Media release
For immediate use

18 June 2008

Save the World – Run Labryinths

Forget carbon emissions, a lost ancient Olympic sport will save the world.
The sport is called Labyrinth Running, and the local Kiwi team need your help.

Conceived as part of “The Lost Ring” game, Labyrinth Running is a fun outdoor sport that is currently being played in San Francisco, London, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Zurich, Ontario, Madrid, Tokyo and numerous other cities around the world. Our team in Wellington are currently second on the leaderboard behind New York, but hope to be at the top by August.

“The Lost Ring” itself is part scavenger hunt, part collaborative puzzle solving, and part interactive story. These types of games are loosely defined as “alternative reality games” – an online/offline with a fictional story played out in the real world. Organised by Jane McGonigal on behalf of the Olympic committee, “The Lost Ring” has been designed to help people experience what they call “the Olympic spirit”. What this means is that they want people from all around the world to experience working together towards a common goal - a truly global community.

Within the epic story being told through the game, Labyrinth Running will ultimately save our world from the threat of almost total destruction!

Labyrinth Running is a team game that involves a blindfolded runner trying to make their way out of a classical labyrinth. The rest of the team form the walls of the labyrinth and hum to help the runner get a sense of direction. It’s heaps of fun, and gets everyone outside and playing together. The global competition to see who can get out of the labyrinth in the fastest time is heating up, and Wellington have a great shot of coming out on top.

Some useful links:
• An article about MacDonald’s involvement in the Game - New York Times
• Another news article about The Lost Ring & Labyrinth Running
• The Lost Ring official website (with great trailers)
• The Wellington team’s blog (with useful FAQs)
• A wiki-page about the game
• What is an Alternative Reality Game?

ENDS