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Race Around the Block

by Nathan Fung with the assistance of Bowen Kerins

This runaround puzzle consists of two paths in which information along both paths is relevant in determining which instruction is the next part of each path.

The correct instruction order is as follows:

0-10-19-20-18-39-14-13-25-21-40-9-30-26-12-24-17-22-5-23-1-7-4-16-11-2...

0-2-5-3-38-32-34-9-33-35-28-4-29-31-27-15-37-20-36-8-6-10...

The instructions of each path continue until the first non-zero instruction of the other path is reached forming a loop.

Both paths make use of instructions 4, 5, 9, and 20. Read in the order that those instructions appear on the first path gives the order 20, 9, 5, 4, which clues the answer TIED.

Path 1

0:
Start where you see one city three times on a red line. Stand facing the newest one. Go to the instruction of the building number of the other starting point. (This start location is in front of the mural that shows the largest city and when it became the largest city. Constantinople appears three times along one wall where the line the cities are printed on is in red. The other start point is the 10-485 sign. Go to 10.)

10:
Turn to the right. At the intersection, turn right. Follow this hallway until you find a set of photographs arranged in a rectangle next to a window. Count the number of people in the lower right photo.

Turn around and head back down this hallway. At the intersection, turn left. Go to the instruction of the number of people that you counted. (This instruction brings this group roughly back to the starting point. There are 19 people in the picture being counted. Go to 19.)

19:
Take your next left and go through the double doors. Head right, then continue down this hallway past a copy machine.

Follow this hallway until you see some locked containers on your right. Find the second upper number right of the divider.

Continue following this hallway, through the double doors, until it ends at an intersection. Go to the instruction of the number you found. (The locked containers are the lockers in 33. Go to 20.)

20:
REPEAT SECTION 1 - 20
Straight ahead you will see an arrow. If your previously executed instruction was numbered between 1 and 13 inclusive, turn so that your back is to the sign where the arrow is. If your previously executed instruction was numbered between 14 and 26 inclusive, then go in the direction opposite of the way the arrow is pointing. Otherwise, go in the direction the arrow is pointing.

Go to the instruction that is one less than the number of your previously executed instruction. (This instruction brings the team to the arrow in 35 that points to the right. The instruction was 19 so turn left and go in the direction opposite of the arrow. 19-1 = 18.)
END REPEAT SECTION

18:
Follow this hallway until you see intersecting lines of letters on your right.

If the letter at the intersection is a consonant, turn around and continue in the opposite direction. Otherwise, continue in the same direction. Go through the doors, then down one floor.

Go to the instruction that is the sum of your two previously executed instructions. (A prominent sign on the right wall of 35 shows a sign with DMSE NEWS on it. The intersected letter is E so they do not turn around and go to the flight of stairs at the end of the hall and down one floor. 19+20 = 39.)

39:
Go through the double doors and turn right. Follow this hallway, and go straight at the next intersection.

Continue following this hallway, then stop in front of the door in this building whose five-digit number is the best poker hand. Go to the instruction that is four less than your previously executed instruction. (They turn right into the hallway and reach 35-333. 18-4 = 14.)

14:
This is the checkpoint. Count the number of letters on the door of this room. Pass this two-digit number to the other team. Continue following this hallway in the direction you were going.

Take the other team's previously executed instruction number before their checkpoint. Double this number and add it to the (different) building number of the other team at their checkpoint. Go to the instruction with this number. (The checkpoint is in front of 35-333; the sign reads "Laboratory for Manufacturing and Productivity: Materials Processing Laboratory". The other team is in 3; the instructions the other team was at before reaching the section while at the checkpoint was 5. 2*5+3 = 13. Go to 13.)

13:
Continue down this hallway, then go through the doors on the right. Turn left immediately. Go to the instruction that is the difference between your two previously executed instructions. (The door here is the door into the stairwell at the east end of 35; they are not going down the stairs though, they are just going into 37. 39-14 = 25.)

25:
Go straight over the stairs then through the door. Turn left, and follow this hallway until it ends. Go through the doors on the left.

Once through the doors, turn left, and follow this hallway until it ends.

