Briones – Golden Goat & Golden Kid - Course Setter's Notes
Date: (Sun.) Mar. 26, 2006
Location: Lafayette, CA
Event Director: 
- 510.658.4327
Course Setter: Penny DeMoss
Type: Extra long and strenuous courses; NO BEGINNER COURSES due to park restrictions on the number of participants at this assembly area due to limited parking
By Penny DeMoss, Course Setter
It's looking good for Sunday's event. The weather is predicted to be cloudy but dry.....perfect. Please reread the rules for this year's event as the rules vary from year to year. Try to car pool, the parking is very limited and it costs $5 per car to enter.
HORSES
This is a popular area for equestrians. Please remember that they have the right-of-way. Avoid spooking the horses...do not run up from behind without warning and if horses are approaching from in front, stand off the trail until they have passed.
Rules
At the start, everyone will get the same map. Everyone, whether they are doing the entire Golden Goat or the Golden Kid, must go to the first 8 controls. Control #7 is a split control, meaning there will be a #7a and a #7b. You must go to one or the other, but not both. After punching at control #8, if you decide to continue on the Golden Goat course, you'll carry on visiting the controls in order, but you can skip any ONE control between #8 and the finish. If you decide to do the Golden Kid, after punching #8 you'll navigate directly to #20 (do not go to controls #9 through #19) and carry on, in order, to the finish. The Golden Kids do not skip any controls. Close attention should be given to which split control you go to and which control you skip, as the race could be won or lost depending on your choices. COURSES CLOSE AT 3:30PM. If you finish after this time, you will be timed out. With that in mind, if you are not to control #8 by 1PM please finish on the Golden Kid course. We will not have anyone at the control to enforce this cutoff time, so wear a watch and trust my recommendation on this. There is a marked fence crossing point between controls #21 and #22. It is NOT mandatory, but could be useful.
NOTE: We are using E-punch. If for some reason a unit does not work (does not beep or flash a red light), use the hand punch at the control to punch the edge of your map and notify an official at the finish.
Start Procedure
IMPORTANT: We will be leaving the registration area promptly at 10:20 am to walk the 1.5km route (180m climb) to the remote start. Clear and check your E-punch stick before leaving the registration area. It takes 25 minutes of casual walking to get to the start. It is all uphill. The route to the start will be marked, so individuals who want to head up earlier can do so, but of course we will be bringing the maps with us.There will be water at the start, but no toilets. There will be no clothing transfer. Only the shortest of briefings will be necessary, since you will have read the rules already, right? If you arrive late, you can catch up to us, but you'll have to run, and like I said, it's all uphill. Make it easy on yourself-- get there and be ready to run by 10:20
There will be a mass start at 11 am, and the courses close at 3:30 pm. Everyone must return to the finish by that time whether or not they have found all the controls. You will be given a full 4 1/2 hrs. to complete the course. If we start after 11am for some reason, we will adjust the closing time accordingly. Wear a watch. If you arrive late you can still run, but the clock starts at 11am and stops at 3:30pm. We will not extend the closing time for late starters.
Registration
The entry fee is $20 per person for either race distance, and this includes a T-shirt. Registration will open at 9am. Unless you are renting an E-punch stick, you will enter by using the self-registration envelopes, $20 cash or check. You do not have to go to the E-punch tent before running if you have given us your number already. If you are renting an E-punch stick or you have not already given us your number, you will have to visit the E-punch tent before leaving for the start. If you pre-entered and gave us your T-shirt size, you can pick up your shirt either before or after the race. If you did not pre-enter you'll have to wait until after you run to pick up your shirt. We cannot guarantee that you'll get a shirt if you do not contact us before race morning.
Course Stats
These courses are challenging. The Golden Goat will cover approximately 10.3km, with 650m climb and have 24 controls. The Golden Kid is 6km, with 360m climb and 13 controls. These distances are approximate, since there is a split control on both courses, and the Golden Goaters get to skip one control. Briones is not a very technical area, so most of the controls are intermediate level, especially at the start. The course is tougher physically at the beginning, with easy control locations, but gets physically easier as you go along, although the control locations become more advanced. The courses finish with a long (1.8km) virtually all downhill run.
The map scale is 1:10,000 with a contour interval of 7.5m. The area is a combination of steep hills, open grassy meadows and valleys, creeks, ponds, and valley oak/bay forests. There is poison oak also. In the wooded areas the poison oak is just coming up as shin high sprigs that are just getting their leaves. Wear long pants and gaiters, and use poison oak block if you are real susceptible. Bring your Tecnu and take the usual precautions. Assuming you know what it looks like, you can avoid it. During the early part of the race, you'll be running on trails that are lined with the stuff, but you can easily get past without brushing it. If you don't know what it looks like there is some near registration...have someone point it out to you. The good news is, I haven't gotten any while planning or vetting the courses and I don't think it'll be a problem . There will be water on the course. This water is for drinking only, please do not refill bottles or camelbacks. Carry a whistle and use it if you need help. If you hear a whistle, it is only right that you respond. The maps will be in unsealed map cases and the clues are printed on the edge. Loose clues will be available also.
There is a curious combination of mapping techniques used on this map. One of the mappers preferred to use the style which involves putting little black dots around all vegetation changes, and the other mapper chose not to. So you'll be starting on one style, then passing in and out of the other style all day.....Check out the preview map which will be posted in the registration area to see the difference.
Other Issues
There are cattle grazing in the park, but no angry bulls have been encountered while vetting. Close all gates. Dogs are allowed off leash, but do not let them chase the cows. Dogs must be leashed in the parking lot and at registration.
Prizes
We will have prizes for the first three men and first three women on the Golden Goat and the first three men and first three women on the Golden Kid. In addition we will have valuable prizes for the first "old goats", (first 50+ man or woman) on each course. The awards ceremony will be at 2PM.
See you Sunday, it'll be fun.