2024 Geocaching Summer Olympics Event Cache

Welcome to the 2024 Geocaching Summer Olympics!

The posted coordinates are for the wind-up event on Sunday, September 8, 2024 at 11:30am. The event marks the end of the Summer Geocaching Olympics. Anyone may log a “will attend” for this event without any participation in the Olympics.

The Summer Geocaching Olympics is an 8-week-long game ending with the event. The Olympics begin on Friday, July 12, 2024, at 12:00am and end on Friday, September 6, 2024, at 11:59pm.

To participate in the Olympics, post a “write note” on the event page by July 18, 2024.  Once you have registered, send me a message using geocaching.com messenger service whether you are going for positive or negative points. These will be hidden from all participants.

I will keep the Scoreboard results throughout the Olympics.

The Summer Geocaching Olympics is a fun competition to get you out and caching during the long hot Midwest summer! Designed for all cachers, the objective is to complete any twelve (12) tasks during the 8-weeks of the Geocaching Olympics. This is not a race. Tasks have higher or lower points assigned to them. Read the task requirements carefully and choose wisely. You are seeking points, not completing the Games first. There is danger in waiting too long though! Even if you don’t get the highest or lowest score, you may still get a prize. Posting a “write note” by July 18th lets me know that you plan to participate in the Olympics.

In order to claim a smiley for this event, you just need to attend the wind-up event. (See details at the bottom of the cache page for the “event”)

RULES

Short Version:

• Claim 12 tasks in 8-weeks (July 12-September 6, 2024)
• Using the "write note" feature on this event page, report your claims with task number, GC code(s), points claimed, and any task-specific requirements within 7 days of fulfilling (or by 11:59 on 9/6/2024)
• Some tasks have outright points stated while others are dependent on the geocache found. Claimed point values must be stated on the “write note” and cannot be edited.
• Watch for bonuses!
• Photos are encouraged! If required, it will be stated in the task requirement.
• Full rules are at the bottom of the event page.

TASKS:

Tasks may only be claimed once per participating geocaching login (single player or multi-player team).

ALL POINTS ARE EITHER POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE. (see Rule #2 below)

1. OPENING CEREMONY - Fancy Dress: (4 + D + T) points

• Log any physical cache and post a photo of you dressed in attire which directly relates to the cache's theme. Be creative! Don't wear normal clothes and try to make the theme fit.
• You may also attend any event dressed in a theme that matches the event description.
  • The event can be published at any time (including after the start of the Olympics) and can be hosted by anyone.
• Photo is required for either logging option.

2. COLLOSAL OYMPICS TASK - Hide a large geocache (any type): 15 points

• Hide a large cache. Can be any cache type. A large container is described by Groundspeak as being “a minimum of 20L (around 5 Imperial gallons.)
• Your geocache must be listed at www.geocaching.com and must be published before the end of the Olympics. Points cannot be claimed until the cache is published. Please ensure you give adequate time for the cache reviewer to publish your hide.

3. USA! USA! USA! – (5 + D + T) points

• Log any physical cache and post a photo with a USA Flag that is nearby.  The Flag may not be brought to the cache location nor the cache taken to a flag.  The Flag must be present from the found coordinates of the cache.

4. SPECIAL OLYMPICS - (D + T) points

• Log any physical cache that displays the "wheelchair friendly" icon attribute.

5. MARATHON – 5 points
   • Write a 250 or more word log on a physical cache you found.  Write about the cache you found and your experience.  Hiders enjoy reading your adventure finding their cache.

6. DECATHLON - (5 + highest D + highest T) points

• Find a total of 6 different caches, that are associated to these Summer Olympic sports and have the following attributes:
  • Swimming - May Require Swimming attribute
  • Rowing - Boat Required attribute
  • Archery – Special Tool Required attribute
  • Equestrian – Horses Allowed attribute
  • Cross County - Significant Hike Required attribute
  • Cycling - Bicycles Allowed attribute
• Each cache can have more than one attribute, but you can only claim each attribute once.
• This task is exempt from any timeline. You can take the entire Olympics to find these 6 caches, but you must claim the task prior to the conclusion of the Olympics and within 7 days of finding the last qualifying geocache.

