ADVENTURE RACE RULES

Endurance Sports has taken great care to copy from Infiterra Sports what we feel are some of the most comprehensive rules for adventure raceing. If you plan to race in any of our events, please take a couple minutes to reveiw them. If you have any questions about rules please speak with race staff BEFORE the race.

Rules Last Modified on 1/3/2008

Table Of Contents:

I. THE ORGANIZERS

Summer Groove and Stark Raving Mad is organized and produced by Endurance Sports LLC. Race management reserves the right to add, modify, replace or cancel venues or events at any time. Race Management reserves the right to make changes and amendments to the rules and regulations at any time. In the event that changes are made, race management will contact all registered teams with the updates so that they may make the appropriate adjustments to their preparations for the race.

lI. TEAMS

Each team must consist of one to four members depending on the specified event. At least one team member must be over the age of 18 and any team member under the age of 18 must have the written permission of his/her parent or guardian. The team must consist of the same members throughout the race and all members must stay together, within 100ft or sight (whichever is less) of their teammates unless race staff, for a specific section of a race, instructs them otherwise. The team must complete the entire course together for the team to be officially ranked. All members of the team must be in good physical condition and be of reasonable health.

For certain races (usually 24 hours plus), each team must also have a support crew of one or two people, and each support crew must have a vehicle suitable for rough roads (although 4 wheel drive is not required) and the capacity to transport the team to the start line. The support crew is then expected to transport all team gear to the transition areas where they will remain until their team passes through. Support Crew will also be expected to make appropriate gear drops and pick ups at designated locations. Note: Teams requesting and fully paying for the 'unsupported' option, if offered, are not required to have support crew.

III. REGISTRATION

To be considered a registered team, the team captain must submit all required paperwork and full payment for the race on or before the stated deadline date. If all paperwork and full payment is not received by this date the team may be forced to forfeit their spot in the race. If circumstances exist that require a team to make their final payment after the deadline, they must have informed Race Management and have received approval.

Endurance Sports will offer the following refund policy for most  Adventure Races:

30 days or more prior to the event = 75% refund

15-30 days = 50% refund

14-5 days = 25% refund

4 days - Day of event = No refund

If a team is unable or chooses not to participate in an Endurance Sports Event, their entry fee may be transferred to another Endurance Sports produced race of that calendar year, minus a 15% transfer fee. All transfers must be arranged prior to the day of the race. Only one transfer is allowed per registration. If the race registration is sold out and a replacement team can be found to compete in the now vacant slot (either by race management or the withdrawing team) the entry fee paid by the replacing team will go to the withdrawing team (minus a 15% transfer fee). In other words, the registration fee is transferable to another team, and only refundable under the guidelines outlined above. Please note, if registration for the race is not full, then any additional teams found by race management to compete in the race will be considered new teams and NOT replacement teams for a withdrawing team. There will be no exceptions to this refund policy except the following two: 1) A full refund will be issued if a team member is called up to active duty by the military and the team cannot race. 2) A full refund will be issued if a team member dies and the team cannot race.

For all Endurance Sports L.L.C. races, If a race is sold out, a waiting list will be formed. If a team that is currently signed up is unable to race, that open spot will be offered to the first team on the waiting list and so on. In other words the waiting list can not be circumvented and race entries can not be sold.

Entry into Endurance Sports races is usually handled on a first-come, first-serve basis and only if race management approves the applying teams. In some cases, racers must go through a submission process to be admitted to a race. In these instances, racers must submit a team resume and race management will select the teams to be admitted into the race after reviewing the submitted resumes. Both submission entry date and submission deadline dates will be announced in advance.

Note: Teams will not be allowed to compete unless all contact information for all participants on the team is complete and accurate including:

§                                 signed waivers from each team member (including support crew);

§                                 full payment of entrance fee for the team and complete contact information for each team member

For races over 24 hours or if stated in the race description the following applies:
Once all paperwork has been completed, each team must pass through a mandatory gear check. All items listed on the mandatory gear list will be checked. Teams missing items from the list will not be allowed to compete. Teams will be given until the close of registration to pass the mandatory gear check.

