Great Ames Adventure Race

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2011 Great Ames Adventure Race logo THE GREAT AMES ADVENTURE RACE!

THE 2011 GAAR: THANK YOU ALL FOR ANOTHER GREAT RACE! Many thanks to our sponsors, supporters, prize donors and volunteers, and congratulations to each and every participant. We hope that everyone enjoyed the race and we encourage you to express your appreciation to our sponsors and supporters. And thanks to the generosity of our sponsors the GAAR Committee was able to present a check in the amount of $1000 to Kim Linduska, Chair of the Lincoln Way Chapter, Red Cross of Iowa.

The 2011 results are by category: Solo, Tandem, and Relay.
First Place Winners are in the September 16 News Release
Photos are on Picasa and on our Facebook Page.
We have one GAAR leftover: a water bottle
Email info @ greatamesadventurace.org to claim.

THE 2012 GAAR WILL BE HELD ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 !

The Great Ames Adventure Race (GAAR) is a fun-filled amateur athletic event combining paddling, bicycling, and running. Participants are encouraged to challenge themselves or to challenge family, friends and coworkers in either solo, tandem or relay divisions. New this year an additional three person "Corporate Team" category has been created, and a "Corporate Cup" trophy will be awarded. Please indicate on your registration if you would like to enter this new category.

The GAAR starts and finishes at Ada Hayden Heritage Park, 5205 Grand Avenue in North Ames. Participants are started in heats on a 2.7 mile canoe and kayak race around Ada Hayden Lake and exit the lake to a transition area where the 15 mile bike race and 5K (3.1 mile) run begin. The bike race is on paved roads west and north of the park. The 5K is on asphalt and cinder trails within the park. Life jackets (PFDs) and bike helmets are required. (Click for ROUTE MAPS)

The 2011 GAAR will be held on Sunday September 11th, which is the first Sunday following Labor Day. The race starts at 7:30 a.m. All participants must check in by 7 a.m. Download the 2011 GAAR brochure here.

Current Registrations as of noon on September 5. You may register online through Thursday and we'll accept registrations until 7:00 AM Sunday! (Note that we cannot guarantee that those who register late will receive an event t-shirt)

- 2011 Press Release and Poster.

REGISTRATION

Early registration fees (registrations and payment postmarked by September 2nd, 2011)

SOLO - $30.00 (one person, entire route)

TANDEM - $60.00 (two people in one canoe or tandem kayak, BOTH bike, BOTH run; times are averaged)

RELAY (participants compete in sections as assigned by their teams)
2-person - $60.00
3-person - $90.00
4-person - $120.00

ONLINE REGISTRATION is available at GetMeRegistered.com

To register by mail print and complete the Registration Form and Waiver page or the pdf Registration Form and mail with payment to:

Friends of Central Iowa Biking
4211 Stone Brooke Road
Ames, IA 50010

Please make checks payable to "Friends of Central Iowa Biking" and note "GAAR" in the memo.

GAAR reserves the right to use your photo, including video, for promotional purposes.

AWARDS will be presented at the Moose Lodge (1/4 mile north of the park at Hwy 69 and 190th Street) following the race. A pancake breakfast will be served at the Moose Lodge from 8:00 a.m. until noon. The breakfast is included with each registration and is available to family, friends and the general public at $4/person ($2/child).

FAQ's

Are there restrictions or regulations on what kind of canoe/kayak, bike, or paddle I can use?
No, you may use any type of bike, paddle or canoe/kayak of your choosing.

Do I have to wear a helmet while on my bike?
Yes, all participants on the bike portion of the race will be required to wear CPSC/ANSI approved helmets.

Do I have to wear a life jacket while I am in my boat?
Yes, all participants will be required to wear US Coast Guard approved personal flotation device while on the lake.

COMPLETE EVENT RULES can be found here.

How do the categories work?

SOLO participants compete in the entire course.
TANDEM participants also compete in the entire course, paddling in a tandem canoe or kayak and competing in both the bike AND run. Their times are averaged. (Parent & child teams often enter in this category)
RELAY participants compete in sections of the race as assigned by their team.

