On Friday, October 4, over 100 Recreation, Park, and Leisure Studies (RPLS) student volunteers, numerous race sponsors, and 200 race participants embarked on the 4th Annual Gopher Adventure Race. Modeled after the popular television show, The Amazing Race, participants engaged in a variety of physical and mental challenges while racing through East Bank, West Bank, and St. Paul. Karen Kaler, wife of President Eric Kaler, competed for the second year in a row and reported having “a blast.”

This year, race participants experienced the U in a whole new way by salsa dancing, playing broomball, unicycling, racing in hamster balls, and even eating a few crickets and worms. The same top 2012 team (Phillip Kelly and Collin Randolph) were again the overall race winners this year and won a four-day kayaking trip to the Apostle Islands with GAR’s race partner, Wilderness Inquiry.

Led by RPLS program director, Dr. Connie Magnuson, the Gopher Adventure Race provides a truly unique and exceptional opportunity for School of Kinesiology students by providing hands-on experience in event planning and management, sponsor and partner development, staff supervision, risk management, marketing, publicity, media relations, and much more.
For additional details, visit the race Web site at Z.UMN.EDU/GAR, like the Gopher Adventure Race Facebook page, and follow on Twitter @GopherAdventure.