One member of the team will also be required to pass a navigation test. That member must demonstrate the following:

§                                 familiarity with USGS topographical maps;

§                                 familiarity with UTM grid system (8 digit grid coordinates);

§                                 familiarity with a compass, taking a bearing, and declination;

If the navigator for a team has already passed a navigation test at a previous Endurance Sports race and is recorded as having done so, the team will be exempt from the navigation test. In some instances, when new conditions apply or new skills are required, all participants may be required to pass the navigation test even if they have passed a navigation test previously.

If the particular race includes rope sections, each team will also be required to show competency with particular ropes activities deemed necessary. Each team member will be required to demonstrate a basic understanding of the techniques required for that race. If a participant has participated in the ropes review at a previous Endurance Sports race and has been recorded as having done so or can show proof of certified ability with ropes, that participant is exempt from the ropes review.

No other skills will be tested in registration for Endurance Sports produced races, although it is expected that all team members are familiar with each discipline of the race.

IV. RACE BRIEFING

Following registration, all teams must attend the race briefing at the scheduled time prior to the Endurance Sports produced race (times may vary depending on individual races). The race briefing may consist of an introduction of all teams competing in the race, distribution of the race package, description of some of the obstacles and challenges on the course and a question and answer period. Race management will be available after the race briefing to answer any further questions that do not get answered during the race briefing. Note that due to changing race styles, in some races participants may not receive any race material until the start line.

The race package given to each team will include all maps required for at least the first section of the race (including maps for the support crew if needed), course instructions with the grid coordinates for all control points and transition areas if needed, and a 'passport'. In some races, additional maps and information may be given out throughout the different sections of the race, forcing the racers to plan quickly and be able to strategize on the run. The passport must be carried at all times by the competitors during the race. Note some races may not have a passport.

The maps provided in the race package are the only maps permitted on the course. Support crew maps are not permitted to be carried by racers. Any team found using maps other than those provided may be disqualified from the official rankings. This includes the use of non-provided maps, other than standard road maps (with a scale no less than 1:500,000), by the support crew.

The course instructions will include brief descriptions of particular obstacles to watch for throughout the course and a list of all control points on the course. Each control point will either be pre-marked or denoted by an 8-digit UTM grid coordinate. The actual racecourse (i.e. a pretty line to follow) will not be marked on the maps. If not pre-marked, it is the responsibility of each team to correctly plot the coordinates of all control points on the map as well as determine the route they wish to follow. Some of the control points given will also be labeled as transition areas. These areas are the only points at which teams will be allowed to interface with their support crews, if applicable. Instructions will also be included for when support crews must check in to each transition area.

V. THE RACECOURSE

The racecourse may start at an undisclosed location. Teams must travel through all control points in the order specified by race management. We use two methods for traveling through the control points: 1) Numerical order where all points in that section of the race must be found in order. 2) Score-O style from orienteering where points in a given score-o section can be found in any order. The score-o style is described in detail in section VIII. At each control point the team must either locate the placed orienteering flag and correctly punch their passport or check in and sign the official control point-tracking sheet presented by the control point staff. If it is a manned control point without an orienteering punch, it is the team's responsibility to ensure that an official time is recorded for their team at that control point and to sign the sheet to verify it. Should a discrepancy occur, an unsigned sheet will not be considered valid.

If a team misses a control point that should have been retrieved in order, they may be allowed under certain circumstances to backtrack to reach it. If they have not punched or signed in at the next control point in the sequence, then they can go back for the missed control point without penalty. If they choose to go back for a missed control point after they have already checked through subsequent control points after the missed point, then a time penalty may be assed for punching the points out of order. If you are in a race with manned control points please notify race staff if you missed a control point and are attempting to go back and get it out of order. Race staff reserves the right to deny your request due to time or other constraints.

Although each team is free to select the route they feel is most appropriate for the majority of the race, certain sections of the course will include instructions for a mandatory route (for safety reasons or to preserve certain environmentally sensitive areas). Other areas may be deemed totally off limits to racers. Teams that do not follow specified mandatory routes or stay out of off limit areas may be disqualified or penalized.

In some paddling sections of a race, portages may not be allowed. Race management will make it very clear through race instructions if portages are allowed or disallowed in a particular section of a race course. A portage will be defined as follows: A portage is a section of the race where the entire team has to get out of the boat and pull or carry it across land where water from the river or lake does not exist in normal conditions. A portage could be very short, like in the finger of lake that only has a small land bridge disconnecting the two sections of water. Pushing or pulling your boat through very shallow water such as sand bars, is not considered a portage.