7. PASS THE TORCH – 5 points

• Log any physical cache with a person who has less than 500 total finds. A muggle without a caching account will not count for this task.

8. RELAY TIME – (5 to 15) points

• Relays take multiple people to complete.  So for this task, hide a multicache or multiple multicaches (any size).
• Your geocache must be listed at www.geocaching.com and must be published before the end of the Olympics. Points cannot be claimed until the cache is published. Please ensure you give adequate time for the cache reviewer to publish your hide(s).
• Hide 1 multicache = 5 points
• Hide 2 multicaches = 7 points
• Hide 3 multicaches = 10 points
• Hide 4 multicaches = 15 points

9. WIN STREAK - 0.5 points per day with a maximum of 10 points

• Find a minimum of 1 physical cache per day to create a streak of consecutive days. Maximum streak that will qualify for this task is 20 days (10 points.) Minimum streak is 1 day (0.5 points). Adventure Lab stages do not count for this task.
• This task is exempt from rule #9; streak caches can be claimed for other tasks.

10. RINGS BABY! – 7 points

• Log any physical cache and post a photo of you with Rings (plural).  The Olympic Rings are iconic to the Olympics.  I am leaving this one up for interpretation, so get creative.

11. REGIONAL - 319 or 563 Cache: (2 + D + T) points

• Log any cache (see exceptions below) where the numbers 319 or 563 appear in the given order anywhere in the published coordinates (not puzzle solutions or intermediate steps in multicaches) to claim the task. The numbers can run across the latitude and longitude. The numbers do not need to appear consecutively, but they need to appear in sequence.
• Example: N 41° 30.818 W 090° 16.257 would qualify as the numbers 319 appear in order, even though they are not consecutive.

12. GOLD! – 10 points

• Log any physical cache that was hidden on the 1^st day of the month.

13. SILVER! – 8 points

• Log any physical cache that was hidden on the 2^nd month of the year.

14. BRONZE! – 5 points

• Log any physical cache that was hidden on the 3^rd day of the month or on the 3^rd month of the year.

15. SPELLING BEE - (4 + highest D + highest T) points

• Though not an actual Olympic event, the Spelling Bee is a Geocaching Olympics Classic.
• Find a total of 10 different caches, using the first letter of the cache name to spell "SUMMERTIME".
• Caches that start with numbers or symbols do not count.
• This task is exempt from any timeline. You can take the entire Olympics to spell "SUMMERTIME", but you must claim the task prior to the conclusion of the Olympics and within 7 days of finding the last qualifying geocache.
• Any cache type including events and Adventure Lab stages can be used for this task.
• Events and Adventure Lab Stages used for this task may be published after the beginning of the Olympics.

16. BULLSEYE – 6 points

• Log a find on a physical geocache that you have previously logged a DNF on. Your DNF must have been logged and dated before the publish date of the Olympics. Your task “write note” must include the date of your earlier DNF.

17. CROSS COUNTRY – (2 + D + T) points

• Log any physical cache that displays the "medium hike (1-10km)," the "long hike (10km+)," or “significant hike” icon attribute. Please note rule #16 for any multi-person geocaching teams.

18. SECURITY GUARDS BAKER’S DOZEN - (4 + highest D + highest T) points

• The PoPo love donuts and so do the wanna be PoPo’s security guards at the Olympics.  So let’s show them some love for keeping us safe and find a baker’s dozen.
• Find EXACTLY 13 caches in a calendar day (midnight to midnight.)
• Scoring example: Find 11 caches of 1.5/1.5, 1 cache of 5.0/1.0 and 1 cache of 1.0/5.0; therefore 4+5+5=14

19. OSCAR SWAHN to MARJORIE GESTRING – 5 points

• Oscar Swahn is the oldest person to win a gold medal in the Olympics at age 60 and Marjorie Gestring is the youngest to win a gold medal in the Olympics at age 13.
• Log any physical cache with a person who is at least 20 years different in age. This person can be a Muggle or a geocachers. Geocachers do not have to be participating in the Olympics to qualify. Your log must indicate who you were caching with and contain a picture of the 2 of you while geocaching. If the gap is close, be prepared to provide proof of age!
• If you are a multi-person team, only one member of the team or the primary player from the team that has been designated can be used for the age difference. Example: Dad (35) and Child (8) who both use the same geocaching name would not qualify for this task but bringing Muggle Uncle (40) would qualify for this task since Child and Uncle are more than 20 years apart in age.

