NZ Labyrinth Training

Team Reunion - Open to new players too!

2009-02-05T11:09:00.010+13:00

Sunday 22nd February, 2009
12:00pm onward (coffee/drink afterwards)
Queen's Wharf Square

We're very excited to announce that almost six months after the Multiverse Olympics, the discoverers of the "Lost Sport" of Labyrinth Running - Jane McGonigal and her husband Kiyash - will be in Wellington for the Webstock Conference.

While here, they're keen to get together and play the sport with our Multiverse PWNing team - a perfect opportunity for a Team Reunion!

Alongside this, we're aware that lots of people who wanted to play with us back during the leadup to the Olympics never got a chance. As such, we'd like to welcome anyone else who is interested to come along and play too, or just watch from the sidelines if you'd like.

We'll be confirming the timing on the day soon, and hope to see you there on the 22nd!

Bronze & GOLD at the Finals!

2008-08-26T22:39:00.010+12:00

This was our Labyrinth Running Team lineup for the Global Labyrinth Running Finals, where we competed against teams in Beijing, Tokyo, San Francisco, Salvador and London.

The final results were:

3-Circuit Labyrinth
Gold: Tokyo, Silver: San Francisco, Bronze: Wellington

7-Circuit Labyrinth
Gold: Wellington, Silver: San Francisco, Bronze: Beijing

A huge thank you to everyone who was involved in the finals, and all our training sessions leading up to them. It's been wonderful to play with you, and amazing to see our little community arise around such an unusual passtime!

Here is the finals video with all six teams running:

And here is another video of just our efforts - thanks to Thomas and Jo for shooting & editing it, and providing a perfect final sentiment.

Team Wellington - Multiverse Olympics 24 Aug 2008 from Jo Eaton on Vimeo.

This is the Final Countdown...

2008-07-31T11:19:00.005+12:00

The Global Finals of the Labyrinth Training Competition are now clearly on the horizon, and we've got three last training sessions before the big day.

We hope you can join us for one, two or all of the next three Sundays at 2pm, and then on the morning of Sunday 24th of August for the Global Finals. As always, we'll start with hot drinks and something to eat, and it will be a great time for all.

A big thanks to Victoria University of Wellington, who have granted us use of the University Quad for all three training sessions and the finals - so if the weather remains windy, rainy and horrible, we'll still be sheltered and dry.

We also still need to send in our final team roster, so if you're keen to be a part of our official team, just let us know - it would be ideal if you can make it to at least one of the training sessions, but if that's not possible we can give you a quick training before the finals.

Here's to New Zealand taking home the Gold for Australasia!

"Front Runner for the Gold"!

2008-07-24T09:42:00.018+12:00

After our outstanding record-breaking training session, we've been named "front runner for the gold" in this competition by Game Designer Jane McGonigal. You can check out her latest blog post, which also talks about the coming finals and other teams at: www.avantgame.blogspot.com.

Also, we've had a change of venue for this Sunday's training, the details of which are now:

Sunday 27th July, 2008
2:00pm - 3:00pm
Queen's Wharf Square

Finally a Video From Above!

2008-07-19T22:01:00.008+12:00

For all those who are still a bit confused as to what this outdoor sport is all about, here is a video from today's training - finally filmed from above so you can get a real sense about what it we're actually doing. Oh, and we managed to absolutely smash the world record we set ourselves two weeks ago...

We still really need more players to join our team for the Global Finals on the 24th of August - if anyone is keen, we're a really friendly bunch, please either get in touch or just come along!

Next training:
Sunday 27th July, 2008
2:00pm - 3:00pm
Queen's Wharf Square
(NOT Vic Uni Quad)

Venue Change for Saturday + Recruitment!

2008-07-17T13:13:00.004+12:00

As per the post below, we're shifting this Saturday 19th Training to the Victoria University Quad - due to the forecast of nasty weather.

We can recommend the #23 Bus on the day - passing through Newtown from around 1:40pm, Courtenay Place around 1:50pm, Lampton Quay around 1:55pm and arriving up at the University around 2pm.

Aside from that, we're needing to start finalising our roster of 16 players for the morning of the 24th of August when we'll be racing simultaneously against the five other teams in five other continents. If you're keen to be a part of our team on the day, please find out what your "Ancient Strength" is, and email us with your name, strength and contact details. We will be passing on our team list to others around the globe, so if you don't want your real name out there, please also provide us with a nickname.

