Rules for Geocentric Adventure Racing

Version 1.8– Dated 8 July 2010

Registration and Competency Checks

1. All team members must be present at race registration.

2. All team members must attend all pre-race briefings.

3. If competency checks are applicable to the event, the team must complete all the competency checks. Failure to complete competency checks within a reasonable time frame, and to the satisfaction of the organisers, will result in either reduced participation in the event (e.g. being excluded from sections of the course) or disqualification.

Equipment

4. Teams must carry mandatory equipment as specified in the event equipment list.

5. Teams are not permitted to carry or use certain items. These are specified in the event equipment list.

6. Teams must comply with scheduled and random equipment inspections on the course.

7. If a piece of mandatory equipment is accidentally lost during the course of the race, you must report this to the race official at the next manned CP or TA. You must remain in that location until a replacement can be delivered.

8. All team members must wear their race bib as the outer most garment for the duration of the race (including over PFDs unless otherwise stated). Modification of the bib is not permitted. Obstruction of the printing on the bib is not permitted. A backpack is permitted to cover the back of the bib only. A thin support strap between the shoulder straps on the front of a competitor is acceptable. Vest type packs that obstruct printing on the bib must be worn underneath the bib or not at all.

9. No mobile phones, radios, smart phones or other communications devices etc may be used on the race course unless in an emergency as specified in these rules. The intent is teams should not gain unfair advantage through receiving race related information from external sources.

a. In a Supported Race, when in a designated TA, teams may obtain race information from their support crews.

10. From the start of the actual race, teams may use only the actual maps provided by the organisers. No other maps may be used from this point. Teams may not take, or make, additional copies of the maps provided.

Support

11. No equipment, food, provisions or anything else is permitted to be dropped or cached on the course prior to the race. If the course allows, teams only cache items throughout the race, providing they will return to that location and retrieve all items before completion of the race. This is at teams own risk and does not include mandatory equipment.

12. If the event allows support crews the additional rules apply:

a. Support crews may provide assistance to their teams only in the designated race HQ or at a designated transition area (TA).

b. Support crews are not permitted to drop or cache equipment, food or anything else on the course (except in designated TA or race HQ).

c. Support crews are not permitted to lead, travel with, pace or follow their teams on the course.

d. Support crews are not permitted to wait at any point along the course route for their team to pass, or to watch other teams pass.

13. If the event is Unsupported (i.e. does not permit support crews), but a team has supporters, friends, family etc (to be known as "supporters") at the race, the additional rules apply:

a. Supporters may view teams only at race HQ or in specific Transition Areas (TAs) or Viewing Points (VPs) designated and promulgated prior to the race by the race organisers. The following additional rules apply:

(i) Once the course is given to teams, supporters are not permitted to assist in any of the race planning, touch any team equipment or in any way provide assistance to the team in their preparation for the race.

(ii) At the designated TAs or VPs, supporters are not permitted to touch any team member or any team equipment or supplies. Supporters are not permitted to provide to teams any equipment or supplies etc.

(iii) Supporters are not permitted to pass information to any team pertaining to the race, or any information that may assist a team in the race.

(iv) Supporters are not permitted to use any race resources at the race HQ, TAs or VPs such as water, food, toilets, tents, camp sites, phones etc.

(v) Supporters are not permitted to seek race information from the event officials in TAs and on the course. Information may only be obtained from Race HQ and other public information channels.

b. Supporters are not permitted to drop or cache equipment, food or anything else on the course (except in designated TA or race HQ).

c. Supporters are not permitted to lead, travel with, pace or follow their teams on the course.

d. Supporters are not permitted to wait at any point along the course route for their team to pass, or to watch other teams pass, unless it is a designated VP.

14. Assistance from the public, spectators, media, etc is governed by the following:

a. No assistance may be sought or accepted that involves the team or their equipment being moved in any way or assisting their movement along the course (e.g. riding in a vehicle, having team equipment carried or moved, paddling in wake a boat, drafting behind a vehicle etc).

b. No assistance may be sought or accepted that involves receiving nourishment, medical assistance or other unspecified forms of assistance etc (e.g. being given food or drinks, pain killers, replacement equipment, ice for injuries, having someone drive behind your team at night with spotlights on while cycling etc).

c. Interaction with the general public is however permitted to e.g. ask directions, pose for photos, answer questions, purchase food at a legitimate shop etc. General public being those people who every other competitor has access to in an equal capacity.