In many races, route choices could lead to private property. In some cases permission will have been obtained by race management allowing teams to travel on private property. If permission has been obtained for private property use, race management will make it very clear that the given private property is acceptable for race travel. In cases where private property is very near the race course and permission has NOT been obtained to use it, race management will try to point out this OFF LIMITS private property either with off limit areas marked on the maps or with written instruction. Ultimately, racers are responsible for avoiding private property unless given direct permission by race staff that the private property is acceptable. So in a case where racers find themselves coming onto private property that they have not been given specific permission by race staff to cross, they MUST choose NOT to cross the private property. Just as in real life, you are not permitted to trespass; you may not trespass in a race either.

Some instances in a race will lead teams into contact with the public or private persons, landowners, etc. So long as it is not prearranged, racers are permitted to interface with these persons and even get assistance in the form of directions, food, water, etc from these persons. Any assistance found to be prearranged could result in automatic disqualification. Normal rules of travel apply to this, meaning no motorized means of transportation, towing, etc will be permitted. It is also legal for teams to stop at stores and buy food, water, and gear as long as the gear purchased is not on the list of forbidden items.

In most circumstances an overview of the entire course will be given to teams at the race briefing. Race management reserves the right to make changes to the course during the race due to unforeseen circumstances such as, but not limited to, inclement weather or time constraints. Any changes made will be communicated to all teams as soon as is reasonable and will be done as equitably as possible for all teams.

VI. TIMING

There will be one official race clock for the entire race and all teams. The clock will start when race management begins the race at the start line and will remain running until the pre-determined cutoff time for the race. The official time for each team will be recorded when all team members reach the control point or finish line. If a team receives a time penalty for a violation of the race rules and regulations, they must wait out the duration of their time penalty at a designated area prior to crossing the finish line or the time penalty may just be added to the overall time depending on the race and the circumstances.

Certain cut-off times may be established for later sections on the course. If teams do not reach these points by the cut-off time established, it is assumed that it will not be possible for them to complete the entire course within the maximum time allowed. At this point, each team will be given a choice to either continue on the course as long as they can (to be determined by race management), to be moved ahead on the course by vehicle to a later section so that they may cross the finish line, or in some cases, teams may have the option to do an alternate shorter course. Teams that choose to be transported ahead on the course by vehicle will be considered unranked, but will be allowed to continue in most cases. Teams that take Alternate courses will never be ranked ahead of teams completing the full course. In a race that has multiple alternate courses, teams that have to use an alternate course earlier in the race will always be ranked behind teams that have completed more of the full course before they are forced to take an alternate course. Alternate course ranking is covered in detail in section IX. All cut-off times will be communicated at the race briefing and will be listed in the course instructions provided in the race package. Race management reserves the right to make changes to the cut-off times during the race. If changes are made, race staff will make every effort to notify teams on the course of the change. Alternate courses may not be given during the briefing as they may change due to race circumstances.

VII. EXTENDED COURSE

Endurance Sports produced races could include an Extended Course. This will be a series of extra control points near the end of the race involving one or more disciplines. Teams reaching the control point from which the Extended Course starts before a pre-determined cut-off time will be allowed to proceed onto the Extended Course if they choose. Teams reaching the control point from which the Extended Course starts after the pre-determined cut-off time for the Extended Course but before the pre-determined cut-off time for the race (this second cut-off time is set to the point where teams not passing the control point before will not have enough time to complete the entire race) will proceed on the regular racecourse. Teams continuing on the regular racecourse are still fully ranked teams in the race. The extended course option may also allow teams more time to complete the race. For example, a 24 hour cut-off time for the regular race course could get bumped up to 30 hours if a team is doing the extended course.

All teams completing the Extended Course and the entire race as a ranked team will be ranked ahead of all teams completing the regular course. Teams that take the Extended Course, but do not finish the race will be ranked as having not completed the course (therefore, behind any team that completes the entire regular course) and will not accumulate any points. No distinctions in rankings will be made between the Extended Course finishers and the regular course finishers, other than as described above.

