Race FAQ

1. Can I enter if I don't live in Pennsylvania?

   Yes.

2. How do I determine whether I'm racing for speed or distance?

   Everyone is racing to be first across the line. The distance and cache prizes are prizes to make the race interesting.

3. Can I keep racing after I cross the finish line?

   As of today, the answer is no. Once you cross the line we will collect your TB.

4. Can my Travel Bug leave the United States or Canada?

   a. If you are racing for speed, and your bug does leave the U.S. or Canada, it must return to the same state or province it was last in (not necessarily the same cache) and continue its journey from there.
   b. If you are racing for distance or number caches then staying in the U.S. or Canada is not a requirement.

5. Can my Travel Bug take any route?

   Yes, within certain limits. The first being that it must travel only one state at a time and then only to a state sharing a common border with the last state it was in. Secondly if it leaves the U.S. or Canada, question one applies.

6. Can one cacher move a bug more than one state?

   Yes, as long as the Travel Bug is logged in a physical cache (no virtuals or locationless) in each state visited. These type of movements will draw attention from the race coordinator who will verify with the cache owners that there is an actual log entry in the cache logbook for the Travel Bug. If there are no logs found the Travel Bug in question will be required to return to the last point where a valid log can be verified.

7. Can I or someone else mail or ship my Travel Bug.

   No! Travel Bugs may not be moved by mailing or shipping. They must be moved physically from cache to cache by hand and normal mode of transportation.

8. Can I interfere with a Travel Bug?

   Anyone MAY move any TB in the race. The organizers cannot control negative interference. (i.e. holding onto another racer's bug). Owners are encouraged to request help from other cachers along the way in order to move their bugs faster.

9. Are there any Bugs that are ineligible?

   All bugs must be new. Previously used bugs are ineligible.

10. How is distance measured?

    Distance will be measured by the "last cache" the travel bug was placed in. Mileage will be calculated from the Start Point cache, to each cache (including the check-in point) and then to the Finish Line cache. The mileage is the "way the crow flies," and not the actual mileage the travel bug has traveled!

11. What happens if none of the racers makes it to Philadelphia by 31 December, will the race continue?

    It is expected that one racer will finish the race prior to the end of the year, and that on December 31 the conciliation prizes will be determined. In the unfortunate circumstances that no racer reaches the end cache by the end of the year, the race ill become sudden death (with all results being determined on when the first racer reaches the goal).

12. What happens if a racer is lost?

    If a bug's owner wants to continue racing, they can make a special arrangement with the Marshals to replace the bug and set it free in the area where it was lost.