Drop Bags:
Being a roughly 15.6 mile loop means that you won’t be very far from your gear at any point in the race. We do however have an option to place a drop bag at the Devil’s Aid Station at mile 6.66 on the 15.6mi loop.
Start time and Cut Offs
The course is hard but the race directors are magnanimous.
The long races will begin at 4AM Saturday. You weren’t really sleeping that well anyway. The runners will be given until 8PM Sunday evening to finish, providing 40 hours for the full 200K.
The 50K only runners start at 6AM Sunday (Saturday start available on request).
The 10K race will begin at 8AM Sunday (early start available on request).
All early starts are ineligible for overall awards. To be considered for an overall award (or course record), you must start with the official start of your race.
“Flexible Cutoffs”
200K runners must start Loop 7 by 10AM SUNDAY.
150K runners must start Loop 5 by 6AM SUNDAY.
100K runners will not have a set cutoff, however runners will be expected to be moving consistently.
50K runners must start Loop 2 by 11AM SUNDAY. If you believe you will need more time, please request an early start.
We have them in place to prevent a runner from doing something like running 50K, sleeping 8hrs, then running another 50K and then calling it a “100K finish”….That isn’t a 100K finish, that’s two 50Ks!! So to paraphrase our cutoff policy, just keep moving and you won’t get cut. Small naps and breaks are fine to keep your head in the game. Hours of napping take away from the intent of ultra running! Ask the RD’s if you are unsure and need a break… we are positive and generally accommodating! RD’s reserve the right to cut runners from proceeding on their final loops if they believe completion in 40hrs is not mathematically possible (ex. you have done only 6 hour loops and need to average 4hrs for the next 2 loops… not likely going to happen); that aside, YOU can do this! Even a back of the pack runner can hit 150K in the time allotted… unless they quit because they aren’t comfortable.
Pacers and Dogs
Human pacers may join their runners after the 50K mark. We ask that human pacers wear a pacer bib on the front of their shirts/shorts so they can be easily identified as pacers and the timing crew don’t try to chase them down to record their lap times.
Canine pacers are welcome from the start, but we ask that runners with dogs start at the back and keep their canine pacer on a short leash until the crowd is much thinner. We’ve had no issues with this at prior races, so we ask that everyone who wishes to bring their dog along please be respectful and recognize that not all runners enjoy dogs. Please keep a respectful distance and respect people’s personal bubbles. Runners should plan to provide water bowls and food to their dogs on their own as the aid stations will not be setup for canine aid beyond water and some human food.
Loops
Since the trails are so wide, we decided to run each loop in an alternating direction. We call this “washing machine style” racing. We’ll have signs up directing you which way to go… it won’t be too tricky, we promise. We decided to do this because otherwise ultras can get pretty lonely! This way you’ll see your friends regardless of whether they are ahead of or behind you! Do not feel obligated to say “good job” to everyone you pass… that is purely optional!