VIII. SCORE-O FORMAT

Endurance Sports produced races could include a score-o style format at the finish or at some point in the race. This system is adopted from orienteering and is used to give teams more route choices and planning options as well as helping to adjust the course length based on the teams' varying skill levels. We use two types of score-o style courses. In both types, the control points can be gathered in any order. In the first type, teams must get all the control points in a score-o section in any order they see fit. In the second type, usually used at the end of a race, teams do not have to get all the control points in the score-o section. In this case teams will have to get a set number of points, usually 2 or 3, to be considered a ranked team that has completed the course. Teams wishing to be competitive and trying to win will usually have to go after all the points in a final score-o section. The key to this type of finish is that a team cannot be beaten by another team that has gotten less control points than them regardless of the finish time as long as it is before the set cut-off time for the race.

For example, let's take a 10 hour race with a 20 point final score-o section. Let's say team "A" finished in 8 hours after getting 18 control points in the final score-o section and team "B" finished in 9 hours after getting 20 control points in the final score-o section. In this example team "B" would be ranked ahead of team "A" because they got more control points on the final score-o regardless of finish time.

IX. TEAM RANKINGS

The first team to have all members cross the finish line and have passed through all control points in order will be the winners unless a score-o style section is used and barring that there are no penalties or bonus yet to be given. All teams finishing the race with a complete team will be ranked according to the time they reached the finish, the number of optional control points on a score-o course if applicable, and if they needed to use an alternate course. Any team completing the Extended Course of the race and completing the entire race as a ranked team will automatically be ranked ahead of teams finishing as ranked teams on the regular course. Any team proceeding on the race course with fewer members than started the race will be considered an unranked team.

As described in section VIII, many Endurance Sports produced races use a score-o final section. To recap, teams may obtain controls in any order in this type of section. A team finishing with more control points than another team will be ranked higher regardless of finishing time so long as the course is completed before the cutoff time. (i.e. You cannot be beaten by a team that has obtained fewer control points)

In the instance of multiple alternate courses in one race, they are scored by who needs to use the alternate courses first, not by length of the alternate course. For example let’s take a race that has three race management approved alternate courses: “A”, “B”, & “C” for this example. These different alternate courses will take place at different stages of the race. For this example we will say that “A” is first, “B” is second and “C” is third. Now let’s take two Teams: Team one is racing too slow and they miss a cutoff early and are forced to take alternate course “A” which shaves 10 miles off the course. Taking alternate course “A” gets them back on track and they complete the remainder of the full course and finish two hours before the race cutoff. Team two races fine through the first part of the race, but misses a cutoff time that forces them to take alternate course “C” which shaves 20 miles off the course. Taking alternate course “C” gets them back on track and they complete the remainder of the full course and finish one hour before the race cutoff. In this example, team 2 would be ranked ahead of team 1 because they raced more of the full course before needing to use an alternate course. This ranking is not judged by the length of any given alternate course or the finish time. This ranking example only applies to teams taking an alternate course, again if a team completes the full course, they will be ranked ahead of alternate course teams.

All teams that do not complete the course or race management specified alternate course(s) in the allotted time will be considered unranked.

Prizes will typically be given for three divisions in Endurance Sports Produced Races: Coed, Male, Female. Should any of those divisions contain less than 5 teams, that division will be combined with the Coed division for prize distribution. For example, if the female division only has 3 teams, those teams will be ranked with the Coed division. Many races allow multi-person categories as well, i.e. Solo, Two Person, Three Person, or Four Person. In such cases, a premier division will be noted and only that division may end up getting prizing. Other divisions may or may not receive prizing.

X. MISSING, STOLEN, OR MISPLACED CONTROL POINTS

The control points in a race are what actually make the racecourse. If these points are missing, stolen, or misplaced, the entire course and the participants can be thrown off. We strive to have every control point correctly placed and to keep people from interfering with them. However, adventure racing is not an exact science and from time to time a control point may come up missing or be accidentally misplaced by the race staff. If you encounter such an instance during an Endurance Sports produced race, please use the following guidelines to assess the situation and act accordingly.

