Can be made up of 2, 3, or 4 persons. All teams must start and finish together to be ranked. Teams must stay within 100ft of each other at all times. Team categories consist of single gender team and coed team. Single gender teams can be either all male or female with 2-4 persons. The other two race categories are solo male and solo female. Racers are required to wear their race bib at all times. In some races teams will only be given one race bib that will be worn by the team captain. These categories are eligible for races that have sponsorship prizes and will be awarded to the top ranking finishers. All racers must be 18 years old or if younger racing with an adult.

PADDLING

Takes place during most Adventure Races on Lakes, Rivers and Reservoirs. All waterborne sections of the race require racers to wear a coast guard approved pfd. Blow up pfd models are not acceptable. Paddles may be of any type for both canoeing or kayaking. canoes or kayaks are both acceptable means of waterborne travel. However sit-on-top style kayaks are not authorized. All watercraft are to comply with the racers state of origin for safety and registration guidelines. All watercraft must therefore be seaworthy. No rubber rafts or kayaks are acceptable for the paddling sections except those provided for by the race organization or race sponsor for a specific race (i.e. whitewater). Portaging is acceptable except where prohibited by the particular race or by general safety.

MOUNTAIN BIKING

Takes place during most Adventure Races and may be but not excluded to single track trails, double track trails, grass trails, forestry roads and paved roads. Helmets are to be worn at all times by racers while actively riding the mountain bike. During races that are conducted during the hours of darkness operating Headlamps, Headlights and Taillights must be used for racer safety. All racers are expected to obey all applicable traffic laws while riding, crossing, or operating near highways or roads. Mountain bikes are the only method of travel acceptable by Central Ohio Adventure Racing.

ORIENTEERING

Takes place during all Adventure Races and may be but not excluded to land navigation, coastal steering or underwater orienteering. Maps will be provided by the race staff which may or may not be marked with the CP's. Some races may require the plotting of UTM's to find CP location. UTM's are easting and northing locations based on metric grids. All Central Ohio Adventure Racing markers are 12x12 orange and white Suunto orienteering markers complete with a punch and a placard with the CP number. All markers may or may not be on trails, hills, ravines, watercourses or other prominent features that require hazardous or semi-hazardous travel to locate them.

ROPES

May or may not take place during all Adventure Races and may involve rappelling, ascending, traversing or zip lines. Racers must provide their own harnesses, carabineers, helmets and gloves. All other equipment will be provided for by Central Ohio Adventure Racing. The listed items are mandatory for roped sections.

SPECIAL EVENTS

May or may not take place during all Adventure Races and may be but not excluded to underwater orienteering, sand bag carries, assisted swims or any other crazy stunt the race staff comes up with to make the race more exciting. These events may occur at any time and may be integrated into the race itself. Any additional gear or requirements needed for a special event will be listed in the updates section.

Are required to be carried at all times by racers. A member of the race staff can request to check a racers passport at any time. Racers are expected to keep the passport in reasonable condition so as it is legible to race staff for ranking and totaling of all CP'S collected. To finish as a ranked team or solo racer they must present a passport to the race staff at the finish line along with all members of the participating team. Any team with members missing will not be given there finish time until all listed teammates are accounted for at the finish line.

SCORING

Is really quite simple, the most CP's collected in the shortest time possible without any penalties gets a racer ranked first. All other racers will then follow suit in subsequent rankings. All checkpoints have equal value so if a racer skips a CP that they cannot find it only count towards their overall total. Racers can however attempt to go back and look for the skipped CP but only during that race section (i.e. Mountain Bike or Orienteering). Some races are Fixed Time races. The scoring is based the same except for overtime finishes. Racers who exceed the time limit do so at a cost of 1 CP for every remainder of 3 min over the time limit. (i.e. in an 8hr race a racer finishes in 8:02 the racer looses 1 CP, 8:06 -2 CP's, 8:09 -3 CP's etc.) During some races the race staff will have Time Check CP's. These CP's are manned and mandatory that require racers to check in with their number or Team name. Failure to check in to these CP's will result in a 15 min time penalty if later CP's are punched. A failure to abide by the rules for traveling on prohibited roads or portaging is also a 15 min time penalty. Lost Passports will result in an unofficial ranking. Racers however can however return to the start of the race and obtain a new Passport but will have to start the race over. Lost, stolen or misplaced CP's will be treated as they were there and racers will receive credit for the CP as well as a +15 min time bonus.

During most races COAR will have a transition area set up adjacent to the registration area. The transition area will comprise a set of canopies, 2-4 bike racks, and an orange barricade fence. Racers will come through the registration area, report in so race staff can get their times then transition to the next race event.

REFUND POLICEY

COAR'S refund policy is simple 2 weeks to the event if you have to cancel we will give you a full refund on the race fee. 1 week to the event the canceling racer can receive a 1/2 refund. Less than 1 week we can only give race credit. COAR will however allow substitutions. The rental fee on a canoe or kayak is up to the livery, but it's most likely non-refundable. This will be assessed on a case by case basis.

*Central Ohio Adventure Racing reserves the right to deviate from certain race rules to allow for a better race environment.