A new kind of intramural: Sport & Rec’s Amazing Race

The words “Amazing Race” bring to mind images of sweaty, backpack-wearing tourists running around the world, competing in a series of semi-absurd challenges in hopes of claiming a million dollar prize. Of course, with the pandemic in full swing, a competition of this calibre isn’t exactly possible. But in light of the many challenges caused by Covid-19, Sport & Rec's intramurals created a competitive, fast-paced and pandemic-adapted Amazing Race. 

While I didn’t get the chance to participate in Sport & Rec’s approximately 2 km-long Amazing Race tournament—which ran from October 1st to November 19th—the whole semester, I attended last Thursday’s Grande Finale. Comprised of two people each, the teams followed clues leading from one challenge to the next to make it to the finish line. Ranging from physical tasks to crosswords, the obstacles integrated elements of intramural sports that couldn’t be offered this semester due to the pandemic. The Amazing Race, amazing as it was, is only one program of many that were offered by Sport & Rec’s intramurals throughout first semester. Other adapted programs include Spikeball, Bocce Ball and NBA 2K. 

As an intramural hockey athlete whose sport isn’t compatible with Covid-19 restrictions, I was thrilled to see such a creative response to intramural limitations. Beyond being an example of unconventional sport, the Sport & Rec Amazing Race provided something I’m sure many students have been missing—campus community. With so much of the St. George campus looking different than ever before, it was a small relief to find myself running around St. George and Back Campus Field again. Granted, I wasn’t carrying an oversized backpack, rushing to make it to my class be-fore 10 past, but still—I was happy to have a reason to be back on campus.

While prompting some campus nostalgia, The Amazing Race reminded me of something I’ve been thinking more and more about: there are infinite ways to get moving—sometimes (like right now), it just takes some outside-of-the-box thinking. With stricter Covid-19 restrictions coming into place on Monday, November 23rd, this is a lesson we may have to remind ourselves of more often in the following weeks. But despair not! As I learned from being part of the Race, a little creativity and determination go a long way…roughly 2 km, to be exact.