A.       Missing Control Point (missing for the entire race) – A control point is considered missing if it was never placed by race staff or stolen by someone before the first team even reaches it. A control point missing for the entire race will be treated as if it is not part of the race. If you reach an area that you feel should be the correct location for the control point, yet no point is there, you must search within a 200-meter radius of this location. If the control point still cannot be found within this 200-meter radius of the area you believe to be correct, then we advise that you take as much time as you need to verify your location. If you feel confident that you are in the correct area and the control point is missing, then you should move along on the racecourse as if the point is no longer part of the race. If you are the one in error and the control point was correctly placed within a 200-meter radius of the specified location, then you will be able to go back and get the control point as long as you have not yet checked in at the next control point in the sequence. If the control point is part of a score-o style section, then the missed control point can be gotten anytime during that score-o section. If you are the one in error and you do not go back to get the missed control point, then you will be subject to penalty or DNF status. As soon as you can, we ask that you would tell the race staff about the control point that you found to be missing. This scenario assumes that the control point is missing for the entire race and therefore each team encounters the same difficulty in searching for and making the determination that the control point is missing. No time bonus will be awarded based on the amount of time you may spend looking for the missing control point. Again, in this instance, the race staff will treat the control point as if it never existed.

B.       Stolen or Moved Control Point (stolen or moved during the race after at least one team has checked through the control point, if no teams has checked through then it is treated as a missing control point) – A control point is considered stolen or moved if it was placed by race staff and then correctly found by at least one team and then stolen or moved before the remaining teams have a chance to find it. In such a circumstance, race staff will make every effort to replace the stolen control quickly or get race staff on the course to notify teams of the missing control point. However, if you are one of the first teams to reach the newly stolen control point and are unaware that is stolen you should still follow the same protocol for a missing control point as follows: If you reach an area that you feel should be the correct location for the control point, yet no point is there, you must search within a 200-meter radius of this location. If the control point still cannot be found within this 200-meter radius of the area you believe to be correct then we advise that you take as much time as needed to verify your location. If you feel confident that you are in the correct area and the control point is missing then you should move along on the racecourse as if the point is no longer part of the race. If you are the one in error and the control point was correctly placed within a 200-meter radius of the specified location, then you will be able to go back and get the control point as long as you have not yet checked in at the next control point in the sequence. If the control point is part of a score-o style section, then the missed control point can be gotten anytime during that score-o section. If you are the one in error and you do not go back to get the missed control point, then you will be subject to penalty or DNF status. As soon as you can, we ask that you would tell the race staff about the control point that you found to be missing. This scenario assumes that the control point was NOT missing for the entire race and therefore each team does NOT encounter the same difficulty in searching for and making the determination that the control point is missing. In such an instance a time bonus may be awarded to those teams that unfortunately had to search for a stolen control. These types of scenarios are rare and can be very difficult for race staff to deal with since there is no exact clock that we can use to give back a time bonus to an unfortunate team. Please be honest and understanding in this situation and the race staff will work with you to hopefully put the race back on a level field of play.

C.       Misplaced Control Point – A control point is considered misplaced if it is was placed by race staff, but was placed more the 200-meters from the location that is pre-marked on race maps or given in a coordinate position in the racer instructions. 200-meters may seem like a large search area, but it can be covered quickly if you know you are in the right area. Race staff will always strive to have the control points placed exactly as they are shown on a map, but errors can occur. If you approach an area and believe the control point may be misplaced you should still follow the same protocol for a missing control point as follows: If you reach an area that you feel should be the correct location for the control point, yet no point is there, you must search within a 200 meter radius of this location. If the control point still cannot be found within this 200-meter radius of the area you believe to be correct then we advise that you take as much time as needed to verify your location. If you feel confident that you are in the correct area and the control point is misplaced, then you should move along on the racecourse as if the point is no longer part of the race. If you are the one in error and the control point was correctly placed within a 200-meter radius of the specified location, then you will be able to go back and get the control point as long as you have not yet checked in at the next control point in the sequence. If the control point is part of a score-o style section, then the missed control point can be gotten anytime during that score-o section. If you are the one in error and you do not go back to get the missed control point, then you will be subject to penalty or DNF status. As soon as you can, we ask that you would tell the race staff about the control point that you found to be missing. This scenario assumes that the control point was NOT missing, but actually misplaced outside the 200-meter radius. In this instance, race staff will treat the control point as if it does not exist and it will no longer be part of the race. There will be NO bonus or advantage awarded to a team that finds a misplaced control point once that point is over 200-meters from the specified location. We do recommend that you follow the protocol and double and triple check the area, but by no means should you continue to search far out of the 200-meter radius. This will only slow your team down and hurt your chances of finishing since even if you do find the control point it will mean nothing because it is now removed from the race. Once you begin searching outside of a 200-meter radius from the specified location, it can only be assumed that mere chance will lead you to the control point. This is why the race staff will not give credit to a team that may find a misplaced control point and also why you should move on along the course if you are 100% you are correct and the control is misplaced. This scenario also assumes that the control point is misplaced for the entire race and therefore each team encounters the same difficulty in searching for and making the determination that the control point is misplaced. Again, NO time bonus will be awarded based on the amount of time you may spend looking for the misplaced control point. The race staff will treat the control as if it never existed.

