Red River Gorge American Classic, a/k/a The Fig VIII

Q.    Do I have to have a support crew?

A.    No.  In fact, support crews are not allowed.  You may not receive assistance from anyone other than another racer or the race staff except while in a designated transition area.

Q.    Can I use a GPS or other tracking device?

A.    You may not use a GPS or any other electronic tracking device that receives information.  You may use a SPOT or similar device that transmits but does not receive information about your location. 

Q.    What about cell phones or walkie-talkies?

A.    You are encouraged to carry a cell phone with you, but it must remain turned off throughout the race.  It is to be used only in the case of an emergency.  Walkie-talkies and similar communication devices are prohibited.

Q.    Do team members stay together throughout the race?

A.    Yes.  All team members must stay within 100' of each other throughout the race and must visit every checkpoint together.

Q.    How experienced do I need to be to do this race?

A.    The Fig is a challenging race that is not geared toward beginning racers.  That isn't to say that we haven't had many beginners complete the race and be competitive.  However, solid navigation skills are a must.  It is very easy to get turned around in the Gorge, and down right lost, for that matter.  On the other hand, the mountain biking and paddling will not be particularly technical.  There are no mountain biking trails to speak of in the Gorge, which means the pedaling will be predominantly on paved, gravel and unimproved roads.  Paddling will be on slow-moving water, the Kentucky River.  In short, you can expect a lot of hilly road biking and challenging off-trail foot orienteering . . . oh, and some cool rock scrambles . . . and a big rappel . . . it's the Red River Gorge!!

Q.     How far is each discipline?

A.     I'll disclose distances once the course has been set and timed

Q.    Where does the race start and finish?

A.    To be announced

Q.    Is the Friday night check-in and race briefing mandatory?

A.    You do not have to attend the race briefing.  It is strongly encouraged, however, as anything discussed during the pre-race briefing will become part of the official rules.  Now, I'll try to be sure everything is covered in the printed materials and review anything particularly notable prior to the race start Saturday morning.  Nonetheless, things will go much more smoothly Saturday morning and you'll be ahead of the game if you attend the pre-race briefing.

Q.    Where and when will we stage gear?

A.    We'll let you know.

Q.    How long do you expect the winners to take to finish the race?

A.    Approximately 10 hours

Q.    Will I need climbing shoes?

A.    No.  There will be no technical climbing in this race for which advanced climbing skills or shoes would be needed.  You may be required to do some rock scrambling and similar non-technical climbing.

Q.    Will I need to plot checkpoints?

A.    Yes.  Wondering how?  Here's one tutorial: http://www.maptools.com/UsingUTM/quickUTM.html

Q.    Will I need to use my compass?

A.    Yes.  Definitely.

Q.    What is the magnetic declination for the Gorge?

A.    I'll post a precise figure when the date draws closer, given that this changes over time.

Q.    Are there any race reports out there that I can read?

A.    Here is the "official" report from our very first year:

       http://www.geocities.com/bluegrassmtc/RedRiverGorgeRace.html

       Here is a "travelogue" written by a smart-alecky first-timer from the Fig VI:

       http://home.fuse.net/michael.frey/Index/Travel.html

       I posted loads of feedback from the Fig VII to the Results page. 

Not what you were looking for?  Feel free to e-mail me with any other questions.