# Getting Started ### General Track: Open Build #### About the Challenge HackHCC: CodeRunners is the first MLH-official hackathon hosted by the Houston Community College Computer Science Association. It runs as a 24-hour event on May 22 and 23, 2026, at the HCC Alief Hayes Campus in Houston, Texas. The event is free, open to students of all experience levels, and expects more than 300 participants. The General Track gives you full creative freedom. There is no required theme and no prescribed problem to solve. You bring the idea, you choose the stack, and you build something worth showing. Whether your project is a web app, a mobile tool, a hardware prototype, an AI model, or something that does not fit neatly into any category, this track is the right place for it. Submissions are judged on the strength of the idea, the technical depth of the build, and how well you execute within the 24-hour window. #### Getting Started 1. Register on Devpost and join HackHCC: CodeRunners. 2. Form a team of up to four people, or work solo. 3. Attend the opening ceremony on Friday, May 22, 2026 at the HCC Alief Hayes Campus, 2811 Hayes Rd, Houston, TX 77082. 4. Build your project from scratch during the event window. 5. Submit your project on Devpost before the deadline. *** #### Submission Requirements **What to Build** Your project must be built during the 24-hour event window. You may use any programming language, framework, library, or platform. Strong submissions typically show one or more of the following qualities: * A novel concept or a fresh approach to a familiar problem. * A technically ambitious implementation that integrates multiple systems, APIs, or services. * A polished user experience that feels considered and intentional. **What to Submit** All submissions are made through Devpost before the deadline. A complete submission includes: * The project name and a short description explaining what the project does and the problem it addresses. * A link to a public GitHub repository. Commit history must fall within the event window. * A demo video between two and three minutes long that shows the project working. The video must be published during the event window. * A short tech stack note explaining the technologies you used and why. * Devpost profiles for every team member. *** #### Event Schedule | Milestone | Date and Time | | ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | | Registration Opens | Now open at hackhcc.org | | Opening Ceremony | Friday, May 22, 2026 | | Hacking Begins | Friday, May 22, 2026, immediately after opening ceremony | | Submission Deadline | Saturday, May 23, 2026, 24 hours after hacking begins | | Judging Period | Saturday, May 23, 2026, afternoon | | Winners Announced | Saturday, May 23, 2026, closing ceremony | Please refer to the official HackHCC website at hackhcc.org and the event app for the most current schedule, including workshop times, meal service, and mentor hours. *** #### Rules **Eligibility** The event is open to students of all experience levels. No prior hackathon experience is required. Participants under 18 must comply with any additional consent requirements communicated by the organizers. Teams may include up to four members. Each participant may submit to only one track per event. **Project and Submission Requirements** * All work must be completed during the event window. Projects started before the hackathon begins are not eligible. * GitHub repositories must be public and must show commit activity during the event window. * You may use open source libraries, frameworks, and public APIs. You may not submit a project that has already been submitted to another hackathon. * All submitted work must be the original work of the listed team members. * Organizers reserve the right to disqualify any submission that violates these rules or the spirit of the event. **Code of Conduct** As an MLH-official event, HackHCC: CodeRunners follows the [MLH Code of Conduct](https://github.com/MLH/mlh-policies/blob/main/code-of-conduct.md). All participants, mentors, judges, and sponsors are expected to read and abide by it. *** #### Prizes Cash prizes and sponsor prizes are awarded across the top three finishers in the General Track. Additional special awards may be presented at the discretion of the judges and sponsors. Prize details are confirmed on the official HackHCC website and announced at the opening ceremony. | Award | Recipient | | -------------- | ----------------------------------------- | | 1st Place | Top scoring General Track team | | 2nd Place | Second highest scoring General Track team | | 3rd Place | Third highest scoring General Track team | | Special Awards | Categories announced at opening ceremony | *** #### Judging Criteria Projects are evaluated by a panel of judges drawn from industry, faculty, and sponsoring organizations. Scoring totals 100 points across five categories. | Criterion | Points | What Judges Look For | | ----------- | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Originality | 30 | How novel the concept is, whether it solves a real problem in a new way, or applies familiar ideas to an unexpected domain. | | Technology | 25 | The sophistication of the technical implementation, including integrations, infrastructure, and how well the complexity serves the product. | | Completion | 20 | Whether the project functions end to end. Core features should work without major issues, and the scope should be appropriate for a 24-hour build. | | Design | 15 | The quality of the user interface and experience, visual consistency, and how clearly the design communicates the product's purpose. | | Learning | 10 | Evidence that the team pushed beyond familiar territory, including new frameworks, unfamiliar APIs, or challenging architectures attempted during the event. | Winners are selected by the judging panel. In the event of a tie, the judges deliberate together. Organizer decisions are final. *** #### Resources **New to Hackathons** A hackathon is a time limited building event in which participants design, build, and demo a project within a fixed window. HackHCC: CodeRunners is open to all skill levels, but the General Track is best suited to participants who are ready to build something ambitious with minimal guidance. If you are new to the format, attending workshops on the first day is the fastest way to get oriented. **Suggested Tools and Technologies** You are free to use any technologies you choose. The following are common starting points, not requirements. * **Frontend:** React, Vue, Svelte, plain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. * **Backend:** Node.js, Python (Flask, FastAPI, or Django), Ruby on Rails, Go. * **Databases:** PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Firebase, Supabase. * **APIs and AI services:** OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Google Maps, Twilio, Stripe. * **Deployment:** Vercel, Netlify, Render, Railway, Fly.io. Sponsor provided tools, API credits, and platform access will be announced at the opening ceremony and on the event app. **Looking for an Idea** If you are not sure what to build, start with a problem you have encountered yourself. Past hackathon submissions in similar events have focused on areas such as: * Campus tools, including scheduling, study aids, and student resource finders. * Community impact projects, such as local services, accessibility tools, and civic technology. * Health and wellness, including mental health support, fitness, and nutrition. * Education technology, including learning tools, tutoring aids, and quiz generators. * Creative tools, including music generators, writing assistants, and design aids. *** #### Contact and Support For general questions, technical support during the event, and day of help, refer to the contact channels published on the official HackHCC website and the event app. The organizing team maintains a live help desk on site for the duration of the event. **Event Website:** hackhcc.org **Event Location:** HCC Alief Hayes Campus, 2811 Hayes Rd, Houston, TX 77082 **Event Dates:** May 22 and 23, 2026 *** *HackHCC: CodeRunners is organized by the Houston Community College Computer Science Association and is an official Major League Hacking event.* --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. 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