Participants from the 2013 Maneuver Murray pose for a group photo prior to the race. The 2014 race is April 5.
“Maneuver Murray is an adventure race, which is how we define it,” said Maddi Mucci, junior from Nolensville, Tenn. “It’s a combination of solving clues and completing different types of tasks and going from place to place in Murray.”
Mucci, serves as the committee chairperson for the event. She said this is the third year for Maneuver Murray and it is the first year in which the Honor’s Program Student Council has hosted the event.
Mucci helped create the idea for the race when she was a freshman, and said everyone from grade school students to great-grandparents can participate in the race. She said several Greek organizations and other clubs on campus have participated in the past and she would love to see more Murray State students get involved.
“Even if this isn’t where you grew up, this is your community for nine months out of the year,” Mucci said. “Participating in Maneuver Murray not only gives you the chance to get to know Murray better. It also gives you a chance to give back to an organization that does so much for the people of Murray, including students.”
“You’re not going to remember the ten shows you watched on Netflix that day, but you will remember spending a Saturday afternoon with three friends running around the city of Murray having a blast,” Mucci said.
Maneuver Murray is a race for contestants to explore the city of Murray and solve 12 clues, each requiring a variety of skills and capabilities before making it to the finish line.
It draws its basis from events such as Amazing Race and Great Urban Race, according to the Maneuver Murray website.
The adventure race is a philanthropic event to benefit the local Need Line. All funds raised by the event will directly benefit families of Murray and Calloway County.
“The Murray Bank has generously offered to sponsor our T-shirts for the race this year, which means all the money gained from registration is a direct profit to Need Line,” Mucci said.
She said this is extremely beneficial to the race’s purpose of raising money for the Need Line.
Mucci said people can enter the race by filling out the online registration form or a physical form in the Lowry Center.
“Because the race is still relatively new, people don’t completely understand it until they do it and they end up being pleasantly surprised,” Mucci said.
Contestants must have a minimum of two people on their team but may have no more than four.
Teams have three hours to solve at least 11 of the 12 clues given to them. These clues demand clever navigation as well as physical and mental merit.
All participants who register before March 26 are guaranteed to receive a T-shirt and a goodie bag. First and second place winners of the race will receive a cash prize.
While this event is referred to as a race, it requires intellectual efficiencies and a great deal of willpower along with basic physical tests.
“One part race, one part puzzle-cracker, one part Murray exploration, a few parts philanthropy for Need Line and all parts fun,” is what the Maneuver Murray race is all about, according to the event’s website.
Demi St. John, junior from Edwardsville, Ill., also serves as a committee member for Maneuver Murray. Having participated as a contestant in the race before, St. John said she is excited to see the contest from a different perspective.
St. John said Maneuver Murray was one of the most fun things she has done since she started college.
“It’s a great way to incorporate the city of Murray and campus life together,” St. John said.
She said she thinks having this event as the Honors Program philanthropy and giving back to the Need Line and the community is rewarding.
“It’s after the holidays and people aren’t really thinking about giving to Need Line as much,” St. John said. “I think that’s one of the really great things about having the race at this time of the year. We get the opportunity to give to them when they don’t have as much of a flow of money coming in.”
Because the event takes place in April, St. John said the weather may be tricky but the event will take place rain or shine.
“Everyone watches the Amazing Race on TV, but not everyone is going to get that opportunity or even be physically fit enough to do an event like that,” St. John said. “Maneuver Murray is for absolutely anyone to participate.”
St. John said tasks can range from random trivia questions to eating challenges and even folding pizza boxes.
“Last year we had a challenge where you had to stick your arm in this huge bag of gross stuff to find a key to unlock a box full of supplies to pitch a tent, and you had to build the tent right then and there,” St. John said.
She said the event has grown drastically in the short time since it was established.
Said St. John: “A lot of people complain about how they’re bored on the weekends in Murray, and this is a reason not to be.”
Story by Alex Mahrenholz, Staff writer