Sum the last four digits of the string you were passed at the checkpoint and subtract the first digit. Go to the instruction with this number. (The first paragraph brings them through 37 and then the second paragraph, through 39. The string was 18S34099. 4+0+9+9-1 = 21. Go to 21.)

21:
Go through the door to your left. Turn left and follow this hallway. Go through the double doors.

On your right you will see things in wooden frames; stand facing the fourth such thing. This is the checkpoint. Count the number of words on the white sign, and pass this information to the other team.

Face away from what you were looking at. Walk forward a few paces, then turn right.

Take the last two digits of the room number of the other team at their checkpoint. Go to the instruction whose number is the difference between this two-digit number and the building number of the other team at their checkpoint. (The first paragraph is through 38. This checkpoint is the sitting area on the 3rd floor of 34 where this is a picture of a MOSFET described on the displayed sign as being complex. They exit towards 36. There are 28 words on the sign. The other team was at 10-050. 50-10 = 40. Go to 40.)

40:
Follow this hallway past the overhead banners. Go through the wooden double doors. Continue down this hallway, going straight at the next intersection. Go through the door at the end of the hall, then the next door.

Go to the instruction whose number is the sum of the five digits you were passed at the checkpoint. (The first paragraph goes through the elevator lobby of 36 and then through the doors and into the straight hallway and then into 32. They had been passed 10-017. 1+0+0+1+7 = 9.)

9:
REPEAT SECTION 2 - 9
Continue straight until you see some stairs you can descend. Go down them and turn right.

Find the mean of your two previously executed instructions. Go to this numbered instruction, rounding down if necessary. (This is meant to bring them in front of the elevators in 32. The stairs this is meant to describe is really the very small flight of stairs between the elevators and the entrance from 36. floor((40+21)/2) = 30.)
END REPEAT SECTION 2

30:
Take the elevator to the basement. Turn right and follow this hallway. Walk past the vending machines. At the end of the hallway, turn right. Walk past the numbered sign and stop at the door straight ahead.

This is the checkpoint. Tell the other team the five-digit room number of this door.

Take the last digit you were passed at the checkpoint and put it in front of the second-to-last digit to form a two-digit number. Go to the instruction with this number.

(They need to go down the elevator, which the previous instruction brought them right in front of. This brings them into the basement of 32 and then into 26. There is a large sign that reads 26 on a column in this hallway. This checkpoint is outside 26-040. The lower right part of the sign says this. The other team passed the number 1962. Go to 26.)

26:
Turn right. Follow this hallway. Turn left just before the fire alarm, and go through the door.

Go up the stairs to the floor the other team was on for their checkpoint.

Go through the door, then turn right. Go to the instruction two less than the building number of the other team at their checkpoint.

(They are going to the north set of stairs in 26. They go to the fourth floor. The other team was in 14. Go to 12.)

12:
Go straight past the clock, then through the doors into the next building. At the first intersection, turn left.

Go to the instruction two less than your previously executed instruction. (This is taking a left once in building 16. 26-2 = 24)

24:
Go straight into the hallway. Follow this hallway, going straight at any intersection. Turn left immediately after going through the double doors. Go to the last office on the left. Go to the room number where packages may be delivered. Stand facing the door to that room.

On the small white sign underneath the colored area where some numbers are written, count the number of letters in the last row of text. Go to this numbered instruction.

(This brings them through 16 and 56 to 66 where they turn left. On the sign for 66-413 at the end of the hall is a sign that says "Packages may be delivered to 66-460 if I am not here. The bottom row of the door sign for 66-460 says "Prof. Karen K. Gleason 66-466". 17 of these characters are letters so turn to 17.)

17:
Turn left. Walk through the double doors, then a door with a circle on it.

Go up one floor, then out the door. Follow this hallway until you see a happy door on the right. This is the checkpoint. Pass to the other team the sum of all the digits on the sign next to this door.

From the information you were passed, take the last digit and put it in front of the first digit to get a two-digit number. Then take the last two digits of the room number that the other team was at during the checkpoint to get another two-digit number. Find the difference of these numbers and go to the instruction with this number.

(They go to the stairs at the east end of 66. This checkpoint is in front of 66-569. In the middle of the window of the door here is a pink happy face sticker. The sum of the digits is 32, this is passed on. The other team passed the location 2-375 and the number 345. The two digit numbers are 75 and 53. 75-53 = 22.)