15. If a team has media, someone or something which aims to cover them at the race, in whatever form, this must be approved by the organisers. This may include but not limited to photographers, reporters, cameraperson, writers, tracking devices etc. All race rules must be adhered to.

16. Support from other ranked teams during the race is permitted. Support from unranked teams however is not permitted (e.g. drafting, pacing, sharing navigation, sharing food and equipment etc).

Team Travel and Race Course

17. Once the course has been issued team members, support crew, friends etc are not permitted to travel any part of the course in anyway before the start.

18. Teams must start and finish with the specified number of members. All team members must attempt all legs. No substitution of team members is permitted.

19. Teams must complete the course as specified in the course booklet. Unless otherwise specified, legs of the course and CPs must be collected in order.

20. A team must never have a distance of greater than 100 metres separating the first team member from the last. This rule will be checked and penalties will be harsh. Organisers may waiver this requirement in certain situations e.g. roping, around race HQ as outlined in the course booklets.

21. Teams must use the orienteering punch at unmanned and manned check points (CP) to make an indentation in their control card, thereby proving that they have visited that CP. Where applicable to the event, teams may be issued a Race Passport that requires signatures from officials at certain CPs or TAs.

a. Lost control cards or passports will receive a time penalty.

b. Punches in the wrong square, not punched properly or even forgotten will be penalised.

c. A checkpoint is considered valid if placed within a 50m radius of the location specified.

22. Teams must not travel in Out of Bounds areas. Unless specifically permitted by the race organisers, private property is always out of bounds, even if a team were to seek permission from the owner.

23. Teams must abide by civil laws at all times. Teams must conduct themselves with the highest respect for the general public, the race, the officials and fellow competitors.

Unranked Status

24. Unranked status may be given to a team, who for various reasons, is no longer considered to be completing, or have completed, the course in the intention of the organisers. The following are some examples:

a. One team member withdraws.

b. Team does not attempt or misses an entire leg of the race.

c. A team misses too many checkpoints (this will be determined by the Race Penalties Committee and based on whether that team has completed enough of the course to be classed as ranked).

Team or Team Member Withdrawal

25. In the case of withdrawal of a team member, or an entire team, race HQ must be notified by the quickest possible means.

26. If a team member decides to withdraw from the race, the whole team must escort that member to the nearest manned CP, TA or Search and Rescue Crew. Permission must be obtained from race HQ if the team wishes to continue on the course Unranked. If in the opinion of the Race Director, the withdrawing team member requires continued assistance from their team (e.g. in case of hospitalisation or medical visits), this permission is unlikely.

27. Teams are permitted to have a maximum of ONE team member only withdraw and still be permitted to continue racing in an unranked capacity. The overriding consideration for race organisers is safety and having a minimum group size. Once a team member has withdrawn, they are not permitted to re-join the race at a later stage (be it with their team or even another team). Additional notes for this rule include:

a. In events of 24hrs or less team size is normally three members. This means that if one team member withdraws, the other two members are permitted to continue racing in an unranked capacity.

b. In events of 48hrs or longer team size is normally four members. This means that if one team member withdraws, the other three members are permitted to continue racing in an unranked capacity.

c. In certain situations and on a case by case basis, the organisers may allow a team member who has withdrawn, to rejoin their team for a part of the course. For example a team member who has withdrawn due to a minor leg injury may be permitted to assist their now unranked team paddle a double kayak.

d. Unranked teams continue to be governed by the rules for support and assistance. Of particular note, if the race is unsupported a team member who has withdrawn is not permitted to provide assistance to theirs or any other team.

28. Once a team has become unranked, they may never move back into the ranked category (e.g. even if they were to find a substitute team member to race with them, thereby bringing their numbers back up to the original requirement).