XI. FILING A COMPLAINT

If an individual racer or team has a complaint or question that may affect the outcome of the race, a complaint may be filed by speaking directly to one of the four Endurance Sports Race Directors: Matt Vander Sys, Scott Campau. Any complaint must be brought forward to Endurance Sports officials in as much of a timely manner as possible, or at least within 24 hours of the completion of the event at which it took place. The complaint must be clearly stated. No decision shall be rendered until a consultation with at least one of the other directors has taken place. A decision will be made and enforced in a time deemed appropriate by the race directors.

XII. RACING WITH OTHER TEAMS

It is legal for multiple teams to travel together during a race and assist each other if they so desire. The only requirement is that each team has its own mandatory gear.

XIII. RACE NUMBERS AND SPONSORSHIP

All team members must wear the appropriately provided race number or bib at all times during the race. It must be made visible (so it is in plain sight at all times) and may not be altered in any way. It must be worn as the outer most garment. It must be worn over PFD’s, but can be worn under a backpack.Removing any race logos from the number, covering logos or adding logos may result in disqualification from the race. All team members must also have a number plate (if provided) attached to the front of their mountain bike at all times during the mountain bike sections. Teams are free to wear any other items or logos so long as they do not interfere with the provided race number or bib.

XIV. SUPPORT CREWS

When required, each team must have a support crew consisting of one or two members who have been registered with race management, which includes signing waivers. At least one support crew member must possess a valid driver's license. The support crew will be allowed to interface with and assist their team in the designated transition areas only. Any assistance provided outside of the designated transition area may result in disqualification or a penalty for the team. The support crew must also have a vehicle suitable for rough road travel. All vehicles must be registered with race management. Please note, teams that request and fully pay for the 'unsupported' option, if offered, will not be required to have a support crew for the race.

Support crews must obey all traffic laws while participating in the event and drive responsibly and safely at all times. If a support crew is observed speeding, driving recklessly or in violation of any other rule of safe driving, that support crew's team may be disqualified from the race.

All races requiring a support crew will have a support crew briefing. Usually this briefing will be a part of the standard racer briefing or it maybe a separate briefing all together. A representative from your support crew must attend any specified support crew briefings.

The support crew is considered to be a part of your team. They must adhere to directions set forth by the race staff. Every Transitions Area is different and will inevitably have different rules that the support crew must follow. If support crews do not abide by race rules and direction given to them by race staff, then your team may be subject to penalties or disqualification.

Support crew is not permitted to “scout” the racecourse ahead of their team’s arrival beyond regular routes and normal roads intended for support crew to be traveling. For example, support crew cannot be driving 4x4 roads and two tracks to gain knowledge of the upcoming section of the race and point out to their team which trails to take. They may not ride a bike or travel on foot ahead to the next section of the course to look for advantages to give to their teams either. Simple notifications and observations are of course acceptable and unavoidable. For example, if the crew travels the main roads intended and notices as they pass the river that team is to paddle on in the next section is particularly high; it is permissible to pass on that sort of knowledge to their team. Support crew may assist their team for the next section in other ways, for example, by plotting or double check UTM points, giving updated weather reports and all normal support crew assistance such as packing gear, changing tires, etc.

XV. EQUIPMENT

Teams and support crews will be required to supply their own food and drink for the entire race, including the night prior to the race. Teams will also be responsible for the supply and handling of all equipment required for the race, unless otherwise noted in the Mandatory Gear List provided for each race (equipment provided by race management).

The Mandatory Gear List specifies the minimum gear required to compete in Endurance Sports Produced Races. The list has been established to ensure safe travel throughout the course. Where there is room for discretion as to whether or not certain equipment is required we have left it off the list. In doing so, teams are left to make their own decisions about what will be the appropriate equipment to get them to the finish line the fastest and safest. There is NO room for discretion with the items included on the Mandatory Gear List. Any team found without the mandatory gear during the race may be disqualified, penalized, or even removed from the course entirely. In races of 24 hours or longer, all teams must pass a gear check at registration. There may also be a gear check or checks during any length race to ensure all teams are carrying the required gear.