20. CHAMPIONS PARK - 2 points per cache with a maximum of 10 points

• Log a find on a physical geocache that you found in a City or County Park (State and National Parks will not count for this task).
• Two (2) points for each cache found in a City or County Park (Maximum of 10 points for this task).
• You can take the entire Olympics to complete this task, but you must claim the task prior to the conclusion of the Olympics and within 7 days of finding the last qualifying geocache.

21. OLYMPIC DAY - one point for each year of the caches age

• Find and log any geocache on its birthday. Points awarded by using this formula [2024 - (year hidden)]
•  For example: If you find a 2022 cache on its birthday, it would be worth 2 points. If you find a 2012 cache on its birthday, it would be worth 12 points.

22. RUNNING DEER – (D + T) points

• Running Deer was actually an Olympic Sport from 1908 to 1948.
• Take a photo of a living FOUR legged animal you saw at GZ. Both you and the animal must be in the photo.

23. OLYMPIC LETTERING – 7 points

• Hide a Letterbox cache. Can be any size.
• Your geocache must be listed at www.geocaching.com and must be published before the end of the Olympics. Points cannot be claimed until the cache is published. Please ensure you give adequate time for the cache reviewer to publish your hide.

24. SEISMIC OLYMPIC CHALLENGE – 10 or 15 points

• Hide a Challenge Cache (10 points) or Hide an Earthcache (15 points).
• Your geocache must be listed at www.geocaching.com and must be published before the end of the Olympics. Points cannot be claimed until the cache is published. Please ensure you give adequate time for the cache reviewer to publish your hide.

25. THE TONYA HARDING – 5 to 20 points

• Unloved or Lonely caches
• Log any physical cache that has not been found in the preceding time period:
  • 180 days = 5 points
  • 365 days = 10 points
  • 2 years = 15 points
  • 3+ years = 20 points
• No replacement containers allowed even if given permission to do so from the CO.
• Photo of the log sheet is required.

26. THE LUCKY 7 - 7 points (of course)

• Log any cache (of any type) where the sum of the difficulty and terrain totals exactly seven (7).
• Qualifying examples: 2/5, 2.5/4.5, 3/4, 3.5/3.5, 4/3, 4.5/2.5, 5/2

27. EVENTFUL – 6 points

• Host an Event or a CITO
• Your event must be listed on www.geocaching.com and must be published before the Olympics end and cannot be already published before the start of the Olympics. Your event can take place after the Olympics end.
• Note: According to geocache guidelines, event caches should be submitted no less than two weeks before the date of the event so plan accordingly! Also, please ensure you give adequate time for the cache reviewer to publish your hide.

28. OPENING & CLOSING CERMONY - (D + T) points

• Log any physical cache that you find at “sunrise or sunset”. Please post a picture of yourself with the “sunrise or sunset” at the cache location.
• “Sunrise or Sunset” is defined by:
  • the time of day when part of the sun’s circumference is cut off by the horizon.  Other times of day, you will either see the full circumference of the sun or no sun at all.

29. OLYMPIC YEARS - 15 points

• Find, in a single day, two different physical caches each hidden within a year of the Summer Olympics.
• Each cache must have been hidden within different Summer Olympic years.
• Eligible Years include: 2024, 2020, 2016, 2012, 2008, 2004, 2000

30. AFTER CLOSING CEREMONIES - (2 + D + T) points

• Log any physical cache that displays one or both of the "night cache" or "recommended at night" icon attributes.

Bonuses:

There will be both weekly and Multi-week long bonuses. Any bonuses will be posted prior to the start of the active time period. Each participating geocaching ID may claim each bonus once. 

Weekly bonuses will be Saturday to Friday. This means you must find the bonus within the posted dates of the bonus (weekly or Multi-week). Bonuses must be claimed by 11:59pm of the last day of the bonus window.