22:
Continue down this hallway through the double doors. At the window, turn right (this is the only possible turn here). At the intersection where you see five posters, turn right again.

Find the difference between the number of your previously executed instruction and the number of the instruction you executed two before that. Go to the instruction with this number. (This instruction is meant to bring them past the stairs at the corner of the L of the hallways at 66. 17-12 = 5.)

5:
REPEAT SECTION 3 - 5
Continue straight ahead until you come to a set of stairs on your right. Go to the instruction one more than your previously executed instruction. (They are supposed to go to the north set of stairs in 66. 22+1=23)
END REPEAT SECTION 3

23:
Walk down one floor, then turn right. At the next intersection, turn left into a hallway to another building. Follow this hallway, continuing as straight as possible at any intersection, until it ends at a large window. Turn left, then turn right quickly.

Turn to the instruction one less than the building number of the other team at their checkpoint. (This instruction brings the team to the fourth floor of 66 and then down the hallway of 56 and 16. The other team was in 2. 2-1 = 1.)

1:
Go down the ramp, then turn left through the double doors.

Follow this hallway. Take the next set of stairs down one floor, then go left through the double doors. Find the next stair(s) on the right. Go through the double doors and walk up the stairs as far as you can go.

Go to the instruction two more than the instruction you followed directly before your previously executed instruction. (This brings them into 8 and then down the stairs and then into 6 where they go to the stairwell and to the door at the top of the stairs. 5+2 = 7.)

7:
This is the checkpoint. On the white sign, find the longest string of digits. Pass this string of digits to the other team.

Go to the instruction three more than your previously executed instruction.

(This checkpoint is at the top of the stairs in 6. This string is E18-210. 1 + 3 = 4.)

REPEAT SECTION 4 - 4
Go down the stairs until you can pass through a door to a place you've been before.

Go to the instruction three more than the building number of the other team at their checkpoint. (This brings the team right back to the second floor of 6. The other team was in 13 so go to 16.)
END REPEAT SECTION 4

16:
Turn left and follow this hallway. Go up the next set of stairs on your right two floors.

Take the first digit of what was passed to you in the most recent checkpoint and put it before the last digit to form a two-digit number. Go to the instruction one less than this number. (This brings them to the fourth floor of 8. The string given was 12 and so the two-digit number is also 12 so go to 11.)

11:
Proceed straight ahead. Follow this hallway past two sets of stairs on your left. Continue following the hallway, then stop at the first elevator. Go to the instruction that is half the quotient of your two previously executed instructions. (They are meant to go straight at the intersection where the stairs emerge and then all the way down this hallway and down Strobe Alley. After the stairs, the first room is 10-485. 16/4/2 = 2)

2: (other group picks up here)

Path 2

0: Start facing away from where the neon room numbers glow brightly. In front of the other starting point is a sign with a number between two symbols at the bottom. Go to this numbered instruction. (This start location is in front of the 10-485 sign. The other start location has a series of signs that show the largest ten cities each century. The one in front of the other start location has <2% Urban written at the bottom. Go to 2.)

2:
Follow this hallway past the stairs on the left, past a big screen TV, and past another stairway. Turn left at the intersection.

Go past the stairs and follow this hallway as it shifts. Continue until you reach a picture of a predictive instrument. Count the number of letters on the top row of the sign in this picture. Go to the instruction with this number. (These instructions bring the team from 10 and into 3 to a sign for Gary's Weather Forecasting Stone. The top row has just the word "Gary's". Go to 5.)

5:
REPEAT SECTION 3 - 5
Continue straight ahead until you come to a set of stairs on your right. Go to the instruction one more than your previously executed instruction. (This brings them to the south end of 3. 2+1 = 3. Go to 3.)
END REPEAT SECTION 3

3:
Go up the closest set of stairs until you are as high as you can go. This is the checkpoint. Find a small white tag with the string "1i!" on it. This tag also includes a string with two numbers, a letter, and five numbers. Pass this string to the other team.(The checkpoint is the landing over offices on south end of 4th floor of 3.)

Take the two-digit number you were passed and subtract the building number of the other team at their checkpoint. Go to the instruction that is three more than this difference. (The other team is in front of 35-333. There are 70 letters on the sign, 70-35+3 = 38. Go to 38.)