Can I rent a boat?
You are responsible for providing a boat. Canoe and kayak rentals can be arranged IN ADVANCE with:

JAX/Ames Outdoor Gear, (515) 292-2276
Seven Oaks Recreation, (515) 432-9457
ISU Outdoor Recreation, (515) 294-8200 (for ISU students, staff, affiliates)

And be sure to tell them you are renting for the GAAR!

Where do the proceeds from this race go?
The GAAR is a joint, volunteer effort between members of the Ames Area Running Club, Friends of Central Iowa Biking and the Skunk River Paddlers. GAAR proceeds help support the Lincoln Way Chapter of the American Red Cross. (See GAAR committee donates $1,000 to American Red Cross - Ames Tribune 12/8/2010)

I don't want to participate in the GAAR but would like to volunteer. How do I do that?
Many volunteers are needed for the GAAR. Please email volunteers@greatamesadventurerace.org and indicate how you or your group might like to help.

2010 GAAR

Great Ames Adventure Race committee donates $1,000 to American Red Cross (Ames Tribune 12/8/2010) The Great Ames Adventure Race committee recently presented the Lincoln Way Chapter of the American Red Cross with a check for $1,000, representing proceeds from the 2010 Great Ames Adventure Race. A donation from the Moose Lodge was presented by members Chuck Clatt and Art Barton.

CONGRATULATIONS to the 2010 GAAR Athletes and Volunteers for yet another fantastic event, and MANY THANKS to our sponsors and prize donors!

RACE RESULTS are available by category at gaar10_solo_relay_results.xls, gaar10_tandem_results.xls, gaar10_solo_relay_results.pdf, gaar10_tandem_results.pdf & gaar10_top35.pdf.

Hundreds of photographs were taken of the event by Jeff White and Diane Lowry. This year the "Around the GAAR" images are presented in Windows Media Video (wmv) format, and if there's a particular photo that you might like to have in high resolution please let us know at photo(~at~) greatamesadventurerace.org. PHOTOS: gaar2010paddle, gaar2010bike1, bike2, gaar2010run1, run2, & around_the_gaar.wmv.

Great Ames Adventure Race set for Sunday (Ames Tribune 9/7/2010)

GAAR Committee member issues Challenge (Ames Tribune 7/30/2010)

GAAR gift to Red Cross (Ames Tribune 7/7/2010)

2009 GAAR

THANK YOU, and CONGRATULATIONS, to the 2009 GAAR Participants and Volunteers for another fantastic event! RACE RESULTS are available by category at gaar09_results.xls and gaar09_results.pdf. The top 25 are listed at gaar09_top25.pdf. Also, thanks to Jeff White, Diane Lowry and Lydia Lowry, we have over 400 PHOTOS of the event. See paddle, bike, run, and around_the_gaar!

Letter to the Ames Tribune (9/23/2009)

2009 AMES ADVENTURE RACE SET FOR LABOR DAY WEEKEND! (Press Release, 7/20/09)

2008 GAAR

Congratulations to the 2008 GAAR Participants and THANK YOU to the GAAR Volunteers for a fantastic event! Race results are available by category at gaar08_results.pdf and we have nearly 750 PHOTOS of the event - see prerace, paddle, bike, run, and the_GAAR!

9/15/2008 - GAAR Committee presents gift to Red Cross - Members of the Skunk River Paddlers, Friends of Central Iowa Biking and Ames Running Club presented a gift of $500 to Kirk Brocker, the new Executive Director of the Lincoln Way Chapter of the American Red Cross. The '07 event was a joint effort with the Red Cross so we were pleased to have the opportunity to extend the relationship!

The Great Ames Adventure Race returns to Ada Hayden Park (Press Release, 7/31/08)

2007 GAAR

Great Ames Adventure Race draws 136 participants (Ames Tribune, 6/12/07)

The 2007 GAAR results originally from www.lincolnwayarc.org/GAAR/index.html
Photos from 2007: Prerace, Paddle, BikeRun, MooseLodge