Updated 9/17
The Python is back! Get ready for an epic test of navigation, endurance, and strategy at the 2025 Python Adventure Race, taking place Saturday, September 20th in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Hosted by NEOOC and headquartered at Camp Manatoc, this long-format orienteering event offers both 10-hour and 3-hour score courses with 70+ control points—including several inside a corn maze!
Participants will navigate forests, fields, and rugged terrain, all while chasing points, dodging briars, and perhaps encountering the mythical “Peninsula Python.” With free tent camping, updated LIDAR based maps, and the best post-race food in Rogaining, this race promises challenge, fun, and adventure for all skill levels.
Preregistration is CLOSED for 10-hour & 3-hour!
Walk-ups for the 3-hour course are OK! (subject to map availability)
Email the registrar@neooc.com to reserve a 3 hour map
Event Details
Saturday, September 20, 2025
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
HQ at Camp Manatoc
This will be a score event with a mix of on and off trail navigation needed to find all controls.
For both the 10-hour and 3-hour events, each control location will be
assigned a point value based on the tens digit in the control code.
The Python is open to both solo participants and teams up to 6.
10-Hour:
For the adventurous! Around 70 controls will be placed throughout the combined area of Camp Manatoc, Camp Butler and surrounding areas within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Some controls will even be placed in a corn maze! Expect to encounter challenging terrain with some steep sections. Intermediate or advanced orienteering skills are recommended to visit the majority of controls within the time limit. All controls are optional which enables flexibility in how much to tackle. Estimated distance of 30-40 miles with a mix of trail, road, and off-trail routes to visit all controls.
Note that the 10-Hour participants will need to have an ePunch finger stick capable of punching as many controls as they intend to visit, up to about 75. A limited number of 128-punch capacity sticks are available on loan.
Sundown is around 7:26 pm. Depending on cloud cover, forest cover and quality of twilight, a headlamp is strongly recommended for 10-hour folks. All Control flags will include reflective markings.
Each 10-hour person can specify their meal preference on the Team Members page during Preregistration: No Preference, Beef, Chicken, or Vegetarian.
10-Hour event schedule
- 8:00-9:00 am: onsite check-in
- 9:00 am: mandatory pre-race briefing
- 9:15am: maps distributed
- 10:00 am: 10-hour event mass start
- 8:00 pm: course cutoff – all participants must be back at the finish
- 7:00-9:00 pm post-event Social, Meal, and Results
3-Hour:
Suitable for orienteers of all ages and experience levels. Many controls will be placed on or within a short distance from main park trails. To visit all controls, expect to cover 8-12 miles with a mix of trail, road, and off-trail routes to visit all controls. As desired, controls can be skipped to shorten the distance and minimize off trail travel. New orienteers are welcome – please see New to Orienteering section below for more information on getting started.
Special note: the corn maze at Szalay’s is a considerable distance from event HQ and participants will not likely have time to visit it for the 3-hour event.
3-Hour Event Schedule:
- 10:15-11:00 am: onsite check-in
- 11:00 am: mandatory pre-race briefing
- 11:15am: maps distributed
- 12:00pm: 3-hour mass start
- 3:00pm: course cutoff – all participants must be back at the finish
- 2:00-4:00 post-event Social, Snacks, and Results
Click Here to email a question to the Registrar
Registration and Cost
10 hour event Costs:
- Solo participants:
$40 until September 7th
$60 late registration until September 14th - 2-person teams:
$80 per team until September 7th
$120 per team until September 14th - 3-6 person teams:
$120 per team until September 7th
$180 per team until September 14th - All 10-hour event prices include one map set per person, one scoring e-punch for the team (if needed), and post-race food / beverages
- NO Walk-ups accepted for 10 hour course
3 hour event Costs:
- Solo participants and teams
$10 for the entire team until September 7th$20 late registration until September 14th
- 3-hour event prices include one map set per team, one scoring e-punch for the team (if needed), and post-race snacks and beverages. Additional maps can be purchased during registration for a nominal extra fee.