A.       Mandatory Gear

The specific Mandatory Gear list for each race will be provided with the updated information for that race and will be labeled as Mandatory Gear and dated as to when it was created. Please note that the gear list is subject to change. Race Management will attempt to inform teams of any changes as they arise. You must check with race staff if you have questions about your gear being acceptable.

Mountain Bikes – Each team member is required to have one mountain bike for the biking section of the race. Road, cyclo-cross and tandem bikes are not permitted. Each team member must also finish the biking section with his or her mountain bike.

Canoes – If personal canoes are allowed in a race, they must be open bowed and have two or more actual seats. Two person teams will paddle in one canoe and four person teams will paddle in two canoes unless otherwise specified for a particular race.

Kayaks – Solos are allowed to paddle in kayaks. The basic requirements for a kayak are that it be a closed cockpit, not inflatable, and not a sit-on-top. Standard sea kayaks, usually around 14-17 feet, with closed cockpits are fine.

B.       Provided Equipment

Certain items on the mandatory gear list may be provided by race management (as marked on the list). These items must remain with the team for the duration of the section they are assigned for and must be returned to the race staff at the end of the section in good condition. Damage to any equipment provided by race management, beyond a reasonable level of wear and tear, may result in a time penalty or disqualification and the team will be responsible for paying for the damages.

Possible exceptions for teams to bring their own equipment in place of the provided equipment may include the following:

§                                 Personal Paddles – Teams may bring their own paddles to be used in the paddling sections. Teams with personal paddles will not be required to take the paddles provided by Endurance Sports.

§                                 Personal Floatation Device (PFD) – Teams may bring their own PFDs to be used in paddling or water crossing sections. Teams with personal PFDs will not be required to take the PFDs provided by Endurance Sports.

§                                 Personal Ropes Equipment – An exception on the mandatory gear list is ropes equipment. Personal harnesses, slings, carabineers, etc. may be used so long as they pass inspection by ropes staff. If equipment is questioned, provided ropes equipment must be used instead.

The above listed items are only possible exceptions. Please see the specific details for the race in question and its mandatory gear list for details.

C.       Forbidden Equipment

The following is a list of equipment that is forbidden during Infiterra Sports Produced Races. Any team possessing any of these items will be disqualified from the race:

§                                 G.P.S. device

§                                 Watches or anything with a GPS tracking or transmission capability

§                                 night vision goggles

§                                 weapons of any sort (with the exception of the mandatory knife)

§                                 any motorized mode of transportation or mode of transportation not authorized by Race Management

§                                 maps not provided by Race Management and maps provided for Support Crew use only

§                                 cell phones, (other than the mandatory cell phone) two-way radios or any other communication device not provided by race management

This is not necessarily a complete list of forbidden equipment. Any device or item that offers an unfair advantage to the team possessing it, may also be deemed as forbidden. Please check with event staff prior to start of race if you have any items that may be questionable. If it is decided that the item will not be forbidden, event staff will keep the query confidential.

D.       Liability for Personal Equipment

In some instances, Endurance Sports or one of its sub-contractors, may be moving, handling, transporting, or watching over personal equipment brought by racers. In such instances, Endurance Sports, any of its staff members or sub-contractors cannot and will not be held liable for any damaged or missing personal equipment.

XVI. SAFETY

Each team will carry a cell phone that must be carried at all times during the race. The phone will be in a sealed bag. In the event of an emergency, the team must use the phone to contact race management and rescue procedures will be set in motion. NOTE: There is no penalty for using the phone when on the racecourse. However, race staff are the only permitted contacts during the race, except in cases of emergency. Teams will only be disqualified from the race if they require outside assistance to continue. For example, if you are racing in extreme weather conditions, you should call in to the race staff to let them know your location and that everything is OK. Another example, might be calling in for first aid advice. In both these examples, the team would not be penalized or disqualified for using the cell phone.

Teams are encouraged to help each other while on the course. No penalty will be incurred for receiving assistance from another team. If a team comes in contact with another team that is in an emergency situation they are required to stop and help. Failure to help another team requiring emergency assistance may result in disqualification. Teams that do offer assistance in emergency situations may be awarded a time bonus.