38:
Go down a few stairs, then go left. Go down a flight of stairs, then go right. Go down one floor, passing through a door along the way. (This brings them down to the 3rd floor 3.)

Head left at about a 45-degree angle. Follow this hallway until it ends. Turn left and follow this hallway as it snakes for a while. Continue all the way until the end of the hallway.

Go to the instruction that is the difference between the building number of the other team at their checkpoint and the ones digit of the room number the other team was at for their checkpoint. (This brings them past the west set of stairs in 1. The room is 35-333. 35-3 = 32)

32:
Go through the door on the right, then take the stairs down to the basement, going through several doors as needed. Start walking down this hallway.

Go to the instruction four less than your previously executed instruction. (They go down the easternmost set of stairs in 1 down to the basement. 38-4 = 34)

34:
Follow this hallway for a while until the second set of stairs, near vending machines. Go up one floor.

Go right, through the double doors, then immediately left. Follow this hallway then turn left just before the stairs. Go through the double doors.

Find the difference between the numbers of your two previously executed instructions, then add to this your current building number. Go to this numbered instruction. (This instruction is meant to bring them around the corner of 1 all the way to the intersection where 1, 3, and 5 meet and to the stairs closest to that intersection. Once they have gone up these stairs, they go into 3 and turn left in front of the stairs into the north-south hallway of 3. 38-32 = 6. This team is in 3. Turn to 9.)

9:
REPEAT SECTION 2 - 9
Continue straight until you see some stairs you can descend. Go down them and turn right.

Find the mean of your two previously executed instructions. Go to this numbered instruction, rounding down if necessary. (This brings them down the stairs at the north end of the north-south hallway of 3. They turn right at the bottom of the stairs so they are facing north now (towards 11). floor((32+34)/2) = 33.)
END SECTION 2

33:
Turn right. Follow this long hallway. Turn left at the second intersection, and walk to the nearby black double doors. This is the checkpoint. The door has a small black sign. Pass the other team the five digits on the right side of the second row of this sign.

Reverse direction and go left at the intersection. Go to the instruction one more than the building number of the other team at their checkpoint. (They turn right down into the infinite hallway. The checkpoint is in front of 10-050 where they see a sign with a list of offices on it; underneath the first row's "Enter Here for Offices sign", 10-017 is listed on the right. They then go back to the infinite hallway and turn left into it. The other team was in 34. 34+1 = 35. Go to 35.)

35:
Follow this long hallway past a flight of stairs. After the stairs, turn right when you can. Pass another flight of stairs immediately and go through the double doors. Follow this hallway. Just after it turns 90 degrees to the left, pass through the double doors. Continue ahead to a more open area, then go through it as straight as possible, through double doors and past somewhere you could find wings.

The first and last digits of the number you were passed form a two-digit number. Go to the instruction with this number. (They go past two flights of stairs and then turn right into the hallway of 4. They continue down the hallway and then at the intersection proceed straight towards 14. They were passed the number 28. This instruction is literally telling them to put the digit 2 before 8 to get 28. Go to 28.)

28:
Follow this hallway, passing through two sets of double doors, then another set. Go through the door on the left, then all the way to the top of the stairs. At the top of the stairs, go through the door on the right and follow this hallway.

Stop when you are in front of many pictures of the same person in a park. This is the checkpoint. Find the number in the caption. Pass this number to the other team.

Continue down the hallway in the direction you were going, then through the door.

Add together twice the third digit, the fourth digit, and twice the fifth digit in the information you were just passed. Go to the instruction with this sum. (At the end of the hallway, they go up the stairs to the fourth floor. This checkpoint is outside 14N-416 where there is a sign that says Child with a toy hand grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C. 1962. They then proceed to the stairs at the west end of 14. The other team passed the text "Room 26-040". 2*0+4+2*0=4. Go to 4.)

4:
REPEAT SECTION 4 - 4
Go down the stairs until you can pass through a door to a place you've been before.

Go to the instruction three more than the building number of the other team at their checkpoint. (This brings the team down to the basement of 14. The other team was in 26. Go to 29.)
END REPEAT SECTION

29:
Turn right, go through two sets of double doors, then turn left. Follow this hallway past one or more shiny rooms. When you see stairs to your left, turn right and continue down this hallway.

