The Great Virtual Race Across The States

Q: will there be a GVRAT in 2024
Q2: what about a virtual transcon?
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A1 and A2: yes!
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while the internet has been pretty quiet
me and durb and naresh have been working at this since last year.
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as you are probably aware,
we are not interested in a virtual race that is just you buying a medal.
if you aren't engaged,
what is the point?
if you dont come out feeling you really accomplished something,
why spend all this time on it?
(us or you)
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now for the long-winded part.
crossing the country on foot is very different than crossing it in a vehicle.
you see the state lines
and they seem like significant landmarks.
but the journey on foot across north america is really a journey across a series of unique geological and geographic regions.
your feet and legs may take little note of crossing from illinois to indiana
but they will tell you when you cross the fall line.
in your mind a picture of the continent forms
that is not arbitrary states,
but unique places,
separated by physical differences.
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physically, a transcon involves facing a seemingly endless variety of terrains and challenges.
great mountain ranges
(you never dreamed how many there are)
vast expanses of emptiness
teeming cities
small rural villages
hundreds of rivers to cross
and roadways to follow.
my mind struggles to find words to express the awe inspiring nature of such a journey.
i intend to cobble it together having included in my daily schedule time to write about the experiences
and the discoveries of each new day.
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mentally a transcon is an intense educational experience.
there is geology, history
stories of continental collisions
exploration
dinosaurs and mastodons
earthquakes and volcanoes
eons of sculpting by wind and water
fire and ice.
and people.
from the first people who crossed a continent unexplored and unmarked
to the people who occupy it today.
walking in the footsteps of the ancients
you can hear their voices speaking to you from the past.
meeting today's people along the way
you can hear their voices speaking to you from today.
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a transcon is about the people of america.
the real people.
welcoming, kind, generous, and supportive.
ready to extend a helping hand
or offer a pat on the back.
and you will find it does not matter
race, religion, political party, or age
inner city or remote rural.
we are much more the same than we are different.
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i dont want you to just cover 3,360 miles on foot.
i want you to feel, even vicariously,
what it is really like to cross america on foot.
and that cant be done in a quick essay.
it comes slowly with the miles
in thousands of small pieces that come together
like working a gigantic jigsaw puzzle.
they begins as a jumbled pile
and gradually come together until you can see the whole picture.
it is something you can only absorb over time
as each new report is opened.
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the exact structure of this adventure is still coming together.
we see two distinct groups of transcon runners.
first is the GVRAT runners,
who will cross the continent over 5 summers.
at 672 miles a section this is a little longer than the thousand kilometer summers of the past 4 years.
and so we plan to offer some additional time.
beginning still on may 1,
but this time allowing thru the end of september.
this comes to 4.4 miles per day in order to earn the 2024 gvrat buckle.

then there are the people who want to do the entire transcon.
it will still be broken down into 5 regions.
and you will still have 5 years to do it.
altho we plan a special award for anyone who crosses the entire continent in under a year.

we have been working on the award(s) for the entire transcon.
and i really like what we have.
somewhat similar to the CRAW we are looking at medals for each region
that would fit into a frame to make a complete map of your journey.
but this is not the map of the US you are accustomed to.
rather than states it shows the different geographic areas across which you will travel.
our focus is on bringing out the detail in this map.
at the end i want you to be able to look at the places
and have a picture in your mind.
this is how this place looks.
this is how it formed
and this is what i will find there.
this will be considerably smaller than the CRAW map
we are looking at 26 inches by 21.
(66 cm by 53 cm)
the minimum size we need for the important detail to be visible.

you earn the appropriate medals when you complete the section...

even if it is past the deadline for gvrat finish!

as a special bonus,
those of you who live in the us should be able to look where you live
and recognize the names on the map.
and when we cross your special place
that you will read the waypoints and updates
and say;
"yes, that is what my home is like"
and also be able to say;
"i never knew that!"
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we have ambitious goals.
but that is how it should be.
a transcon is an ambitious project!
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now we only have to find out if this resonates with enough people for us to do it!