Regarding the scramble, if it’s a 7 letter word you’ll need to land at a minimum of 7 airports, even if they’re just quick touch and goes. If it’s 5, then you’ll need to land at 5 airports.
The word will come out of a list of most used English words, and will be randomly drawn. I won’t know what the word is until everyone else. It’s one word for everyone, so everyone could conceivably pick the same route, or it could get spicy and everyone picks a different route.
It’s meant to simulate quick decision making. In racing, things change and you need to adapt. Realistically, I suspect everyone will start flying and have a route planned within the first hour of the flight.