- A limited number of walk-up registrations ($20) will be accepted for the 3-hour event. This is subject to map availability; preregistration is strongly recommended.
Preregistration is CLOSED for 10-hour & 3-hour!
Walk-ups for 3-hour course are OK! (subject to map availability)
Email the registrar@neooc.com to reserve a 3 hour map
Preregistration
- Teams should be registered together on one form. Include the team captain’s full information along with names and ages of additional team members.
- Kids under the age of 17 are welcome to participate as part of a team. For the 10-hour event, adult / child teams may register as solo participants to pay the lower solo rate but will receive one map set.
- A Waiver Form must be signed and agreed to each participant.
- A small offset is added to cover PayPal charges for 3-hour folks.
Click here to see who’s registered so far
Location
Headquarters will be at Camp Manatoc, Southeast of Peninsula, Ohio. From the Truxell Road camp entrance (also called Kendall Park Rd to the east), follow the signs to the registration and start area.
Event Personal
- Event Director – Jonathan Boyer
- Registrar – Fred Mailey (fred@neooc.com)
- Map Coordinator – Bob Boltz
- Chief Course Design & Control Setting – Bob Boltz
Terrain Click for terrain map
With its nearby outlet to Lake Erie, the meandering Cuyahoga River has settled into a kilometer wide flood plain marked by a patchwork of scrub and corn fields. Cuyahoga means “crooked river” in the native Mohawk language. The valley walls are steep enough in some areas to provide good downhill skiing. The valley walls are dissected by a multitude of long branching re-entrants with many brooks draining into the Cuyahoga. In one eastern area, a layer of resistant 310 million year old Sharon Conglomerate has produced a mesa-like island surrounded by impressive cliffs. Most of the forested area is quite runnable. Briars are mostly found in areas of abandoned farmland. Poison ivy is present, but not usually a problem in most areas. Same for briars. We’ve had plenty of rain, so vegetation is a little thicker than normal. Ticks have been common this year, but may be less in the fall.
Corn Maze
Yes! There will be four controls placed in a corn maze using a separate map. Participants must show their bib number at the maze entrance and exit at the maze exit. This should take only about ten minutes unless you are hopelessly confused, reduced to tears, and have to ask the advice of a small child to find your way out.
Course Notes
Water in gallon jugs will be available at several locations on the course. There will be plenty of water. Food is available at the NW and SW corners of the venue. Notably, Szalay’s Farm Market has fresh buttered sweet corn, custard with your choice of berries and fresh fruit. Peninsula has the National Park Store for snacks and two restaurants.
Root stocks are marked with a green X. My new mapping standard is to indicate only those that are taller than I can reach. Some of the older maps have them mapped to a lesser standard, or they have rotted away over time. Two of the older maps as well as the new land in between were Geo-referenced. The old maps are less reliable in this regard and were a royal pain to incorporate into the composite map. The corn maze map is not to international orienteering standards but is fully compliant with Galactic Corn Maze Standards. It is mostly accurate and is suitable for framing. This year it depicts a dragon!
Embargo
Until event day, the event area is under a limited embargo:
- Event area: Camp Manatoc, Camp Butler and the following areas within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Boston Run, Pine Grove, Kendall Lake, Ledges, Octagon, Pine Hollow, Salt Run, Oak Hill, Horseshoe Pond, Everett Covered Bridge, Furnace Run
- From July 1: No off-trail travel is permitted within these areas until start of the event. Participants may use roads, trails, and open areas within these areas for non-orienteering purposes if participating in other events or for leisure.
- From September 13: No entry in the above areas on or off trail
- Designated event volunteers may visit assigned areas for control setting purposes, but if also participating in the event, no points may be scored in their assigned areas.
