Endurance Sports has taken great care to compile what we
feel are some of the most comprehensive rules for adventure racing. If you plan
to race in any of our events, please take a couple minutes to review them. If
you have any questions about rules please speak with race staff BEFORE the
race.
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 the Summer Groove and Stark Raving Mad 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.