Weekly Bonuses:

• Week 1 (7/12-7/19) – FIRST RESPONDERS - 5 points
  • Lets recognize the heroic men and women who make it their business to take immediate action when disaster strikes.
  • Post a photo with a Police Officer, Firefighter, Emergency Medical Service (EMS) responders, paramedic, or 911 dispatcher.  They do not have to be in uniform.
• Week 2 (7/20-7/26) – WHERE’S YOUR CROWN, KING NOTHING? – 5, 7, or 10 points
  • For this week’s bonus – You’ll need to visit a Burger King
  • Post a photo with you and a Burger King employee in uniform.  The photo must include yourself and the following:
    • The EMPLOYEE must be wearing the Burger King crown - 5 points
    • If you can get the employee to also give a double thumbs up while wearing the crown – 7 points
  • If you can get the employee to give a double thumbs up while wearing the crown and you are holding a sign that clearly says “KING NOTHING” and pose with the employee – 10 points
• Week 3 (7/27-8/2) - CONSECUTIVES – 1 point for each, Maximum of 9 points
  • Log caches with consecutive numbers in the GC code immediately after the letters GC.
  • Finds may be found in a single day, or between 7/27 and 8/2 but they do need to occur in consecutive order by date. Consecutive order would be starting at 1 and ending in 9. Not 9 to 1.
  • Caches found on a calendar day can be logged and found in any order.
  • For example, log caches with GC codes GC2xxx, GC4xxxx and GC3xxxx on 7/27, GC5xxxx on 8/1, and GC6xxxx on 8/2.
  • The above example would be worth 5 points (2,3,4,5, and 6 in order by date).
  • But a cache with GC7xxxx found on 7/27 in the above example would not count because it was found out of order by date.
• Week 4 (8/3-8/9) - NATIONAL GOOFY HOLIDAY DAY - (D + T) points for any day this week OR (D + T + 5) if you complete it on the specific date listed for the holiday!
  • Don't you just love all the goofy holidays you can find when you look things up online? Find a cache that fits the "theme" of one of these holidays this week to log the bonus. You can fit the theme in one of two ways - the cache description/name itself ties into the theme OR you post a picture of yourself with the cache doing something that fits the theme (silly dress, props, etc.). The smaller bonus is for someone completing one of those tasks on any day this week. The bigger bonus is if you are able to complete the specific theme on the exact specific date! Here are your holidays/dates you may choose from:
    • August 3 - National Sunflower Day, National Hair Gloss Day, National Georgia Day, National Grab Some Nuts Day, and National Watermelon Day
    • August 4 - National Coast Guard Day and National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day
    • August 5 - National Oyster Day, National Work Like a Dog, and National Underwear Day
    • August 6 - National Fresh Breath Day, National Root Beer Float Day, National Wiggle Your Toes Day
    • August 7 - Purple Heart Day, National Raspberries N’ Cream Day, and National Lighthouse Day
    • August 8 – National Pickleball Day, National Whataburger Day, Global Sleep Under the Stars Night, National CBD Day; National Dollar Day, National Frozen Custard Day, and Sneak Some Zucchini into Your Neighbor’s Porch Day
    • August 9 - National Passion Fruit Day, National Rice Pudding Day, and National Book Lovers Day 
• Week 5 (8/10-8/16) – FAVORITES – 0.5 points for each favorite point awarded, Maximum of 15 points
  • Award a favorite point to a geocache you found during the 2024 Calendar year. 
  • Can be retroactive to all finds found this calendar year not just since the beginning of the Olympics.
  • This bonus IS EXEMPT from Rules #8 & #9.
  • You can view all your favorite caches by visiting your “LISTS” on the website.  You’ll find a tab labelled “Favorites” where you can see every cache you've ever given a Favorite point to.  Or you can go to your dashboard and look under your “Latest Activity.” A green circle with a white heart inside the circle will delineate a favorite point you awarded to the cache.
  • Provide the GC code, Cache name, and date of your find with your bonus claim.
• Week 6 (8/17-8/23) – ARTICLES - 2 points for each, Maximum of 10 points
  • What is an article? They are a type of grammatical determiner, and they go before a noun. Typically, being “A”, “An”, and “The”.
  • I often wonder why cache owners add these to the beginning of a geocache name when there is no need to do so.  But they do.  Like “The Baseball Diamond.” Do we really need the “The” to better understand it’s a baseball diamond? Or “An Orange”…Isn’t it still Orange without the article added? Asking for a friend.  I’m not saying it’s wrong.  It’s just something I have wondered from time to time. You know the Olympics have dragged along too long when you start getting into psyche of DCR Boys.
  • So, for this week’s bonus, find up to 5 geocaches from 8/17 to 8/23 that have a cache name beginning with “A”, “An”, or “The”.
  • All cache types can be used for this challenge EXCEPT Adventure Lab stages.
  • This bonus IS EXEMPT from Rule #9.
• Week 7 (8/24-8/30) – FOOTBALL FEVER – Field Goal (3 points), Touchdown (7 points), or Field Goal & Touchdown (10 points)
  • With high school football starting this Friday, college games on Saturday, and Fantasy Football Drafts in full swing, it marks the official start of football season!
  • So for this week’s Bonus, log any cache while tying it to a football theme. Wear a jersey, bring a football, Bow to a Sweetness statue, use your imagination! You may use a cache you are also using for a task for this bonus.
  • Don’t forget to explain the connection unless it’s obvious and post a photo if necessary when claiming the bonus.
  • The D/T value of the cache you find for this bonus will determine the point value as follows:
    • A field goal is worth 3 points and will include finding a cache with a D2.5 AND T2.5 or less. 
    • A touchdown is worth 7 points and will include finding a cache between D3.0/T3.0 AND D4.0/T4.0
    • A Field Goal and Touchdown is worth 10 points and will include finding a cache with a D4.5 AND T4.5 or greater.
    • The lowest D or T value will determine which point value you may claim for this bonus.  Example: Finding a cache with a D5.0/T2.5 is worth a field goal because of the lower 2.5 value.
  • Although there is no point value for this, extra credit will go to those who support Da Bears! and /or poke fun at the Packers. I have added a few photos as examples with my announcement to get those creative juices flowing.

