Dear colleagues and students,
We warmly invite you to the 1st edition of the sports-and-knowledge-based Terčový závod with the subtitle Journey Through Stromovka, which will take place on Thrusday, May 15 from 2:00 PM (starts will be staggered between 2:00–4:00 PM depending on the number of participants), with the support of Prague 6.
Come run or walk an interesting 5 km course, answer questions using chemical solutions, and most importantly enjoy an afternoon outdoors! At the finish line, refreshments await you, prizes will be awarded to the winners, and an afterparty will follow, with music by James Wing.
Start: by the Lípa republiky (Tree of the Republic) in the Dejvice campus
Finish: Holešovická šachta
At the start, you'll receive a map showing the route and the locations of the questions
At each question point, you'll drop a solution into a "target" box according to your answer
The ranking will be determined by time + accuracy of your answers
We’ll transport your bags to the finish, so you can change clothes after completing the race. The race is for teams of two, but only one of you needs to be from UCT Prague.
So, are you in?
The story behind the Terčový závod:
The Terčový závod ("Target race") originated and ran for many years as part of the summer training camp of the Chemistry and Biology Olympiad in Běstvina. The “target” in the race name refers to a circular filter paper that participants received at the start. They then followed ribbons marking the route through the forest, where they encountered questions with two answer options and two droppers, and where the ribbons split into two paths. They chose their answer, dropped the corresponding solution onto the filter paper, and continued along the path matching their choice. The correct answer led to a shorter route, the wrong one to a longer one. The time spent on the course was measured, and participants were ranked based on both time and the spots on their target.
The UCT Prague Target Race was created for chemistry teaching students as a didactic-chemical outdoor game inspired by the original race but works a bit differently. At the start, teams also receive targets – circular filter papers divided into 8 numbered sections – and a map with the locations of the questions (and refreshment spots). Questions will be placed at 8 significant landmarks along the course. Each question will relate to the specific landmark. There will be 4 answer choices and 4 droppers. You’ll select the correct answer, drop the solution into the corresponding section, and then run/walk to the next question following the map. At each question point, you'll find a revealing solution for the previous question, which you'll drop into the corresponding section of your target – a color may (or may not) appear or change. You’ll answer the next question and continue this way along the entire route. The race route is linear, going downhill from the campus to the railway and through Stromovka Park toward Výstaviště, and is about 5 km long. At the finish, your time will be recorded and your answers evaluated based on the color spots in the sections; penalty minutes will be added for wrong answers, and the final ranking will be based on the adjusted times.
The pilot 0th edition of the race took place on May 30, 2024. The 1st edition, open to all UCT students, was scheduled for September 19, 2024, but was canceled due to flooding. This time it's happening – we look forward to seeing you there!