SCORING & AWARDS
The point value of all control points visited is totaled. Controls 110-119 will be worth 10 points, Controls 120-129 will be worth 20 points, and so on. The lateness penalty will be 10 points for every minute late. Rankings will be based on total score with tie breakers going to the fastest time. If in a team, all members of the team must be present at the finish.
There are three age categories: Elite (age 17 and over), Masters (age 40 and over), and Veterans (age 55 and over). Within each of these categories are gender categories: Men, Women, and Mixed. You will be placed in the most competitive category that fits all team members. For example, a team of three women age 40, 44, and 57 would be in the Masters, Women category. Team members under age 17 are not considered in determining age category unless all are under age 17; then the team is Elite.
RULES
- No help from others or caching of supplies is allowed during the race away from the base camp.
- If in a team, team members must stay within sight and speaking distance throughout the event. If a team member is unable to complete the event as a whole team, they will be ineligible for awards.
- NO alcohol at Camps Manatoc or Butler.
- NO dogs allowed at Camps Manatoc or Butler. Dogs are allowed in the National Park, but must be on a leash at all times.
- A waiver form must be signed and agreed to by each participant
Equipment & Gear
- Make sure to dress for the weather. Long pants and trail running shoes or hiking boots are recommended as a minimum for any weather conditions.
- All participants should carry hydration. There will be several marked water drops on course and fluids will be available for purchase downtown Peninsula and at Szalay’s.
- Portable GPS systems are allowed as long as the intention is to simply record the route taken for later analysis, discussion and sharing.
- All teams should have a working cell phone with them. Enter the phone number on the Preregistration form in the Team’s phone field, so that we may contact you during the event if necessary.
- Whistles are mandatory.
- Flashlight or headlamp for 10 hour folks (last two hours will get dark in the woods.) Sunset is at 7:26 pm with twilight starting at about 6 pm. All controls will have reflective markings.
LiveLox
Livelox has been set up for this event, with multiple-route replay available to all. There are two classes – 10-hour and 3-hour – both of which will be active for replays immediately following the 10-hour finish at 8:00pm.
As an added safety measure, competitors in the 3-hour race are encouraged to record their routes directly to the Livelox app on their phones, even if using a GPS watch. Your position in the park will be visible to the event administrators in real time, which will be very helpful in an emergency. The ability of 10-hour competitors’ phones to maintain a charge through the entire race while recording is questionable.
HOTELS and CAMPING
There are several other hotels / motels near the event site. Click on this link for Google Map, with hotels. There are cheaper places, but read the reviews!!
Tent camping is free and permitted at Camp Manatoc on BOTH Friday and Saturday nights. Contact Sanae Rogers (sanae@neooc.com) for details about tent camping. You must contact Sanae to reserve your camping spot. All overnight vehicles must be parked in the parking lot. Friday night check-in begins at 4pm.
AREA ATTRACTIONS
- Brandywine Falls, Boston Visitor Center & Canal Visitor in Cuyahoga Valley NP
- Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad from Akron to Cleveland
- Bike & Hike Trail & Towpath Trail from Dover, OH to Cleveland – Lake Erie (goes thru CVNP)
- Quaint shops and CVNP Gift Shop in Peninsula, OH
- Winking Lizard Tavern (Peninsula Nite Club) in Peninsula, OH
- Fisher’s Cafe & Pub in Peninsula, OH
- Szalay’s Farm Market and Corn Maze south of Peninsula (fresh corn on the cob / frozen custard smothered in berries)
- Cleveland & Akron Zoos, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Great Lakes Science Center
- Cuyahoga Falls Octoberfest – Friday through Sunday – starts at 5 pm Friday
Legend of the Python
The tale of the Peninsula Python has been told since the summer of 1944, when some residents reported finding strange tracks on their property. Others said they saw the creature, a huge snake estimated to be about 15 to 18 feet long, that was rumored to have escaped from a traveling circus. Hoax or not, your wanderings will remind all of the winding shape of a serpent.
