POCAR 2025

NOTICE: LOCATION CHANGE

The location for POCAR 2025 has been changed to Morgan Monroe State Forest.

POCAR 2025 will take place from Jaunary 18 - January 20, 2025 in the Morgan Monroe State Forest.

Racers

Race check in will begin at 8:00 AM on January 18, 2025, and the race will last until Jaunary 20, 2025 at 10:30 AM.

Volunteers

Volunteering will begin on January 17, 2025 and last until January 20, 2025.

There will be a required volunteer meeting the week of December 2, 2024.

Cost

Collegiate Division: $250 per team

Open Division: $400 per team

Registration

Racer and volunteer registration will be available on November 1, 2024 through IMLeagues. Detailed instructions for creating a team and registering can be found here. You do not need to pay the $30 fee for Purdue IMLeagues. That fee is only for playing Purdue intramural sports. POCAR registration is under a separate network and does not require an IMLeagues fee.

Registration for volunteers will close on December 1, 2024. Registration for racers will close on December 14, 2024.

The race fee can be paid through TooCool. Please don't pay the fee until your team is off the waitlist on IMLeagues.

Rules and Instructions

Emergency Procedures

Volunteers can review the emergency procedures below.

FAQ

What is POCAR?

The Purdue Outing Club Adventure Race (POCAR) is a 48 hour orienteering race held over Martin Luther King weekend in Southern Indiana. The course can range from 20-40 miles as the crow flies, depending on the location and planners. Teams should be prepared to cover 50 miles on foot.

Teams from all over the world come to participate. Alumni travel hours to make it back and compete. POCAR can get cold, rainy, muddy, dirty, exhausting, etc.... Now get excited, keep in touch with the news!!

Why is POCAR in the middle of the winter?

The 1st POCAR took place in January 2001 during Martin Luther King Jr. weekend (as have all subsequent POCARs). The strategy behind these sets of dates having the Monday following the race off as a holiday allowed race participants (and volunteers) a day to recover before facing back up to the realities of work and school. Second, a race in the dead of winter, when days are short, nights are long, and weather can go from bad to worse without warning, is enough to test anyone's will and endurance.

How long does POCAR last?

Endurance was the theme of the first race and all others that have succeeded it. The race is 30+ miles “as the crow flies” and participants have about 48 hours (sunrise on Saturday until noon on Monday) to cover the distance. This proved to be extremely challenging and sometimes only 10% of the competitors complete the entire course.

How does it work?

A map is supplied to each team which they use to navigate point-to-point in a specified order (expedition style). Once all valid points (yes, there are decoys) are visited, you have completed the course. At each check point (control) the team would sign in their name, the time they arrived, and any comment, serious or otherwise. This allows the race organizers and volunteers to track the progress of teams and supply assistance if a team was in jeopardy. A system of punches and punch cards is set up to verify a team has indeed found a checkpoint. It is required that at least one team member has experience with UTM coordinate system. There will be a beginner orienteering trip in mid-November for those who would like to learn.

Who can race?

Anyone. The original race was designed exclusively for POC members. The event was a success and well received, other clubs within Purdue, other universities, and the public (or at least those crazy enough to take part in such an event) now take part.

Will food be provided?

No. As racers, you are responsible for your own health and nutrition. However, proper nutrition will be absolutely essential and significant thought should be put into what you will eat.

What if a team members drops out?

As long as a team still has four members, they can continue the race and can place. However, this does not apply to hybrid teams (a team made up of members of two or more defunct teams). This is to allow people who may not be able to physically complete the race to participate for part of the event. Racing alone is strictly prohibited.