Guidance on event safety

Introduction

An experienced team man race control throughout the event. Their first, and most important, role is to ensure the safety of the event staff and participants. On rare occasions this may mean that race control needs to make a decision in the interest of safety or logistics that may adversely affect some participants.

Event safety considers the impact of all actions on both event staff and participants. Safety considerations are dynamic and often change as the race progresses, participants become more tired and the weather conditions alter. For example, a slow moving participant may be forced to retire, not because they are incapable of finishing, but because the event team are at risk whilst waiting for them, or (and this has happened) the event team have another time critical role that does not allow them to remain beyond a set time at a specific location.

Race control’s decision will be final in all matters relating to safety.

The ‘golden rule’

Whatever happens, participants must arrive at the overnight camp each day and report in, or contact race control on the supplied phone number.

GPS tracker

The GPS trackers record their location via GPS but can only communicate this to race control via the GSM cellular network (i.e. the same network that your mobile uses). There are locations along the route where there is no network coverage; here the tracker still records its location via GPS, but simply queues up the communications back to race control ready to release only once it is back in network coverage.

SOS button

Each participant's GPS tracker has an SOS button. Pressing the SOS button will initiate a significant emergency response by race control; it is for true emergencies only (e.g. a life or limb threatening incident). If it is pressed in order to alert us to a participant's condition, then it will be assumed that the participant in question will not be able to continue with the event.

Pressing the GPS tracker’s SOS button sends an alert with your location to race control via the GSM cellular network as mentioned above, and therefore relies on network coverage to work. However, please note that the GPS tracker is equipped with a multi-network SIM card, so even if your own phone has no signal, in an emergency it is still worth attempting an SOS button press.

The exact instructions for how to use the SOS button on your GPS tracker will be printed on the race map issued at registration.

Tip

Please also refer to the GPS Tracker FAQs

Emergency protocol

In the event of an emergency an emergency protocol is printed on the event map, which is issued at registration to each participant, and forms part of the mandatory kit to be carried while running.

Overdue participants

As we will be using a GPS tracking system for all participants it is extremely unlikely that any person should be missing at any point during the event.

However, there are limitations of the tracking system (see above) and it is theoretically possible for a person to become stationary in a location with no network coverage. In this instance the potential search area is radically reduced in size and it would be reasonable to expect to locate a missing person rapidly.

Any participant running late is requested to contact race control on the supplied phone number normally best by text message.

Bad weather route

A bad weather course may be declared at any time by race control and in this instance, participants will be issued with instructions of the route amendments.