FAQ and Glossary

Updated weekly!

Captain: on a Squad of Four, this is the well organized point-person (representative) responsible for communication among the Squad and between the Squad and the Organizers. The captain apprises the Organizers of any changes in membership of that squad, i.e.,  if they make temporary or permanent use of a substitute from the Joiner/Sub Pool. It can help if they are familiar with Google Docs since a Google Doc or Google Spreadsheet is likely to be used to collect evidence of task completion. The Captain may occasionally receive e-mails with instructions to be carried out by the Squad to ensure completion of registration and payment steps.

Detour Card;  During the Race, this is a choice between two activities (each with its pros and cons) for the squad to do as a whole.

Draw a Joiner/ Sub: Squads may operate with 2-6 members maximum. For teams wishing to pull others into their squad, they can Draw A Joiner from the Joiner/ Sub pool for as many legs as they need them.  Use your Joiner to advance the squad that leg.

Fast-forward-- your squad can exercise during one leg only a "fast forward" by which you jump to the next leg or into a faster start of the next leg without being eliminated IF you successfully qualify by doing something tricky the organizers pass your way.  Hint: fast and impressive performance in Legs 1 and 2 are likely to earn Squads a "fast forward" that speeds them forward ahead of their competition.

Leg: A portion of the Race that the Squads perform. Some legs are elimination rounds (not always announced ahead of time) when the team coming in last will be eliminated.  Legs 1 and 2 occur before April 30. The rest of the legs occur May 9.

Joiner/ Sub: this is a contestant who has been eliminated or who never was part of a Squad but wants to participate. If they wish to participate in upcoming legs, they can join the Joiner SUBSTITUTE pool.  

Joiner / Substitute Pool - this is a list of rando's not presently on a squad but who can be drawn in for a leg by a squad needing additional forces.

Organizers:  These are Maggie-the-Librarian, JJ, Julia, Sneha, Kaku, Liz and others recruited who plan the course and manage the logistics. They have occasional meetings for organizational purposes online via Zoom, or in person where Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, or Virgin Marys join the team for added creativity.  They are happy to have others join their merry band because it takes a village to construct and run an Amazing Race.

Road Block: This task occurs in a race leg when the squad needs to select ONE of their members to complete the challenge.

Squad:  A team of four, fully registered to commence the competition. A squad could be built to diversify their skills set, can include people who already know one another, and we encourage them to pull on someone whom they do not yet know well because one of the points of our Amazing Race is to increase awareness of CCW activities and to bond Cornellians together through fun, learning and service.

Spoiler Squad of Subs: The organizers maintain the right to introduce at any point in the race "new teams" by this name. They enter the race AT THE BACK OF THE PACK, potentially well behind all other longtime competing squads. There may be additional disadvantages to the Spoiler Squad of Subs( i.e., they might need to "make up" some challenges earlier faced by participants in the race) because it is really better for all interested parties to join the Amazing Race at the beginning of the competition. But forming an SSS can make dreams come true for folks who have been waiting to be drawn out of the Joiner Pool to add to the fun!

Stroke Smart:  a charity founded by Cornellian Alan Stillman to educate the public on how to spot a stroke when it occurs so that remediation can immediately occur. See Stroke Smart's Materials that we'll be distributing at one point of TAR.

Super Slow Poke:  this is a person who learned about The Amazing Race very late and never registered (deadline was April 30), but still wants to join the fun. Upon payment of a "joining fee" they can be thrown into the Substitute Pool to be a sub on a squad.

Updated weekly!

Send good questions to communityservice   @   cornell    clubdc    .org

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1) Is this a running race?  Is it strenuous? Answer: no! It's a little more like a scavenger hunt where squads of about 4 compete against other squads to complete the (fun and funny but also meaningful) tasks around Alexandria on the way to the 4 pm finish line.  It's a series of puzzles and tasks. You don't have to be a runner to join. There are some physical challenges but they aren't very strenuous. It's a "race" with challenges designed for all ages. Do wear comfortable shoes on May 9. There will be no events that soak you in water or force you to bungee jump.

2) Registration Fee:  What's it cost to join the fun?  Answer:  Just $12 per participant, non-refundable. That's the cost of a beverage in some places. Futhermore, top placing teams might get that all back with the cash prizes spendable at Happy Hour.  

3) Wait! There's a Happy Hour?  Yes, at the conclusion of the race.

4) When is the race? There are some organizational tasks built into Legs 1 and 2 and must be completed by the Squad Captain by April 30.  However, May 9th is the big day for legs 3-10 that conclude at the finish line. All members of the squad can help advance themselves to the front of the pack for May 9 if they want; anything complicated in Legs 1 and 2 is fun and optional. Simply follow the procedures outlined in Legs 1 and 2 here.

Legs 1 and 2 provide the opportunity for whole squads to jockey to the front of the pack before May 9.  

5) Can we form our own squads of four? Do they all have to be CCW members?   We want at least one member (the CAPTAIN) of each squad to be a dues-paying member of CCW. Such is necessary because of the means of communication that our Organizers are capable of mastering (given our membership database.)  But the other 3 members of a Captain's squad can be guests of the dues-paying member. 

