Q: Why do you like to sign up to 24-hour rogaines?
The entry price for rogaines are the same regardless of event length. So you really get the most bang for buck just signing up for the longer one! Jokes aside, the 24-hour rogaine is a great puzzle challenge in terms of strategy and planning, and we love being able to see if we can execute the plan during the event. It’s type 2 fun, but nothing compares with that sense of satisfaction when you find a challenging checkpoint at nighttime.
Q: What’s your general approach to a 24-hour rogaines regarding time out on course and sleep?
Su Li: It depends a lot on the course map and the possibility of returning to the hash house. So far we haven’t managed to stay awake for the full 24 hours. We often try to plan for a 12-hour first loop and 6-hour second loop, allowing us to return to the HH for a feed and rest. (Execution is a different story!) If not possible, then we’ll carry a little bivvy bag (read: glorified emergency blanket) and have a nap on the course when we stop functioning upright.
Q: Anything else you’d like to add, to encourage people to try the 24-hour event?
Su Li: Give it a go! We did a few 6-hour and 12-hour rogaines before doing our first 24-hour event. Treat it like an overnight bushwalk – a lot of teams do this. Make the most of dinner and breakfast at the Hash House or All Night Cafe during the event (and lunch after!) It’s a beautiful community of members and you never know what you encounter out on the course (of note from our encounters, we’ve seen baby wombats, a bandicoot, emus running across ridgelines).
Q: Why do you like to sign up to 24-hour rogaines?
Marg: Well, when people ask me what Rogaining is, I say it’s like a treasure hunt for grown ups. In a long event you get to find more treasure.
However, we always come back to the hash house for a sleep. Usually from about midnight to before dawn. So it is like 2 rogaines one after the other. We approach our planning with a 12 hour and then a 6-hour course.
This usually means we are not in the competition for a place, but the fun side remains, and that is the reason we participate in the first place.
Q: Why do you think people should sign up to a 24-hour rogaine?
Mike: Try it – go out of your comfort zone. Soon enough, you’ll find that being in the bush in the dead of night is within your comfort zone. More than that, it’s a special place to be – out there at night, just you and your partner, finding your way, ticking off checkpoints… there’s a great sense of achievement every time.
Below we interviewed one team who are entering their first 24-hour rogaine together in the family category.
Q: Can you give a brief description of your rogaining experience together to date?
Tova: Ajay’s first Rogaine was Western Sydney Parklands 3hr in February 2019 (age 9) and along with parkrun was his introduction to the wonderful world of doing hard things. We have now done 12 events together ranging from 3-12hrs and when we are not rogaining together we are talking about rogaining. Rogaining is definitely our special mother-son thing that we do together. We enter every event that we can given he is with me every second weekend.
Q: Will this your first 24-hour rogaine together?
Tova: We have done two 12hr rogaines together (and I have done several Navshield 30hr events with the RFS). This will be our first 24hr event together! We always enter the longer distance as we are both built for endurance, not speed!
Q: Why have you signed up to the 24-hour rogaine and not the 15-in-24-Roving or 6-hour rogaine?
Tova: Ajay decided to have a go at the 24hr event this time last year, before the 15hr was an option. He wants to know if he can do it, have the experience of doing something hard, and there will be a lot of snacks,…. If in doubt, do it for the snacks!
Q: What do you expect your general approach to the 24-hour rogaine to be, regarding time out on course and sleep?
Tova: Originally, we were planning to go out all night and dirt nap on course, but with the additional events, there might be loops on the map that allow a nap in the car at base at some point. We plan to take a full hiking backpack, slow things down and have the full 24hr experience though for sure! I am excited for the Capertee Valley – I love the country out there and cannot wait to share it with Ajay!