12/10/09

2007 Race

Results

Pictures

Video

Course Map

On Saturday, May 19th, 2007, the North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy held its fifth annual North Chick Greenway Challenge Adventure Race at the North Chickamauga Creek Greenway Farm in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This event brought in 50 three-person teams, from six different states, to bike, paddle and run along the Greenway trails and the North Chickamauga Creek. As always, it wouldn't be an adventure race if it were that simple, so teams encountered a multitude of special tests and mystery events along the way, all tied to the Simpsons race theme. All proceeds from the race went to benefit the work of the North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy. The race name relates to the challenge of completing the Greenway corridor along North Chickamauga Creek, one of the main goals of the organization. The objective is to link the North Chickamauga Creek Greenway Farm, situated along the last three miles of the creek as it flows into the Tennessee River, to the North Chickamauga Creek Gorge, including the 3,700 acre North Chickamauga Gorge State Natural Area, along a contiguous green corridor. To date, more than 12,000 acres have been conserved. The Greenway, when completed, will link up with the Tennessee RiverPark, providing an unobstructed pedestrian pathway from downtown Chattanooga to the North Chickamauga Creek Gorge. The Greenway will also be connected to the Cumberland Trail, Tennessee’s first linear state park, providing virtually unlimited opportunities for recreational activities.

The race started with the "Stonecutters Initiation" mystery event, where a blindfolded team member had to retrieve a tennis ball at the far end of the field, directed only by the voices of their teammates. After the melee, teams hit the four mile run leg that included the steep single-track of the Boy Scout Trail, before returning to the main field where they encountered the "Me Fail English. That's Unpossible." mystery event. Teams had to assemble a 30 piece puzzle before heading out on the 7 mile bike leg. Back in the field, teams had to get a little wet before starting the paddling leg. "Can't Get Enough Of That Wonderful Duff" perplexed teams with a PVC pipe full of holes that needed to be filled to the top with water from a kiddie pool over 100 feet away. With only two small buckets and a rule stating only one bucket per person, teams had to use their bodies to stem the tide flowing out of the multitude of holes. A short run to the boats put them in the beautiful North Chickamauga Creek for a short 2 mile paddle downstream. Carrying their boats up the ramp, they continued on foot along the treacherous ridge trail leading them to the quarry. "Three Eyed Fish" was the next mystery event. Teams were given several pieces of PVC and PVC connectors, along with a hook and 30 feet of twine in order to build a fishing pole. The one crux was that they couldn't touch the twine or anything tied to the twine when reeling in a fish. The fish were simply small inner tubes with three eyes glued on them and were arranged in small "ponds" away from shore. Once they caught the big one, they were off to the ropes course for the balance tests and the twelve foot wall climb. A downhill run back to the main field had them in sight of the finish line, but this is an adventure race so things are never that easy. "Principal Skinner's Toupee Is Not A Frisbee" had teams try their hand at some frisbee golf. The number of turns it took them to get the frisbee in the basket determined the amount of weight (0, 5, 10 or 15 lbs.) they had to carry for the last 1.5 miles of the run. Dropping their weights at the end, they were confronted with the last obstacle between them and the finish line, the ominous slippery wall. Once over the wall, teams were just a few feet away from the finish of the 2007 North Chick Greenway Challenge Adventure Race.