2011 Gopher Adventure Race to be held at the U of M Oct. 7

When: 1 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7

Start: Northrop Plaza, 84 Church St. S.E., Minneapolis

The University of Minnesota’s Recreation, Park, and Leisure Studies program is hosting the Gopher Adventure Race Friday, Oct. 7, from 1 to 7 p.m.

The Gopher Adventure Race (GAR) is modeled after the popular television show “The Amazing Race” and is accessible to participants of all abilities. Students, staff, faculty and alumni in teams of two will test themselves with physical and mental challenges across the U of M’s Twin Cities campuses. They will travel by foot and campus transportation and decipher clues that will lead to the discovery of many of the "gems" that exist at the university.

Following the race, participants are invited to attend the post-race party to enjoy food, a drawing for prizes and the awards ceremony.

The GAR is the first event at the University of Minnesota to earn a “Green Certification” from FitPlanet. A portion of the race fees will be donated to Forests Forever, a program of Three Rivers Park District, for creating and maintaining critical habitats. Metro Transit is providing free rides to GAR participants on race day as part of the green initiative.

The event is sponsored by several additional companies and organizations: Jefferson at Berry, the National Park Service, REI, Outward Bound, Wilderness Inquiry, Play it Again Sports, The North Face Minneapolis, Nice Ride, Midwest Mountaineering and the College of Education and Human Development Alumni Society.

Race day details
The race will start at 1 p.m. in front of Northrop Plaza, in the heart of the university’s East Bank campus in Minneapolis.

The post-race and award ceremony will be at Northrop Plaza; awards will be given to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in every category, and prize drawings for all participants begin when the majority of teams have completed the course. Prizes for team winners will be provided by The North Face Minneapolis, Nice Ride and Midwest Mountaineering.