# Post Hunt

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The '''Post Hunt''' was a [puzzlehunt](/source/puzzlehunt) in [Washington, D.C](/source/Washington%2C_DC)., run annually from 2008 to 2016. 

It was created by [Miami Herald](/source/Miami_Herald) columnist [Dave Barry](/source/Dave_Barry), [Gene Weingarten](/source/Gene_Weingarten), and [Tom Shroder](/source/Tom_Shroder), in the spirit of the [Tropic Hunt](/source/Tropic_Hunt) they had run in Miami, Florida, since 1984.

The inaugural run, hosted by the ''[Washington Post Magazine](/source/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](/source/phone_number), or directs Hunters to go to a certain out-of-the-way location and give a [password](/source/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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Post Hunt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_Hunt) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_Hunt?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.