SFAR FAQs

Will portions of the race be broken up or will we be biking XX miles all at once?
You should expect some of the disciplines of the race to be broken up. For example, the race might go something like this: Trek/Run 2 miles, Bike 6 miles, Paddle 3-4 miles, Trek/Run 2 miles, Bike 10 miles.

We’ve never done anything like this, how hard is it?
I would expect a team of new racers to be out on the course for 5-6 hours. While that may sound long, I think you’ll find that the time actually goes very quickly as you will be transitioning between disciplines throughout the day.

What kind of bikes should we bring?
While normally we require mountain bikes for adventure races, my goal is to make Stubborn Fool as accessible to new racers as possible and I don’t want to turn anyone away because they don’t have the “right” gear, so anything goes for bikes! If it were me, for the 2019 race, I would probably choose a hybrid/mountain bike. We will not have true mountain biking in this event, but there will be sand and gravel as well as pavement.

Will the race be north or south of Madison?
Sorry, but we have to keep this a secret to maintain the integrity of the event. The location will be revealed one week prior to race day.

Is there any reason to bring a mountain bike?
While I’d love to have some true mountain biking at Fool, I think it’s risky to even build it into the event at this point, since local trails do not typically open until 5/1. There may be some crushed gravel/limestone/sand, though. I’ll post more on this as I finalize the course.

At the race transitions, will there be race staff to make sure the hardware (bikes, bags, etc.) is secure?
There will be staff in and around the transition areas, so that should reduce the risk of a non-racer wandering into the area and helps themselves to anything. However, it is difficult for our volunteers to regulate which teams access what gear. While we do our best to keep an eye on things, we cannot guarantee that nothing is going to go missing. My recommendation is to 1) label all of your stuff 2) lock up anything you are truly concerned about and/or take it with you, and 3) don’t leave the high value/tempting items laying in the open.

Will we be required to perform UTM plotting for this race?
Nope! Maps will either be pre-plotted or there will be a master map from which to copy.

Will we be provided with a map of the race course at the start of the race or do I need to supply my own map of the area?
All the maps you need will be provided.

If we are renting a canoe are paddles and pads provided?
Yes! You are welcome to bring your own paddles and lifejackets, but they will be provided if you are renting boats from us.

At what TAs will we be able to have gear that we don’t have to haul from section to section (if any)? E.g., can we leave extra, dry socks and food with the boat at that staging area, or to be transported with our bikes or is the race short enough that the racers are the only ones transporting bikes?
Generally, the race organization won’t need to transport any gear for you, so be prepared to carry what you need with you. For example, if you wear cycling shoes, you may want to consider a way to carry your trekking shoes. If the course design warrants a change to this, we will publish that information in the race updates.

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