Each course begins with a short prologue followed by a slightly longer segment before the first transition. The remainder of the course will take teams of any size (one, two, three, four,…eight) or composition along a series of segments through wilderness, rural and urban environments on foot, bicycle, kayak or canoe to locate the answers to a set of questions. The position of each answer will be given in UTM coordinates, has an associated hint and usually involves locating a prominent landmark, topographical feature or unique object.

Your team must complete each segment correctly and completely before obtaining the instructions for the next segment. No penalties will be assessed for incorrectly answering or missing a question. To continue through the entire Alachua Sink Diet, your team must improvise, adapt and overcome adversity, hardship as well as a variety of obstacles.

Each team will need a support crew(s) whose principal purpose is to transport your team’s equipment, gear, maps, tools, devices, food and water to the various transition areas and rest stops along the course. Support crews can also assist their team at any of these locations with equipment and gear repair or maintenance, food and beverage preparation, injury or illness treatment as well as map plotting and route selection. Teams can also make additions, subtractions or substitutions with their support crew(s) at any of these locations. Support crew(s) are discouraged from communicating with or assisting their team at any other location along the course except in emergency situations.

The Alachua Sink Diet has three rules: 1) teams must travel by the means stipulated; 2) each team must complete a segment correctly and completely before advancing to the next segment; and, 3) support crew(s) can not communicate with or provide their team any assistance while on the course.

Teams are not required to carry any mandatory gear. However, other than the instructions, each team is responsible for every aspect and everything necessary to complete the Alachua Sink Diet. Each team can use whatever means and resources immediately available to complete the course, which includes splitting up and/or collaboration with another team(s).

Teams can use cell phones, walkie talkies, Ham or CB radios, etc., while on the course so that members of a team can communicate if they decide to split or collaborate with another team(s). GPS navigation devices may also be used by teams while on the course. Teams are responsible for providing their own maps. Bring any and all maps or software you want.

Travel by bicycle along the course involves asphalt and dirt roads as well as single track trails. Most of the asphalt roads have bike lanes or are lightly traveled by motorized vehicles and I recommend a cyclo–cross or mountain bike. There are no prohibited roads or trails.

The paddle segment of the course can be through areas of heavy vegetation that may have low or no water. Be prepared to portage and/or bushwhack portions of the paddle segment and I recommend a sturdy but light–weight polypropylene sit–on–top kayak. A comparable canoe might perform as well. I wouldn’t suggest a wheeled portaging device. The number of snags along the paddle segment will make it difficult to utilize.

Let me know if you plan on attempting any of the Alachua Sink Diet courses. Alternatively, you can show up ready to go at the appropriate place and time. I’ll be enlisting support crew members to help check teams through transition areas and the best way to observe the Alachua Sink Diet is to assist me at a transition area. If that is something that interests you, let me know during the support crew briefing after teams begin the prologue.

Adventure Racing is filled with uncertainty. I have pushed that uneasiness in a number of ways and that may scare some people. However, I tried to compensate for the new boundaries by providing a free event, allowing GPS navigation, permitting electronic communication within teams if they should decide to split up and giving support crews virtually unlimited latitude when assisting their race team in transition areas or rest stops.

I don’t ask you to pay for the privilege of abusing yourself, I don’t supply another shirt for your collection and I don’t hand out useless swag. All you get from me is a list of points to find and the satisfaction of knowing that you can accomplish something that 99.9% of the population can’t or are unwilling to try.

Like most diets, the Alachua Sink Diet will seem like it never ends once you begin. Your ability to navigate or finish the course depends upon your preparation, execution and support. Some Race Directors want as many teams as possible to finish their race, I don’t think anyone can finish the arduous and grueling Alachua Sink Diet!

Teams should help anyone encountered on the course in distress, dispose of their litter as well as that of others, respect private property and cite the Florida Recreational Use Statute whenever appropriate.