Weather conditions may restrict safe travel for certain sections of the course. Race management reserves the right to make changes to the course or restrict travel on certain sections due to weather conditions.

During times of extreme weather conditions, teams that cannot verbally inform race officials of their location and status are required to use their cell phones to report to race management. Teams will not be disqualified for using their phone during extreme weather conditions.

Any team that is on the racecourse between control points beyond a specified cut-off time is required to call race officials to inform officials of their position and status. As well, any team taking more than 12 hours to reach a control point from the previous control point must call race officials to identify their location and status.

It is mandatory that all team members wear a Coast Guard approved type III PFD at all times during any paddling sections or water crossing sections where swimming is required (wading without the PFD is permissible). Similarly, it is mandatory that all team members wear a mountain bike helmet at all times during the mountain bike section and during fixed ropes sections. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.

XVII. WITHDRAWAL FROM THE RACE

Teams may only voluntarily withdraw from the competition at designated transition areas or manned control points, with the exception of injury situations. In the event that a team chooses to withdraw from the race, they must immediately inform race management of their decision to stop racing. In races that have a support crew, any team that voluntarily withdraws from the race must be transported back to the finish line by their support crew.

If certain members of a team withdraw and the remainder of the team (in some races you may not be permitted to continue as a solo) wishes to continue on the course, they may only do so with specific permission from race management. You must immediately inform race management of your desire to continue racing as a partial team. For safety reasons, the member(s) continuing to race must remain with the member(s) that are withdrawing until the withdrawing member(s) is in the care of the team's support crew or race management and the race management approves the continued travel by the remaining member(s). From that point forward, the team will not be officially ranked. Race management reserves the right to issue a time penalty to any team wishing to continue unranked. This would be done to prevent unranked teams from interfering with the progress of officially ranked teams. Also, race management reserves the right to stop an unranked team at any time on the course and not allow further progress, regardless of the circumstances of the initial permission to continue on the course unranked.

XVIII. PENALTIES

Race management reserves the right to issue time penalties to teams, disqualify teams from the official rankings, or remove teams from the course if they violate any of the rules and regulations of the race. The severity of the penalty will be depend on the severity of the offence and will be decided by the race staff. The following is a partial list of violations:

§                                 failing to have correct punch in the passport for a control point, or signature on a tracking sheet from a control point;

§                                 team members getting separated by more than 100 feet, or being out of sight if less than 100ft;

§                                 changing the team composition during the race (substituting one or more members of the team);

§                                 missing mandatory gear;

§                                 not following the prescribed rules of safe travel (e.g. wearing approved PFD for canoeing);

§                                 possessing forbidden equipment;

§                                 failing to make the provided race number visible at all times;

§                                 receiving any outside assistance including from support crews outside of the designated transition areas;

§                                 possessing maps of the race course area other than those provided by race management to the racers;

§                                 using any means of transportation not authorized by race management;

§                                 any environmental damage or littering;

§                                 deviation from mandatory course;

§                                 traveling in restricted or off-limit areas;

§                                 Unfair or inappropriate behavior.

This is not an exhaustive list. Please contact race staff before the start of the race if you have specific questions regarding penalties.

XIX. ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

All event participants must act in an environmentally responsible manner at all times during an Endurance Sports produced event, including during registration and pre-race activities and post-race activities. Specifically, teams should obey the following principles:

§                                 no litter, gear or any other object can be left on the racecourse, at the start line or host site except in designated disposal locations;

§                                 all human waste must be buried or properly disposed of in all situations and must not be done so within 50 meters of a water source (stream, river, pond, lake or otherwise);

§                                 no cutting of vegetation of any type or deliberately causing unnecessary damage to vegetation or unnecessary erosion in areas with loose ground;

§                                 every effort must be made to avoid harassing animals of any type in their natural habitat. In all encounters with wild or tame animals the animal has the right of way;

§                                 if a competitor or team notices litter, gear or any other object left by another participant it is that team’s responsibility to pack it out to the next manned control point to be left with the control point staff.

Any team or support crew observed not acting in an environmentally responsible manner may be disqualified from the event (in the case of a support crew, that support crew's team will be disqualified from the race). Any team or support crew observed showing blatant disregard for the environment may be permanently banned from future Endurance Sports Racing events.