MK Schooldays: 10km Race Mystery Cache

This is the 10 kilometre race from the MK Schooldays series of caches by MKGees. The series is based very loosely around GCSE examinations.

The puzzle icon is shown at one of Milton Keynes' educational establishments, in this case Shenley Brook End School.

However, the cache is not at this location. Please do not attempt to park or search there. It is not there.

As with all of this series, we are available for mentoring and support by email on request.

GCSEs were introduced into secondary schools in England in 1986 to replace the previous GCE "O" Levels and CSEs. They are available in a bewildering array of different subjects in a number of distinct categories. Running sits in the Physical Education category.

Passing this examination will reveal Bonus Code I for MK Schooldays: Graduation Day.

Physical Education Examination: Time Limit 2 Hours

It isn't much of a question really, it's more of a practical....

We have laid out a 10km course starting at the coordinates above, which is a redway in front of Shenley Brook End School.

At the start point, and at each subsequent kilometre, you will need to find a piece of information which is used to take you to the next marker. Simply follow them all in sequence from start to end and you will reveal the location of the final cache.

Most of the markers are near to estate roads and could be reached by car if you are lazy, but be wary at all times because the PE Teacher may be lurking just out of sight, waiting for schoolchildren who are trying to cheat.

The entire course consists of redways or good quality paths. All of the route is accessible to wheelchair users, cyclists and childrens' buggies regardless of the weather. The course will take you through several areas but will finish quite close to the start. You'll have to do the course to find out exactly where, but rest assured that even we aren't cruel enough to leave you 10 kilometres away from your car. The final cache is also quite close to the start.

Extra Scooby Snax will be awarded to the most ingenious or bizarre means of completing the course - upload photos. If you add your time and mode of transport we might even maintain a leader board on this page.

Because we want everyone to follow the right course we have included directions, but you may find a map of Milton Keynes useful.

To avoid repetition during the descriptions, please "listen very carefully, I will say this only once...."

If I say "enumerate" the text I mean A=1, B=2, C=3, etc. Digits are used as they are seen. So if the text reads "I am 45" you will end up with "A BCD EF" = "9 113 45" There is a new set of values at each kilometre marker, so you don't need them again once you have calculated the next location. Otherwise we would rapidly run out of letters of the alphabet. At each marker you'll get one digit for the final location. So I'll give you something like Q = D - B (2 in the example here). Remember Q thru Z as you will need all 10 of these at the end.

Now you're probably very confused, but hopefully all will become clear as you read the actual steps.

And finally, I hope you are now wearing your kit, have done all your warmup routines and have remembered to go to the toilet, because we are about to start. Also before you start, make sure you have a pen and some paper as there is a lot of writing to do. So let the countdown begin........

On your marks, get set, GO !

START POINT

Task - Enumerate the shortest place name as A BC DE FG HI JK LM

Final Code - No code for the final cache here. You are going to have to do at least 1km before you get any goodies. Sorry.

Route - Follow the redway past the front of the school. Turn right and right again alongside the H7 towards Westcroft Roundabout until you get to

Next Marker - N 52^o I(D-C).B(E-D)F W 000^o M(G+C).(K-H)(B+F)I

1km MARKER

Task - Enumerate the label to get AB C DEF

Final Code - Q = C - D

Route - Head uphill into Emerson Valley and straight on. At the second hill/roundabout turn left towards

Next Marker - N 52^o (C-D)(F-E-D).(C+D)(C+F)(A-D) W 000^o (A-C)A.F(E-D)(A+E)

2km MARKER

Task - Enumerate the label to get AB CD EFG

Final Code - R = D - E

Route - Continue and turn left down the redway, into Shenley Brook End and then to Shenley Lodge. At the T-junction turn left up the hill towards

Next Marker - N 52^o (F-G)(E-D).(A+G)D(E-C) W 000^o (F+G)B.D(D-C)C

3km MARKER

Task - Enumerate the label to get AB C DEFG

Final Code - S = B

Route - Up the hill and right up the redway towards Edison Square. Go round the square on the redway then keep heading for Knowlhill until you get to

Next Marker - N 52^o (G-F-D)D.(B-G)(F-D)(B+C) W 000^o BA.GB(C-F)

4km MARKER

Task - Grade A Chieftain BCD British Standard EFG

Final Code - T = E

Route - Down the hill and turn right at the bottom. Turn left on the redway in the park and continue until you get to

Next Marker - N 52^o DA.(A+E)BC W 000^o E(B-A).F(F-E)B

5km MARKER

Task - Enumerate the label to get AB CD EFGH Cycle Route IJ

Final Code - U = A

Route - Keep going, left on the path and around the concrete "D" then up alongside the H6 until you get to

Next Marker - N 52^o (F-G)J.IA(B+D) W 000^o BA.(C+D)(A+E)(F+G+H)

6km MARKER

Task - Gather information from the signs - Only look at the faces you can see from the path - don't bother looking around the back. Distance to CMK = A/B, Distance to Kingsmead = C D/E, Number of Pedestrians=F, Number of Bicycles=G, Number of Fingerboards on the post=H

Final Code - V = H

Route - Into Loughton and down the hill. Turn left by the school and keep going until you get to

Next Marker - N 52^o (B-E)A.(A+F)(C+H)C West 000^o H(D+E).AB(B+E)

7km MARKER

Task - Don't park between A am and B pm. Enumerate the label to C DEF

Final Code - W = C

Route - Past the Talbot, under the bridge and then left up the redway towards the Shenley Church Inn, then left towards Glastonbury Thorn School. Turn right on the redway here and follow alongside the road until you get to

Next Marker - N 52^o (A-B-D)E.DD(E+F) W 000^o (B-D)C.EE(C+D)

8km MARKER

Task - Humps for ABC yds on post DEF

Final Code - X = D-A

Route - Straight along here and under into Shenley Wood. Up the hill, turn left and go until you get to

Next Marker - N 52^o CE.(D+F)(D-A)(F-A) W 000^o (A+F)B.(D-A)C(A+A+F)

Update May 2014 - Reported that some of the information is missing so you can use this calculation

Next Marker - N 52^o CC.(B+2A)(B-2A)(2A) W 000^o (B-3A)B.(B-2A)C(B-2A)

9km MARKER

Task - Speed AB, Height Limit C.Dm

Final Code - Y = CxCxC

Route - Back to the redway and down into Shenley Brook End. Into the park, quick right/left in the bottom and out up the big hill. Right at the top and finish at

Next Marker - North 52^o (A-D)B.(C+C+A)CB West 000^o (A+C+D)((CxCxC)-A).CD(CxCxC)

END MARKER

Task - Enumerate the word that appears 3 times - AB C D EF GH I JK

Final Code - Z = D + J

Route - No more directions, you are on your own now.....But at least you have finished the course.

Hospitality Tent

The final cache is located at North 52^o QR.STU West 000^o VW.XYZ

You are looking for a 450ml clip lock box covered in black duck tape. It contains a small log book and pencil/pen. Please, as ever, take care to replace the cache as you found it.

All calculated coordinates are as they appear on GoogleMaps, which may be a few feet from where your GPS thinks it is. However, all of the markers are obvious when you get there, so you shouldn't have trouble picking the right items to read.

We hope you enjoy your studies and that you get the grades you need.