Multi-Week Bonuses:

• The Starting Gate (7/12-8/9) – 10 points
  • During these 4 weeks, increase your D/T grid in 8 contiguous squares by 1. The catch is that you cannot use the D-1, D-1.5, T-1, or T-1.5 rows/columns. Contiguous means they share a border, not just a corner. You may complete this bonus while completing a task, so this bonus is exempt from rule #9.

• The Anchor Leg (8/10-8/31) – 10 points
  • During these 3 weeks, find two caches (hidden before 7/12/24) that have at least a 400 foot difference in elevation. The two caches do not need to be found on the same day, but they both must be found during the dates listed above for this bonus. To claim this bonus, please provide the GC codes of the two caches, the coordinates for each cache, and a screenshot or photographic proof of the elevations at each. You can use pictures of your GPS altimeter, a screenshot of a phone app, or information from Project-GC as examples.

This bonus is NOT exempt from rule #9, so you must find caches for this bonus that are not part(s) of your other tasks or bonuses. Additionally, all caches used for this bonus must be ON THE GROUND, so tree-climbing does not gain you extra elevation.

• Some Like it HOT (7/12-9/6)
  • Log a physical geocache and receive bonus points based on specific air temperature ranges in degrees Fahrenheit. Bonus point values:
    •     70°F and above: 1 point
    •     71-85°: 3 points
    •     86-93°: 7 points
    •     94-99°: 13 points
    •     100° and above: 25 points
  • This is a SUMMER Geocaching Olympics - the biggest bonuses go to the heartiest of cachers... or are they the craziest?!?
  • Please note that the temperature ranges are referencing air temperature, not heat index.
  • Your bonus “write note” must include a screenshot of the temperature using a weather app or website (using vehicle thermometer is not acceptable), plus a photo of you at the cache (at least pretending to look happy!)
  • This bonus must be claimed within 48 hours of logging the find. No going out when it's above 100° in July and then waiting until August 31st to claim the find - there is a calculated risk with this bonus.
  • This bonus can only be claimed once.
  • This bonus may only be claimed on caches within Iowa and those states that border Iowa.