If you'd rather not be a part of the final team, we'd love to have people who'd like to come along and support us on the day - all going well we can go down in history as the fastest Labyrinth Running Team on the planet! (of all things!)

Come join in the fun!

2008-07-07T14:32:00.010+12:00

The "Lost Sport" of Labyrinth Running is a global competition which has been created as a part of the leadup to the 2008 Olympic Games. Played by teams around the world, we are currently at the top of the leaderboard - and intend to take home the Gold.

The competition is heating up, and our top times will soon be beaten. So we'd love for you to join us in playing this brilliant outdoor game and help us stay number one. It's easy to learn, heaps of fun, and we always start with free tea, coffee and baked goods. You're welcome to just come along on the day (you can hardly miss us), have a watch and get involved if you feel like it.

Our next session will be:
Saturday 19th July, 2008
2:00pm - 3:00pm
~~Queen's Wharf Square~~
Victoria University Quad
(We're expecting wet weather!)

If you have any questions, check out our FAQs on the right, or drop us an email at thelostsport@gmail.com.

With your help, New Zealand can beat the other teams from around the world and take home First Place in this unofficial Olympic Sport!

NZ Currently Fastest Team in the World!

2008-07-07T14:09:00.006+12:00

Our training session on Sunday 6th of July was so successful that we are now the fastest team in the World - at both the 3-Circuit and 7-Circuit Labyrinth Run Sizes.

Our top times:
3-Circuit Labyrinth: 12.06 Seconds
7-Circuit Labyrinth: 1 Minute 25.25 Seconds

Here is a photo of our team from the day - minus one key member who had to leave early (who we'll try and Photoshop in later):

We hope to see this team continue to grow over the coming weeks - the more people that join in, the faster times we'll be able to get on the huge 7-Circuit Labyrinth Track.

PS. The ring in the picture above is part of the larger game that this Labyrinth Running is a part of - there will be one of these rings found in each Continent, and this is the one for Australasia. Check out a closeup of it HERE.

The Last 8 Weeks of the Competition

2008-06-30T13:16:00.011+12:00

The competition to be the fastest Labyrinth Running team in the World will end with the Olympics themselves by the 24th of August, which means we're now in the final stage with only 8 weeks to go.

As such, we're wanting to step up our efforts by having training sessions each weekend from here on in. We're looking for anyone who is interested in joining us, learning this fun outdoor game, and helping New Zealand bring home the Gold.

Our next Training Session will be:
Sunday 6th July, 2008
2:00pm - 3:30pm
Queen's Wharf Square
(Wet Weather Option: Victoria University Quad)

We will be following this up with another Training Session in two weeks time, and then each weekend after that.

As always, there will be hot drinks and refreshments, lots of laughs and heaps of fun. Getting to be the best in the world at a really enjoyable "sport" is just a bonus.

So please come along and help us beat the other teams as far flung as London, San Francisco, New York, Madrid, Tokyo, Sao Paolo, Zurich and Jerusalem.

Giant Labyrinth a Success!

2008-06-23T11:36:00.004+12:00

Well, we've finally got the data off the Trackstick - and bar a couple of weird GPS errors, the Giant Labyrinth looks great! You can download the file for viewing on Google Earth here:

Wellington Omphalabyrinth.kmz

It took us 2 1/2 hours to walk, as a group of eight - a big thanks to everyone who came along. We're working on the video at the moment, which is effectively a sped-up 15 minute Labyrinthine "Tour" of Wellington City. Unfortunately we're having stability problems with our home compy, so I'm not 100% sure when I'll be able to get it uploaded.

In the meantime, here is a pic of what we were up to 5 minutes after finishing the epic morning constitutional...

Drawing a Giant Labyrinth upon Wellington City

2008-06-19T12:13:00.007+12:00

Believe it or not, we'll be doing this crazy activity this coming Saturday, 21st of June - meeting at Epic Cafe on the corner of Willis and Ghuznee from 9am for coffee, and then starting the labyrinth from the top of Dixon Street Steps from 10am sharp. If you can handle a Saturday morning walking around this beautiful city, we invite one and all to join us in it.

