Discussion: Race Name

What shall we call the race we hold each year on the day before the Possum Trot? We haven't been consistent, or clever, in past years. Suggestions?

Since I've been around, it's either been the "Pre-Possum" or "Kansas Champs". Of those two, I prefer "Kansas Champs" because it's the only annual event that OK produces, so a state champs seems like a cool thing to put on. PTOC doesn't host a champs race, so it's a bit of a unique event for the area.

I never really liked "Pre-Possum" because it implies that it's playing second fiddle to the Possum Trot.

I know that some of the recent events have been sprint-y. You could host two sprints on Saturday and call them the Sunflower Sprints or something like that. I think two sprints + a goat would make for a fun weekend. The club out of Spokane did something similar last summer, and they called it: Two Jackrabbits and a Goat.

Well, since you guys are just "OK", how about a Mediocre O Meet? ;-)

"Kansas Champs" seems to be quite a stretch. Looking at last year's entries, the guy who finished last in M21 would have been the KS champ. There were four M40+ KS entries, and no female entrants from KS in any age group.

From the KCMO web site:
Legend has it that the new owners held a meeting at which one of the subjects was a name for their new township. After rejecting such ideas as Port Fonda, Rabbitville and Possum Trot, they decided to name it the Town of Kansas, after the Kansa Indians who inhabited the area.

And a history of Lawrence:
Lawrence did not start out being called "Lawrence". The settlers tried several names, such as Waukarusa (the Waukarusa river is south of the town), Yankeetown, Excelsior, New Boston, and finally Lawrence in honor of Amos A. Lawrence of Boston.

So why don't we try the Wakarusa Waddle? Or the Oread Scramble?

I don't like Wakarusa Waddle. I just don't like the word 'waddle'. It reminds me of ducks. And I don't want to think about ducks when I think of orienteering.

If we're thinking of going with something very Kansas specific like Wakarusa or Oread, why not go with Jayhawk? It's got history cred, plus it's got more name recognition with Kansas. I can't imagine orienteers from around the midwest understanding the history of Wakarusa. Oh, and I think just about everyone associated with OK is a Jayhawk, too....

Funny. I always thought that Possum Trot was just a play on words......O' Possum.

Anyway, I agree that you should have a name that stands up on its own.

I suggest the "O'Kansas Rambler" - You never know where it might be and how long it will go.

Jayhawk Jog?
OK Shuffle?

The OK Shuffle sounds like it deserves a dance to go along with it.

The OK Dokie

Jayhawk Jog doesn't sound too exciting. Problem is, I can't think of any other decent J words for a nice alliteration. OK Shuffle reminds me of a dance, too. A dance by football players who can't dance.

OK Dokie is clever and fun, though.

Obviously if the meet is the state champs it will get a better field. You can't judge what the state champs will be like based on some random local meet held a year before at around the same time! Of course it's a little late for all of this.

I still think my favorite is Kansas Champs, because it is the event of year for OK. Why not have it be the Kansas Champs? And who says that the eligible winners have to be from Kansas?

Maybe to get a bigger crowd, you could expand the offerings. "Kansas Champs" could be a combo orienteering, trail-running, and geocaching event.

So the consensus (both here and off line) is to stick with the original. So it will always be the Kansas Champs.