For the first time, we re-used 3 of the 5 stages from the 10k on the 5k course. We normally try to separate them, but we enjoyed those stages so much we decided to keep them for both days. The 5k course of fire had 36 rifle hits and 35 pistol hits across 3.7-ish miles. The 10k course had 48 rifle hits and 47 pistol hits across 6.2-ish miles. Note that we map the distance on a computer with a terrain mapping program and not directly mapping it on foot using GPS. It is quite entertaining hearing the varying distances that competitors come back with on their personal devices.

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Per our normal operating procedure, competitors were forced to shoot stages blind, giving no competitor an advantage from watching other shooters complete the stage. We incorporated a new aspect into our matches that we called open stages. In an open stage, competitors were allowed to choose their preferred weapon platform to engage the targets (targets within 50 yards were counted toward the pistol count and targets past 50 yards were counted toward the rifle count). It was very interesting to see how competitors approached this as it pertained to their skill sets. Some competitors benefitted from the open stages while others struggled. If you haven’t noticed, our intention is to offer a unique and exciting experience, while also giving competitors an opportunity to learn areas of personal improvement.