The goal of these rules is to enhance the running of this event in a spirit of friendly competition and to ensure the safety of the participant.
Individual rules:
1. Headphones or earbuds of any kind are prohibited while running, this includes bone conduction headphones.
2. Listen for instructions from organizers.
3.Headlamps are STRONGLY recommended for the night legs (Legs 9 – 14 inclusive).
4. No bicycles can be used by any team member or supporter on course throughout the race.
5. Run only on the very left side/margin of the roadway or shoulder, facing traffic.
6. Runners and spectators must step off the road for oncoming traffic.
7. When the finish line is on the right (opposite) side of the road, the runner must cross the road at as close to a 90-degree angle as possible to minimize danger to the runner and to minimize the number of vehicles being stopped for the runner. Take directions from the course marshals and heed signage.
8. If stopping at a water stop to drink, step off the road. Or keep running while you drink.
9. Run only for one team.
10. Fun is encouraged, within the limits of safety.
11. Reflective vests, supplied or approved by the designated relay official, must be used by runners for night legs (Legs 9 – 14 inclusive). Team members supporting runners must wear reflective vests supplied by teams and are not permitted to cross the road to support your runner during the night legs (Legs 9 – 14 inclusive). Spectators are directed to wear reflective materials in the start/finish zone for their own safety during night legs also. Please be highly visible to traffic.
NOTE: All runners must be 18 years of age or older on the day of the race.
Vehicle rules
12. Each team’s sole support vehicle must display the yellow identification number, provided by the Relay. Two other team vehicles will be provided with white identification numbers. These two white numbered vehicles cannot provide runner support in terms of providing water, nutrition or clothing swaps, but may cheer on runners when properly parked off the roadway.
13. No parked vehicle is permitted to leave the start/finish area later than 10 minutes prior to the leg start time. (Movement freeze period). Those teams providing the 5 km water stop should leave at least 15 minutes before leg start time to set up their water station.
14. UPDATED!! At 10 minutes after leg start, 18 team support vehicles (yellow ID displayed) will be allowed to leave. At 15 minutes another 18 teams will be allowed to leave. At 20 minutes, another 18 teams will be allowed to leave. At 25 minutes after the leg start, the remaining yellow ID’d team support vehicles will be allowed to depart. The assignments for the 10-, 15-, 20- & 25-minute departure times will be drawn at the captains meeting and vehicles will be provided unique windshield identification. At 30 minutes after the leg start, the remaining vehicles can leave. This gradual release prevents traffic back-ups.
15. REMINDER!! NO pacing or slowing from posted road speed is permitted while traveling along the roads. To support a runner, drive ahead, find a safe spot to pull your vehicle completely off the roadway asphalt, and then support the runner. RCMP will be on the course and will monitor and enforce. Time penalties will be handed out to teams not following this rule.
16. Illumination of the road at night for the runner’s benefit is not permitted.
17. Only the yellow numbered vehicles are permitted to accompany a runner during each leg. This vehicle must not pace the runner. It must stop in a safe place and completely pull off the roadway, support the runner, then move on to another safe place to stop. All non-numbered vehicles must go to the end of the leg to await runners.
18. Vehicles must have all four wheels off the asphalt when stopped or parked
19. No team is allowed to bring and/or use a siren.
20. Municipal and Provincial traffic regulations will be enforced by the RCMP.
21. Park so that pedestrians can walk without being forced into the roadway. All four wheels off the pavement plus room for those walking.
Team rules
22. Friday night captains’ meeting is mandatory.
23. Teams cannot substitute one runner for another during a leg.
24. Runners for each leg must be registered at least 5 minutes before the leg start time. Register at the passenger door of the vehicle with the green flashing light at the finish line, not with the announcers.
25. Time penalties will be assessed for:
25.1. Failure to start: leg’s slowest runner plus 10 minutes.
25.2. Failure to finish: leg’s slowest timed runner plus 5 minutes.
No penalty assessed if a team uses a runner more than once.
26. Do not stop a vehicle on the roadway to pick up or discharge runners, or make a U-turn to change direction.
27. Relay observers must stay off the roadway. Walk or stand on the shoulder. To cheer a runner, pull off the road and park. Turn off vehicle headlights at night.
28. There will be no pacing of runners by another runner unless that runner is also registered to run the leg.
29. Do not obstruct vehicle traffic. We are on a public highway. Such obstructions will be reported to the RCMP. Please don’t put the event’s permit at risk.
30. Pickup of a lagging or disabled runner off the course is the responsibility of the designated support vehicle.
31. Teams shall not serve liquids or nutrition or swap clothing to runners before the 10K mark of each leg. The Relay provides water at the 5K mark with the assistance of volunteers.
32. Fireworks and sparklers are prohibited.
33. Appropriate music volume and cheering is encouraged. Remember our neighbours.
34. Those teams providing a water stop 5K into the race should leave the finish area a minimum of 15 minutes before the leg start to allow them to set up their water station. If you miss this deadline, you will not be allowed to leave the finish area until the departure time designated by your vehicle’s indicator.
Infractions /Penalties
Accumulation of 40 minutes earns disqualification. Penalty minutes are added to the leg that is in progress at the time the penalty is issued.
- Traffic and Race Officials may provide warnings or assign penalty minutes. Please respect their judgment and don’t argue. It’s your safety that is the priority of these volunteers. Team Captains must ensure that all team members and supporters are briefed on, and have copies of the rules. Non-awareness is no excuse.
Minor: 5 minutes
- 1. Wearing a music headset.
- 2. Standing on road
- 3. Littering
Serious: 10 minutes
- 1. Stopping a vehicle on the roadway and discharging runners or passengers.
- 2. Vehicle parked with wheels on road (be on gravel not asphalt)
- 3. Pacing runner with a vehicle.
- 5. Pacing a runner by another runner who is not registered for the leg (penalty is assessed to both teams).
- 6. Spraying water on moving vehicle
- 7. Throwing water or any object
- 8. Runner not crossing the road at as close to a 90-degree angle as possible when the finish line is on the right.
- 9. Supporting a runner with a vehicle that does not have a yellow support vehicle identification number displayed on front left quarter panel.
- 10. Leaving the start/finish zone during the movement freeze period.
- 11. Supplying liquids, nutrition or clothing to a runner before the 10K mark in any leg.
- 12. Runner covering up or not wearing an approved reflective vest.
Dangerous/Illegal: 20 minutes
- 1. Vehicle not pulling over to the shoulder to let an emergency vehicle pass (from either direction).
- 2. Sitting out of vehicle windows or doors.
- 3. Driving with any vehicle door fully or partially open.
- 4. Not running on left side of road, close to the pavement edge.
- 5. Not running in single file, and/or causing unsafe traffic conditions for either runner or vehicles.
- 6. A runner not stepping off the road for oncoming traffic.
- 7. Using a siren.
- 8. Anything the Relay Officials consider serious enough to require this penalty.
- 9. Any vehicle stopping between the top of Hunters Mountain and turn onto the Swamp Road.
- 10. Any vehicle performing a U-Turn.
Consequences of Disqualification.
- No further participation in race.
- No final results; previous legs eliminated from results.
- Can attend reception, but eliminated from prizes and draws.
- Person(s) who causes disqualification, as in a flagrant incident, is suspended from the following year’s event.