6) I am solo but would like to join a team of four. How can I do that?  You may step forward as a Squad Captain, and the Organizers will draw people from the Joiner Pool to create your team.  Or you can simply join the Joiner/ Substitute Pool and wait till the organizers place you on a Squad. 

We might create an opportunity to join a WhatsApp Chat to pull together a squad of four. You may also report to the interest meetings (any of the 4 that are scheduled, and we will partner you up. ) See also CCW's Running Club dates because people are forming Squads when they meet there. See CCW Calendar.

7) What is the best way to learn about the format and terms, strategies used in CCW's Amazing Race?  Answer: Whether or not you are familiar with the race  structure, you will be fine on race day coming in with zero strategy. However, you can use wikipedia to learn about The Amazing Race or watch an episode or two of TV show on which our race is based.  Specifically Season 8 of The Amazing Race on the Paramount App will show you why it's America's favorite reality show. It's just got all kinds of fun involved: scavenger hunting, puzzles to solve, a little bit of physical activity, but plenty of contests that don't require strength or speed. The squads are pitted against one another in  little racing against one anotherf across several connected legs of the race. The series is filmed over 6 weeks; our race will boil down to mostly one day: May 9.

The Amazing Race is a  reality TV Show that has 25 seasons recorded and available on the Paramount Plus app. (Season 8 most resembles CCW's race structure based on 4-member squads.) The biggest difference between most seasons of TAR on Paramount and CCW's version is that CCW will create SQUADS of 4 instead of 2-person teams.  That way, Cornellians will meet more Cornellians! 

Note from a TAR addict: I don't like the present season at all because they decided to develop a cast of competitors out of mostly reality TV influencers. The better shows feature common, likable people like us Cornellians, a lot of wholesome people you want to root for, with only a few nutcases and people who emerge as plot thickening "villains" mixed in.) The pulse-quickening music makes it easy to binge.

8) What happens if not ANY of my squad can report to a challenge with me?  At least one member of the squad has to attend or else the squad is eliminated that leg. However, our Amazing Race organizers keep in mind that most Cornellians are busy as hell, travel with work or their pleasures, or occasionally come down with Covid / flu... and we get it. Life! That's why we have a "Joiner/ Substitute pool" under formation. 

9) How do squads get eliminated? Answer: it might not be every leg of the race. But on some legs, the last squad to the concluding "pit stop" might be eliminated.  (Cue sad music and sniffling of people who want to race onward! "I just didn't want it to be OVER yet, sob, sob, sob. I learned so much! I met such GREAT Cornellians! The RACE changed my life!" ) 

However, we have a "joiner/substitute player" pool. It's brilliant and keeps it all interesting!  Folks eliminated can immediately jump into the Joiner/ Substitute pool and hope to be pulled onto an existing Squad. We allow squads to grow slightly on Race Day, May 9.   See also : Spoiler Squad of Subs" in our Glossary.

10) Where can I learn more about Stroke Smart? Answer:   It is the centerpiece of the community service focus that inspired us to create The Amazing Race.  Exploring its resources can alter the course of a stroke victim's life and ALSO give you a competitive edge on race day:

Department of Education Materials: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/stroke/stroke-smart-virginia/

Alan Stillman's Ted Talk: https://youtu.be/NVZiNkx9StQ?si=y2xiIGZ9kwZFz4oT  (Alan is a Cornellian from the Class of '82!)

11)  Hidden Agenda:  Is it true that CCW's Amazing Race is designed to have us all meet more Cornellians, get acquainted with CCW's Board Members and Operations as sort of "orientation" to the Club and its web site and calendar of activities?  But it's disguised as an adventure with games and awesome things to discover for fun in Old Town?  Answer:  "You're sooooo dang smart! Where did you say you went to college?"

12) Will there be t-shirts sold? Other Swag?  This being our first effort to organize TAR, we might not have the organizational bandwidth to produce t-shirts for order or for prizes. But we've discussed making t-shirts or baseball caps or ball point pens with our logo... as swag to take away. If that is a compelling interest of yours, e-mail Maggie (VP Community Service) before April 1 to ensure time to process orders.  On race day, you can place an order and if there's critical mass, we'll order such for delivery  post-race.  The logo, of course, is priceless and you'll want the memory!  (It would be printed on a white background.)

13) What happens if our squad does nothing during Legs 1 and 2 and our Captain fails to complete the 1 or 2 organizational tasks?  Your registration fee is non-refundable, and the Organizers won't have the necessary means to organize the race to include your squad.  So your squad will be eliminated before May 9 and the names of your squad members will default to the Joiner/ Substitute Pool.  You and your squad mates can come attend individually, each as a Joiner/Sub. We might even form an SSS (Super Spoiler Squad) out of you if we are not encumbered by race day tasks.  You will love gathering for a terrific happy hour with us at the finish line.

14) Sounds like a blast. How can I learn a little more?   Attend an Interest Meeting. Click around this web site and get started. You'll learn by doing and being part of the buzz.