Our city has been chosen alongside 27 others around the globe to design and "draw" a Giant Labyrinth design using our city streets - as seen below. We have been provided with a GPS-type device called a "Trackstick", and hope to be the 4th of the 27 cities to complete the mission.

We'll be walking this path using the trackstick, capturing the event on video - including pointing out local landmarks, great cafes, etc (and speeding up the boring walking bits). All those who aren't able to make it along on the day can expect to see the results up here soon!

Labyrinth Training LIVE!

2008-06-07T11:20:00.005+12:00

We're going to give broadcasting the second half of our training session today live on www.seero.com. We'll aim to start the webcast at 2:30pm NZ Time (GMT+12). To find out what that time is where you are, use this handy tool.

If the technology works, you should see it just below!
[EDIT: Now below is a recording of what we webcast live.]

Next Labyrinth Training: Saturday 7th June

2008-05-29T10:06:00.014+12:00

Saturday 7th June, 2008
2:00pm - 3:00pm
Queen's Wharf Square

It'll be heaps of fun and afternoon tea will be provided (including freshly baked Chocolate Chip Cookies).

While we all enjoy a long weekend for Queen's Birthday, there will be the first Labyrinth Training sessions happening in Tokyo, London and Portland Oregon. Players of the Lost Sport continue to rise up across the globe, and the competition is starting to heat up.

Our session last weekend didn't set any records, but was awesome fun - being our first including children under 10. Watching a 7-year old run a 3-Circuit Labyrinth in 40 seconds was incredible!

We had hoped to have our next training event simultaneously with groups playing in New York, San Francisco, Austin and Sao Paolo - but that would've been 9am Sunday for us, and bugger that! As an alternative, we're hoping to do a live webcast of the second half of our session, from 2:30pm NZ time.

If you've never played before, don't worry, we'll get you fully up to speed in the first half-hour so we can all look like professionals for the other teams around the world. If you're not sure what that webcast would look like, check out the videos of our previous training runs further down the page on this blog.

Labyrinth Training Saturday 24th May

2008-05-18T23:03:00.004+12:00

Well, we've just had word that San Francisco cracked our 16 second record today - with video proof pending. When it's up, we'll link through to it.

EDIT: Saturday's venue has been changed due to the weather forecast - we decided to move it to somewhere more sheltered - if you need a ride, let us know and we'll see what we can organise.

Saturday 24th May, 2008
3:30pm - 4:30pm
~~Queen's Wharf Square~~
Victoria University "Quad"
Entrance #5 off Kelburn Parade

If you've never come along before, don't worry - it's easy to pick up, and we'd love to see you there. If you'd like to know more about "The Lost Sport", check out our brief explanation. We'll be having a number of sessions in the coming weeks, so keep an eye on this blog for results and the next dates.

3-Circuit Labyrinth in 16 Seconds!

2008-05-08T22:10:00.007+12:00

Results are in from our training session last Sunday 4th May.

Although San Francisco and Los Angeles didn't have the numbers to do a synchronised training, we had a heck of a lot of fun anyway. And as you can see, we're getting pretty damn good at it!

More updates to come soon, including the time and date of our next training session.

Wellington vs San Francisco Training Event: Sunday 4th May 11am (NZ Time)

2008-04-28T20:26:00.014+12:00

Join us for the modern world's first Simultaneous Labyrinth Run: Wellington at 11am Sunday 4th / San Francisco at 4pm Saturday 3rd.

Sunday 4th May, 2008
11:00am - 12:00pm
Queen's Wharf Square

They currently hold the fastest male time for a 3-circuit Labyrinth Run, and we hold the fastest female time - as per the first official Labyrinth Training Report. San Francisco is also the only location to have tried a 7-Circuit Labyrinth so far, largely due to the number of people it requires.

The plan is to synchronize watches with the Californians, and co-ordinate simultaneous races via Cellphone. It really is a small world after all...

Once again we'll have tea, coffee & snacks available, and you're welcome to bring friends, family and loved ones.

If you still have no idea what this Labyrinth Training thing is all about, here is our brief explanation.

Hope to see you there!

3rd Training Session now Sunday of Anzac Weekend

2008-04-19T18:28:00.009+12:00

We were going to do a session Sunday 20th, but due to a few key people not being able to make it, we've postponed to the following Sunday:

Sunday 27th April, 2008
1:00pm - 2:00pm
~~Queen's Wharf Square~~
Now at Victoria University Quad!

