The Kessel Run - "Amazing Race"-type event at CIV - Monday, May 28th

While the official announcement won't be up on starwars.com for another week or two, I've been given permission to start promoting the event:

The Kessel Run
This will be a race of wits and speed around the grounds of Celebration IV. The Kessel Run will be held on Monday, May 28th and will put your Star Wars skills to the test for a few hours.

At the start of the race, each team will receive a race passport and the first clue. Solving the clue will guide the team to their destination, where they will get a passport stamp and their next clue. Solving clues might involve some Star Wars trivia, cracking an Imperial code, or solving a Sith puzzle. After solving a series of clues and traveling the galaxy, teams will be competing to be first across the finish line, with a set of passport stamps in the correct order.

The Hutts sponsoring the Kessel Run are looking to divide the field into three divisions:

* Jedi Padawan level ? suitable for teams with children or are casual Star Wars fans.
* Jedi Knight level ? suitable for teams who know Star Wars, but also know that there are fans who know more than they do.
* Jedi Master level ? suitable for teams who know, live, and breathe all things Star Wars. If you regularly win on the first turn of Star Wars Trivial Pursuit, this difficulty level is for you.

The Kessel Run is open to all Celebration IV participants, but spots are limited to 100 teams. Teams must have at least two racers, and no more than four racers. Registration for the race will be coming soon online at starwars.com.

How the Kessel Run works:

Before the race, each team will receive their race passport. Upon the start of the race, each team will receive a packet of clues. When the clues are properly solved, it will direct the team to a location on the convention grounds where the team will be given a stamp in their passport and a new packet. The entire team must be present to receive the stamp and the next clue. These clues will lead the team to another location, where their passport will be stamped again and more clues will be given out, and so on. After eight stamps are received, teams will be sent to the finish line.

Teams are free to use any resources at their disposal in solving the clues, including cell phones, reference books, holocrons, Internet-capable devices, the will of the Force, etc. Traveling in the race may only be done on foot ? no podracers, bicycles, tauntauns, skates, rocket packs, carts or other forms of personal transportation are allowed (except for strollers for young children and wheelchairs for those requiring mobility assistance). Teams may consult with outside individuals or other teams, but no harassing other teams, race staff or non-participants through physical, verbal or Force-powered means -- no disintegrations!

When a team solves their final clue and reaches the finish line, their team name and finishing time shall be recorded. In each division, the team with the fastest time and a correctly stamped race passport shall be crowned the Kessel Run champions.

As one of the race organizers, I'd be happy to answer any questions about the race here.

(This is not the same as the Kessel Run game which will be in the Tatooine Game Parlor, open only to Fan Club members)

 

Oh this looks like fun - But I think I'll be with OP at least part of the day so it's best to leave room for those who will definatly have time. However, if you need some volunteers to help out, I'd be glad to!

 

i'll keep you in mind if we need some extra help.

 

Question:

Do you need to be a registered "attendee" with gen con to register or will people with press passes be able to register too?

 

edit: basically is the registration similar to the film marathon where you need to already have a badge to register.

 

Now is there any prize for winning other then the title?

 

Oh this sounds like fun!!! *tries to figure out if she'd be in the Knight or Master category*

 

I'm right there with you Earwen! I'm going to sign me and my man up, I figure the Jedi Master will be more challenging and have bigger prizes! I'll sign us up for that one and then start studying!

 

Since Gen Con is setting up the registration, I would imagine that Gen Con may wish to limit race registration to convention attendees. However, since the registration process is not finalized, I will bring up the issue of registration for special badgeholders, like press passes, VIPs, etc.

There will be something cool for top finishers in each category.

maybe this might help -
A Jedi Padawan might know who Padme Amidala, Yoda, Lando Calrissian or Wicket are...
A Jedi Knight might know who Stass Allie, Ponda Baba, Captain Tarpals or Moff Jerjerrod are...
A Jedi Master might know who Jolee Bindo, Princess Kneesaa, Corran Horn or Ephant Mon are...

 

Awesome!

Should I be worried if I recall the Jolee Bindo, Princess Kneesaa, Corran Horn or Ephant Mon better than I recall Stass Allie, Ponda Baba, Captain Tarpals or Moff Jerjerrod???

 

Corran Horn shouldn't be in the hardest catagory.
Related: this will rock

 

thanks for the info jawajames and thanks for asking the question. This sounds like a lot of fun!

 

Approximately how long do you expect things to take? Like Breezy, I'm expecting to be helping out with OPX that afternoon, but if it's something that won't take the whole day I'd be interested.

 

We are expecting to start the event at 11:00 am, and hope that most teams will finish in the early afternoon: 2 pm - 3pm or so. smarter and faster teams should finish sooner.

 

Oooohhhh. This sounds liek a blast! There's one more thing I gotta film!

 

i'd love to see films and photos made by teams as they race.

 

my son probably will like that but we were planning to going to Disneyland the 28.



Sounds fun the race.

 

OMG! That's sounds like so much fun! Me and Alpha are IN! Can't wait for the sign up

 

So in other words, people who read EU are Jedi Masters and people who don't are Padawans? Sounds good to me.

This sounds awesome, definitely looking forward to doing it.

 

Sounds like fun. I need to find some teammates soon.

 

Because we are having online registration through GenCon, team members that register online must have a badge through the GenCon system. There will be limited on-site registration as well. However, if some of your team is registered in the GenCon system, it will probably be best to register the team online and add a press pass person to a team on site.

 

thanks for asking. I guess we might try and see if we can do it on site or at the very least cover the event for the news story.

 

we'd certainly appreciate getting covered!

 

It turns out that the race registration will not be handled by the GenCon system, but will instead be handled through email registration - more details to come, and look for the official announcement on starwars.com today or monday.