the banks of the Big Sugar Creek and they will have to ford the river with their bikes. A special river crew of trained volunteers will man a safety rope to insure their safety in crossing the river. As you might suspect, after a hard morning run on paved/gravel roads followed by a long bushwhack looking for the orienteering points, the cold, cold river might feel pretty good to their feet. (yes, when life hands you a cold river bottom to walk on, think of how good it is to rejuvenate the body with a nice morning rinse in Mother Nature's water!)
Upon successfully fording the river, they will cross some private land and find themselves in the Huckleberry Ridge Conservation Area (HCRA). The HCRA is criss crossed with horse trails and is a very scenic area. Using their clue sheets they will ride their mountain bikes to each of the locations shown on Map 2 and punch their passports at each location. Like the earlier orientation phase, they can collect the punches in any order they want. Although it appears the road to take is well marked on the map, those just happen to be some of the very many roads in the area. They will quickly find they need to be carefully watching for the map clues and navigating by using their orienteering skills.
According to the planners, the most efficient route to collect all the punches is about 7 miles and will require walking and pushing their bikes uphill in some of the sections. The HRCA is made up of many deep ravines and to cross those is quite a chore in some cases.
As they find the last checkpoint, they will proceed down a power line easement, onto some private property, and will arrive at the Crag O Lea low water crossing. They will be logged into the computer system at this point and so the 2nd time you will see in the data display is this time. The planners have estimated racers will leave this area somewhere between 10 AM to 6 PM. Because of the road safety issues, Racers not reaching this point by 4:30 PM will be stopped and transported back to race HQ.
Phase III
Leaving the computer checkin location, they will walk their bikes back across the Big Sugar Creek on the low water crossing and ride the bikes thru Pineville to the canoe put in location. Map 3 shows the extent of this bike ride and it is about 7 - 8 miles long depending on the route they take thru the town of Pineville. It is estimated the riders will take between 30 minutes to 75 minutes on their mountain bikes.
The canoe put-in is located on Hwy H on the road between Pineville and Noel MO. It is at a point marked Riveride Inn on the topographic maps. The old Riverside Inn burned down some years ago so it will not serve as a landmark. The racers will leave their bikes at this location but will have to return NLT 9 PM to retrieve them. Bikes left after that time will be put on e-bay (Just Kidding!)
They will log into the computer tracking system at this point and the times shown on the Data Displays are for when they arrive at this location.
The ride is not very long for bikes and is on all paved roads. However the cutoff time to be able to put into the Elk River for the paddling phase is 5 PM. Again racers not at this location by 5 PM will be transported back to race HQ.
Phase IV
The racers will enjoy a relaxing canoe float down the awesome Elk River on their way to the finish line. Map 4 shows the meandering river between the canoe put in location and the finish line. It is estimated racers will arrive at the finish line anywhere between 12:30 PM and 8 PM. For some it is obviously going to be a very long tiring day but the great pasta meal with salad and burgers and brats and beer provided by one of our sponsors will make the trip worth while!. (I've been at the race doing computer operations for 6 years now and I can tell you the smell of the BBQ grill cooking the meal is absolutely fantastic. I don't know who suffers more, me waiting for the food to be served, or the racers beating thru the woods. OK, I do know..)