Once again, any friends and family are welcome as well - and we'll have snacks, drinks and lots of fun. If you're free, just stop on by.

UPDATE: The team in San Francisco beat our best time (seen below), so we've got a target to hit. They also recorded the first international time for a 7-Circuit Labyrinth, which is ripe for the challenging. Once we have more info on their runs, we'll post links to it here.

Briefly Held 3-Circuit Record: 27 Seconds!

2008-04-19T16:28:00.008+12:00

UPDATE: A team in San Francisco has managed to beat this record, but it's a great video of a fast time all the same.
________________________________________________________

Oh yeah. That's right. A small but dedicated group got together for our second Labyrinth Training Session, braving the cold biting Wellington wind.

Atalanta lived up to her Thumos strength and picked up the role of runner so fast. We're really getting the hang of being walls too.

Check it out:

Unfortunately we didn't have the numbers to move onto the 5-Circuit Labyrinth we drew, but hopefully with better conditions we'll have a better turnout.

Thanks to everyone who wasn't put off by the weather & attended, and to thomasscovell & starlajo for the video!

Saturday 11am Training will be @ Queens Wharf

2008-04-18T17:18:00.009+12:00

It may have been a beautiful summery day today, but the Metservice are predicting rain and developing Southerlies tomorrow. Rather than disbelieve the weatherman, we're going to play it safe.

So training will now take place in the same location as last time:

Under the Sails
Queens Wharf Square
Saturday 19th April, 11am

And who knows, we might get some more members for our humming walls from the Armageddon community who'll all be inside the TSB Bank Arena!

Once again we'll come with tea and coffee and snacks. And trust us, it was sheltered enough last time with rain hosing down elsewhere - so we should be fine.

Hope to see you there!

Second Training Event This Saturday

2008-04-15T13:35:00.008+12:00

Saturday 19th April, 2008
11am - 12pm
Now @ Queen's Wharf (was Waitangi Park)

Everyone is welcome, as are your friends!

Wet weather venue: Queen's Wharf Square

If you're planning on coming, it would great if you could
Discover Your Ancient Strength.
This will help us allocate roles on the day.

We'll be providing snacky happiness, so please let us know whether you're coming so we can ensure we have enough. You can RSVP via email or the comments section below.

If you have any questions, email us at thelostsport@gmail.com

Practicing Drawing a 5-Circuit Labyrinth

2008-04-13T22:30:00.006+12:00

After discovering the 3-circuit labyrinths really easy to make, we found ourselves facing a much harder challenge with the 5-circuit.
It took us over an hour, with much head-scratching and sketching on paper. Now looking online, we can see that we drew it somewhat more complicated than the one in the Codex.

Instead of making an enormous central point, we took the time and effort to follow the style of the 7-Circuit - resulting in an irregular diamond shape "hole", and a constant 2 foot gap between walls. As it's meant to be a "training labyrinth" for the Olympic Size, it's possible that this design might actually be more useful than that shown in the codex - we'll have to decide before next Saturday which we'll use.

Speaking of Saturday, if you'll be in Wellington, please join us for our second training session. We'll be in Waitangi Park from 11am - exactly where in the park we're not yet sure, but we'll confirm on here before then. In the case of bad weather, we'll return to Queen's Wharf as it's mostly sheltered.

Hope to see you then!

First Video!

2008-04-08T10:14:00.008+12:00

Finally! Here is the initial video of our first training efforts on Saturday 5th April:

Google Video seems to have majorly compressed it, so if I can get a better quality version up, I'll update this...

A big thanks to all those who participated, and elisa & jon who recorded the event for posterity!

The Beginning

2008-04-07T02:51:00.009+12:00

Welcome to the online home of the NZ Labyrinth Training group - based in Wellington.

You may be wondering just what Labyrinth Training is, or how it might be able to save the world - and rightly so. We'll be updating this site very soon with links and information to help you answer those questions, as well as results from past training and plans for the future.

Suffice to say for now, this is part of a global effort to revive The Lost Sport - a game dating back to the Ancient Olympics. So far training has begun in Guelph, Ontario (video/photos) and Madrid, Spain (video/photos) . Our event on the 5th of April was the third such recorded.

The next event we have planned is on Saturday 19th of April - in Waitangi Park. All are welcome!