Full Rules:

1. The Olympics run from 12am Friday July 12, 2024 through 11:59pm Friday, September 6, 2024. 
2. Register on this event page by posting a “write note” to let me know you will be participating. Event attendees can register up to the day of the wrap-up event. Upon your registration, please message me using geocaching.com messenger service whether you are going all your points positive or negative. These will be hidden from all participants.
3. Fulfill any 12 of the tasks listed above after the start of the Olympics. To complete the Olympics, exactly 12 tasks must be logged. All additional task claims will not count.
4. Caches you claim for the game must be logged on www.geocaching.com during the time frame of the game. No previous or late finds will be allowed.
5. Tasks must be claimed within 7 days of finding the cache and before the conclusion of the Olympics (tasks 6 and 15 are exempt from being claimed within 7 days, but must be claimed prior to the conclusion of the Olympics and within 7 days of finding the last qualifying cache). The post must clearly state which task is being claimed, the GC code(s) of the geocache(s), the points being claimed, and how the cache meets the requirement (if necessary). Post your claims as “write notes” on this event page. Post required photos if required with your “write note”.
6. Geocaches found as part of these games must be published before July 1, 2024. Any task that requires new cache(s) to be placed (physical or event) does not fall under this rule.
7. Task(s) that require caches to be hidden must be published prior to 11:59pm on September 6, 2024. Please plan accordingly and do not leave this to the last minute. By placing a geocache as part of these Olympics, you agree to follow all the guidelines set out by www.geocaching.com in owning a geocache.
8. Each task must be claimed on a geocache previously unfound by you.
9. Each task or bonus must be claimed against a different cache unless the requirement states otherwise.
10. Tasks and bonuses can only be claimed once per geocaching login (single person or teams). Multiple claims against the same task or bonus by the same geocacher will be rejected. *Exception: if your first claim of a task was rejected, it can be attempted again.
11. Once tasks or bonuses are claimed, you may not substitute for another.
12. Points vary by task or bonus. These are clearly defined above. Some give participants a choice in point value, therefore you must clearly state the point value, when claiming a task. Once claimed, your point values cannot be changed.
13. There are multiple prizes for the players who compete in the Olympics. For those who complete 12 tasks, prizes will go for the HIGHEST, the LOWEST, and a random draw of prizes for the remaining contestants that complete a minimum of 12 tasks and are in attendance for the wrap-up event.
14. In the event of a tie score, the earliest score will be used as the tiebreaker.
15. No "arm chair" caching is permitted. You can only use geocaches that you found, signed, and logged on www.geocaching.com. Claiming a cache that you found months ago and just got around to logging is not permitted in these Olympics. Challenge Caches can be used for tasks, but the log must be signed during the timeframe of the Olympics. If you qualify for the challenge, you cannot sign it on July 12^th and then claim the find on September 4^th because it is 100 degrees that day or it fits a task you’d like to use it for. If you do not meet the qualifications on the day you sign the log, you may NOT use the challenge cache for any task or bonus during these Olympics even if you later meet the logging requirements sometime during the Olympics.
16. Multi-player teams would be more than 1 person using the same name. All members of multi-person teams must meet the qualification of the task and must be present when claiming the geocache. However, multi-player teams may designate one primary player from the team before the beginning of the Olympics.  No tasks completed by the secondary player(s) without the primary player present may be claimed. Please make a “write note” on the cache page when registering if you are designating a primary player of your team. Spouses/family members that occasionally cache with the primary cacher are exempt from this rule. However they will not be considered muggles either. If there is confusion, please ask.
17. All time stamps will be based on when I receive emails about posted notes.
18. Tasks will be accepted in the order they are submitted. No substitutions may be made once a task has been claimed. 
19. I, DCR Boys, will administer the game and my decisions are final. I reserve the right to provide any clarifications of the rules at any point in the game.
20. Most importantly, HAVE FUN!!!

EVENT DETAILS:

Where: Pizza Ranch - 2450 Westdale Dr SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404

When: 11:30am - 12:30pm

Why: It’s the wind-up event for the 2024 Geocaching Summer Olympics. Haven't you been paying attention?  And I didn’t want to wait until the end of the month so that I didn’t have to hear from that male member of Cosmic*Cachers that he’s “got a bone to pick with me.” LOL No worries Art, I’ve gotcha covered!

**No purchase is necessary to attend this event

**Please sign the log sheet