The '''Post Hunt''' was a puzzlehunt in Washington, D.C., run annually from 2008 to 2016.
It was created by Miami Herald columnist Dave Barry, Gene Weingarten, and Tom Shroder, in the spirit of the Tropic Hunt they had run in Miami, Florida, since 1984.
The inaugural run, hosted by the ''Washington Post Magazine'' in downtown Washington, D.C., drew about 5,000 people, including dozens who came up from South Florida.<ref>{{cite news |last=Weingarten |first=Gene |author2=Shroder, Tom |date=2008-05-19 |title=Post Hunt: The Aftermath |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/05/15/DI2008051501542.html |accessdate=2008-08-10 |work=Chat Transcript |publisher=Washington Post |archive-date=2008-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724211353/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/05/15/DI2008051501542.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2015, for the first time in 10 years, Gene Weingarten, now a columnist for the ''Post Magazine'', joined Shroder, now editor of the ''Post Magazine'', and Barry in designing the Hunt. The final hunt took place on May 22, 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|title=The Washington Post Magazine Editor’s Note on Peeps Contest, Post Hunt |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/pr/wp/2017/03/07/the-washington-post-magazine-editors-note-on-peeps-contest-post-hunt/?noredirect=on}}</ref>
== Format == The Hunt consisted of three parts. Answering the "opening questions" directed Hunters to five puzzle sites scattered through the Hunt area. Solving the five Hunt puzzles—the answer was always a number—indicates the five authentic clues on a list of dozens of numbered bogus clues. Hunters had three hours to solve the puzzles, then at 3 p.m., a sixth and final clue was announced from the main stage. This began the "endgame", the day's most difficult puzzle. Solving the endgame often leads to a phone number, or directs Hunters to go to a certain out-of-the-way location and give a password to someone identified in a cryptic way.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://puzzler.multiply.com/journal/item/30|title=Winning the Herald Hunt|accessdate=2008-08-10|author=Engelberg, Mark|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714132022/http://puzzler.multiply.com/journal/item/30|archivedate=2011-07-14}}</ref>
== Winners ==
* 2016: Benjamin McRae, Erin McRae, Mark Swiatek, and Michael Engard<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/05/22/rain-wouldnt-stop-thousands-of-puzzlers-from-taking-on-the-2016-post-hunt/|title=Rain, sweat and brains: Inside the 2016:|last=Contrera|first=Jessica|date=2016-05-22|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286|access-date=2016-05-26|archive-date=2016-05-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160524142257/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/05/22/rain-wouldnt-stop-thousands-of-puzzlers-from-taking-on-the-2016-post-hunt/|url-status=live}}</ref> * 2015: Todd Etter, Chris Guthrie, Matthew Hartman, and Charlie Scarborough<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2015/05/31/annoyingly-smart-post-hunt-team-takes-first-place-for-the-third-time/|title=Annoyingly smart Post Hunt team takes First Place for the third time|date=2015-05-31|last=Contrera|first=Jessica|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286|access-date=2018-01-19|archive-date=2015-06-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150601221822/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2015/05/31/annoyingly-smart-post-hunt-team-takes-first-place-for-the-third-time/|url-status=live}}</ref> * 2014: Todd Etter, David Forrest, Chris Guthrie, and Charlie Scarborough<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/veteran-post-hunt-champions-take-the-prize-once-again/2014/06/01/b3d02050-e9cd-11e3-93d2-edd4be1f5d9e_story.html|title=Veteran Post Hunt Champions Take the Prize Once Again|date=2014-06-01|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286|access-date=2018-01-19|archive-date=2018-01-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180120124021/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/veteran-post-hunt-champions-take-the-prize-once-again/2014/06/01/b3d02050-e9cd-11e3-93d2-edd4be1f5d9e_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> * 2013: solo participant Sean Memon<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vwtech.com/tropichunt/year_detail.asp?huntyear=2013&huntpaper=post|title=The 2013 Post Hunt|accessdate=2014-03-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308044742/http://www.vwtech.com/tropichunt/year_detail.asp?huntyear=2013&huntpaper=post|archive-date=2014-03-08|url-status=dead}}</ref> * 2012: Phil Spector, 35, of Washington; Sabita Soneji, 35, of Washington; John Mackedon, 34, of Washington; Mark Cackler, 57, of Falls Church; Timothy Bouley, 31, of Washington; Madalina Cristoloveanu, 31, of Washington; Ebony Sunala Johnson of Maryland; Kris White, 29, of Washington; Sean Sharifi, 30, of Vienna; Nicole Mechem, 32, of Washington; Damon Taaffe, 35, of Arlington; Alva Kretschmer, 27, of Washington; Patricia Van de Velde, 27, of Washington<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vwtech.com/tropichunt/year_detail.asp?huntyear=2012&huntpaper=post|title=The 2012 Post Hunt|accessdate=2012-08-06|url-status=bot: unknown|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806063546/http://www.vwtech.com/tropichunt/year_detail.asp?huntyear=2012&huntpaper=post|archivedate=2012-08-06}}</ref> * 2011: Sean and Diana Viera, Alex Elliott, Kevin Chang, James Auwaerter, Amy Posten and Galen Mullins<ref>{{cite web|url=https://live.washingtonpost.com/post-post-hunt-2011.html|title=Recovering from the 2011 Post Hunt|date=2011-06-06|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286|access-date=2018-01-19}}</ref> * 2010: John Sanders, Eana Chung, Eric Pilar, Chris Wong, Suzanne Schwartz, Joe Grossman and Katie Elder<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2010/06/07/ST2010060700623.html?sid=ST2010060700623|title=Group of seven wins $2,000 Post Hunt prize|date=2010-06-07|last=Lowman|first=Stephen|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286|access-date=2018-01-19|archive-date=2018-01-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180120124351/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2010/06/07/ST2010060700623.html?sid=ST2010060700623|url-status=live}}</ref> * 2009: David Shahoulian, Emma Filstrup, Serena Hoy, Jim Reilly, Jenny Hunter, and Tom Jawetz<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/17/AR2009051702042.html|title=The:|last=Antoniades|first=Christina|date=2009-05-18|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286|access-date=2018-01-19}}</ref> * 2008: Todd Etter, David Forrest, Chris Guthrie, and Jack Reda<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/18/AR2008051802315.html|title=Urban Safari Participants Find Equal Parts Fun and Frustration|last=Ruane|first=Michael E.|date=2008-05-19|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286|access-date=2018-01-19|archive-date=2018-01-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180120124555/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/18/AR2008051802315.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.washingtonpost.com/posthunt Official site] * [http://www.vwtech.com/tropichunt/ The Tropic/Herald Hunt Archives]
Category:Puzzle hunts