You’ve joined the HQ Duck Dash and you’re in it to win it — “it” being global recognition and eternal bragging rights of course.

Like competitive sports everywhere, trackable racing has its insider secrets. So what is the “carb-loading” (marathon running) or “jaw-xercising” (competitive eating) equivalent of trackable racing?

It all comes down to collaboration and communication! While not immediately obvious, the HQ Duck Dash is a team sport — you’re just playing with people you’ve most likely never met. Your job, as trackable team captain, is to get all your faraway teammates on the same page.

Here are 3 tips to get you started:

TB Tip #1: Establish a clear goal for your trackable. With five very different categories, it’s unlikely that you’ll sweep them all. Pick and choose your strengths!

TB Tip #2: Communicate your goal clearly on the trackable page so that other geocachers can help your trackable along. The trackable mission statement at the end of this blog post can be used as a sample for your own trackable racer. Make sure you tailor it to the HQ Duck Dash categories you’d like to compete in — and don’t forget to include the part about ending at an International Geocaching Day event on August 20!

TB Tip #3: Send encouraging messages to your fellow geocachers using the Message Center — encouraging being the key word here. Trackable racing is a polite sport!

Sample Mission Statement

This trackable is competing in the HQ Duck Dash!

This trackable <TB name> is racing in the HQ Duck Dash 2016. To be eligible for global recognition and eternal bragging rights, it needs to make it to a geocaching event on International Geocaching Day (August 20, 2016). You can find a list of events here: https://www.geocaching.com/calendar/

<TB name> is competing in the following race categories:

• Most Geocaches Involved
• Most Story-Worthy Moment (Best Log)

Please move this trackable to its next geocache and leave a nice log about your experience to help it meet its goal! Thank you!

Go here to learn more about the HQ Duck Dash.

What tips do you have for trackable racing success? Tell us in the comments below.

By entering the HQ Duck Dash, you agree to the following:

Trackable etiquette is important for (1) ensuring a fun and fair race and (2) furthering world peace. The Participant understands that this race is all in good fun and agrees to exercise, to the best of their ability, good manners such as the following:

• Never, under any circumstance, fake (aka ‘couch’) log a trackable.
• Log that you have retrieved the trackable from the geocache as soon as you’re able.
• Move other trackables along in a timely fashion, even if they are your competitors and your deepest desire is for eternal bragging rights.
• Do not bring chaos to the universe by attaching the same tracking code to multiple objects.

Participant understands that this list is by no means exhaustive and agrees not to seek loopholes of any kind.

Participant understands that violating this Code shall jeopardize (i) the existence of fun in the world and (ii) your trackable’s ability to bring home glory (aka bragging rights) of both the eternal and international kind. Given the size of the geocaching audience (millions!) and shortage of HQ drones, the participant understands that Geocaching HQ will not enforce all aspects of this Code; however, violating this Code may place your trackable at risk of disqualification (seriously).

Learn more about the HQ Duck Dash.