Tag: ultra

With all permissions in place now, we must emphasise that several special measures will be in place to protect athletes, volunteers and indeed the whole of the local community and any breach of these conditions may at worst make you and the race organiser liable to a fine and at best, bring the event into disrepute. We therefore respectfully ask you to read carefully all the directions and requests and in particular the final details which will not be published until a couple of days before the race to ensure they are up to date. Assume nothing!

Start times, Tracker Number and Bus Times will be issued earlier that week
to enable you to make travel plans.

In particular we have been asked to provide details of how we avoid gatherings and maintain social distancing at REGISTRATION, the START, CHECKPOINTS and at the FINISH

REGISTRATION

There will be a 2-stage process of registration. About half of you will be registering in the car/bus park in Tarbert where you will be asked the Covid Questions and can collect your bib with premarked medical details. There will be an opportunity to leave Finish Bags here. If you change your mind and want to go straight to Tayinloan, please tell us before Friday 7th May, otherwise you will still have to call in to Tarbert to collect your bib.

The rest of you will go through this process at Tayinloan over a period of one and a half hours which, if you don’t arrive too early, should prevent anything like a gathering. If you need to leave your car, please park at the Ferry terminal. Do not park in the village where buses have to pass through, nor on the single track road to the ferry terminal, even “just for five minutes”.
As you approach the playing fields and portable toilets at Tayinloan, you will see the three vehicles which will take your drop bags to Clachan, Skipness and the Finish.

START

There will be a timed start with fastest first to avoid overtaking. The first start will be at 9.05. Runners will be separated by 30 seconds though you may run in a bubble with someone if you let us know by the 17th April.
You will be called up to the Start, 3 minutes before your start time, at 30 second intervals, fastest person first, and move through the stations where you pick up your timing chip and tracker en route to the Start line.

Relay runners will have set start times this year because there are more of you. You will set off in between the two buses, i.e. between 9.30 and 10.06, not at the end as last year. We need you all to come to Tayinloan to check in and collect your trackers. To avoid passing on kit, each member will have their own tracker but there will only be one timing chip. This will be carried by the third leg runner, who will go through the start with the first leg runner to ‘start the clock’ then drop out. Please note: Relay runners have to carry all the same kit as solo runners.

CHECKPOINTS

There can be absolutely no spectators or supporters at the checkpoints. There will be a limit on the number of households who can meet (hopefully more than the 2 allowed at the moment) and this allocation will be needed for the volunteers and relay team members. Your family and fans will be
able to watch your tracker online at home. Please be careful to maintain social distancing and don’t ask marshals to do anything that involves
contact.

FINISH

At the Finish, because you will be arriving over a period of 5 hours, you should be able to move through the one way system, collect your things, including a takeaway meal, and use toilets and showers, without feeling rushed. However, if it ever looks like getting ‘busy’ please move on before we have to ask.

ETIQUETTE & HYGEINE

There will be hand sanitiser at the Start, Finish and Checkpoints and instructions on how to use and sanitise the portable toilets.
The recommendation for social distancing for runners is 2m side by side and 5m in single file. For much of the race (the beach, the forestry roads, the open moor) this doesn’t present a problem for overtaking but there are sections on the verge and at the Finish where you can’t maintain this
distance and overtake. If you find yourself in a position to overtake someone, please try to do it where there is sufficient width. If you are in a narrow spot and need to stop (to tie your shoe lace for example) please step off the path to allow others to pass safely.
These will be The Covid Questions that we will be asking you prior to and at the event:
– Have you been in contact with someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days?
– Have you been overseas to a country on the quarantine list in the last 14 days?
– Have you come from somewhere with restrictions on travel?
– Do you have COVID-19 symptoms (self-isolate for 7 days) or are feeling unwell?
– Have you been told to self-isolate as part of the contact track and trace measures in place?
– Do you agree to your details being provided to relevant track and trace teams, should this be necessary?
This will apply to volunteers as well!

As we don’t have access to village halls, you will be outside all the time. With precautions in place, we will be able to take your dropbags, including water, to checkpoints. Please note – We don’t have access to water supplies at the Start or at checkpoints so you will have to bring your own.

There will be portable toilets and hand sanitiser at the Start and at both checkpoints. Courtesy of Tarbert Harbour, you can use their toilets and showers at the Finish.

A takeaway meal will be provided from the marquee at the Finish by the owners of the Tarbert Hotel.