Find the sum of your two previously executed instructions and subtract one. Go to this numbered instruction. (They turn right and head west back to the intersection. This time they turn left into 2. The shiny place refers to the door sign that will be on your right that reads Cluster where the C in the sign has rubbed off leaving the text "Luster". 28+4-1=31)

31:
Follow this hallway. Go through the double doors, then left, through more double doors and a single door to a stairway. Go up until you're on the floor one below the floor you were on for your last checkpoint. Go to the instruction two less than your previously executed instruction. (Go to the third floor since they were last on the fourth floor before going back to the basement. 29-2 = 27.)

27:
Go through the door to your right, then right at the intersection.

Stop when on your right you see a paper with an odd number of variations of a phrase. This is the checkpoint. Count the number of letters on this paper and pass this to the other team. Go to the instruction that has the same number as the number of letters on the middle row of this paper. (The first paragraph refers to the area right after exiting the stairwell. They turn right towards the main part of 2. This checkpoint is outside 2-375. This sign contains 23 anagrams of the 15 letters of the professor's name whose door this is. 15*23=345. Go to 15.)

15:
Continue down the hallway in the direction you were going. Turn left just before the stairs. Turn left just before the double doors. Follow this hallway, and keep going until it ends near a green thing. Then turn left.

Take the number you were passed at the last checkpoint. Subtract this number from the building number of the other team at their checkpoint. Go to the instruction that is three more than this difference. (This instruction has them turning left at the southeast corner of 2 and then left in front of the locked doors into 6. They then go all the way through 4 until they turn left into the infinite corridor. They were passed 32. 66 - 32 = 34. 34+3 = 37.)

37:
Follow this hallway through a set of double doors, then past stairs on the left. Turn right at the intersection. Turn right again.

Go to the instruction that is one less than the mean of your two previously executed instructions, rounding down if necessary. (This instruction is meant to bring them to the hallway leading right that is in 10. They then turn right almost immediately. floor[(15+27)/2] = 21. 21 - 1 = 20. Go to 20.)

20:
REPEAT SECTION 1 - 20
Straight ahead you will see an arrow. If your previously executed instruction was numbered between 1 and 13 inclusive, turn so that your back is to the sign where the arrow is. If your previously executed instruction was numbered between 14 and 26 inclusive, then go in the direction opposite of the way the arrow is pointing. Otherwise, go in the direction the arrow is pointing.

Go to the instruction that is one less than the number of your previously executed instruction. (This sign is the one immediately seen after turning right at the end of the last instruction. It points left. The instruction was 37 so go in the direction of the arrow. 37-1 = 36.)
END REPEAT SECTION

36:
Follow this hallway, going up a slope and through doubly doors until it ends. Turn right. Ahead you will see a sign with two four-digit numbers and an arrow. Find the sum of the eight digits on the sign. Continue following this hallway as it turns twice.

Go to the instruction that is one-third of the sum of the numbers on the sign. (They shift right so they can go straight through this hallway into 13. They turn right and then left twice so that they are facing west in the north hallway of 13. The sign in 13 reads "Even numbered rooms 4154-4006". 4+1+5+4+4+0+0+6 = 24. floor(24/3) = 8.)

8:
Follow this hallway, going straight at any intersection. Some of the doors in this hallway have food warning signs. Count the number of these doors. The last door in this hallway is the checkpoint. Pass the number you counted to the other team. Go to the instruction number that is the same as the building number of the other team at their checkpoint.

(This checkpoint is the north hallway on the fourth floor of 13. There are "no food and drink" signs on twelve doors on this hallway. The other team is in the building 6 stairwell.)

6:
Continue down this hallway in the direction you were going. At the next intersection, turn right, and go through the double doors. At the first intersection, turn right, then left. Turn left to face the wall when you see five million. Take the last two digits of the information you got from the other team to get a two-digit number and go to that numbered instruction. (This brings the team over the hallway bridge into 9. They go around the mural to the north side and turn to face the door (so in effect so they are right to the left of where the other team started). The last two digits of E18-210 are 10. Go to 10.)

10: (other group picks up here)