29. If TWO or more members of a team withdraw from the race, then that team is not permitted to continue racing and will be classed as DNF. That team may never re-join the race and can never move back into either the unranked or ranked category.

30. If a competitor is part of a team who has withdrawn (due to others of their team withdrawing and not them), they may be permitted at the organisers discretion to join up with an unranked team (providing this team is willing to accept them). This unranked team still is not permitted to move back up into the ranked category.

Medical

31. If a team member seeks first aid or medical assistance from the organisers it is not a certainty that the particular team member will have to withdraw. Generally though, if a person is in need of first aid or medical assistance from the organisers, then there is a good chance that they will need to be treated and removed from the event. Race organiser’s decision to remove of a person due to medical or safety reasons is final.

32. Intravenous Fluids (IV) may only be administered by approved race medical staff. Any administration of IV fluids by anyone other than race medical staff will result in immediate disqualification of the team.

Emergencies

33. If you or your team comes across someone (be they involved with the event or not) who is in a genuine emergency situation, you MUST stop and give assistance. Organisers will attempt to re-credit lost time where possible.

34. Emergency communications devices should only be used in a situation where you require immediate assistance, or if there is a real danger to yourself or others in the event. Use of the emergency communications device for the above reasons does not necessarily result in a penalty or disqualification. If the emergency communication device is used and the situation or incident is deemed not to be a genuine emergency the team may receive a penalty or disqualification.

Penalties and Disqualification

35. Deliberately breaking any rule to gain advantage (i.e. cheating) will result in disqualification.

36. If a time penalty is awarded to a team, this time will be added to their actual finish time. Time penalties will be decided by the Race Penalties Committee as soon as possible (generally this will be after the finish of the race).

37. In almost all cases the time penalty for missing a CP will be based on being twice the estimated deviation time it may take a slower team (not necessarily slowest) to obtain that CP.

a. The deviation time is the additional time it would take a slower team to obtain the CP, as opposed to a calculation of the time a slower team might take if they traveled the most reasonable route bypassing that particular CP.

b. The calculation of deviation time is travel only and does not include time for sleeping or getting lost. It does not consider any time a team may have actually been unsuccessfully trying to obtain that CP before continuing on along the course.

c. It is acknowledged and acceptable that this time penalty calculation will be comparatively more severe for a front team as opposed to a rear team.

d. An example of the calculation of deviation time is contained at the end of these rules in Annex A.

38. Bad behaviour towards race officials, volunteers, the public and anyone else will not be tolerated. Penalties or disqualification may result.

39. The Race Penalties Committee will contain a variety of members as deemed appropriate by the Race Director. There is no obligation to make public the proceedings or members of the Race Penalties Committee.

Environment

40. The following rules must be followed:

a. All rubbish carried out with competitors, nothing left behind.

b. Wildlife should not be disturbed.

c. No fires to be lit outside of approved fire places unless in an emergency.

d. No fires are to be lit at all if a total fire ban is in place.

e. Minimal impact on vegetation should be adopted, use existing tracks if possible.

f. Where roads, tracks, routes etc are mandated by the authorities or organisers, these must not be deviated from.

g. Leave gates as they were found, report any damages, no souveniring (i.e. stealing)

h. Human waste is to be either carried out, or buried 15-25cm below the surface and 100m from nearest creek, watercourse, habitation or checkpoint.

i. Follow additional rules outlined in race briefings.

Team Sponsorship

41. The following rules must be followed:

a. Your team may be named after your sponsor, it is recommended that names be limited to three words.

b. NO sponsor patches may be fixed to the official race bib provided by Geocentric if bib must be returned at the end of the event. If the event provides bibs for competitors to keep, sponsor patches may be attached in clear space only and not obscure any logos already on the bib..

c. If the event provides official race bibs to competitors to keep, they may fix sponsor patches to available white spaces as outlined in Competitor Information Packs before the event.

d. Team are permitted to adorn the remainder of their clothing and equipment with sponsor logos.

Miscellaneous

42. It is prohibited to use the substances and or methods outlined in the World Anti-Doping Code's most recent Prohibited List.

43. Competitors are not to remove, tamper or adjust race equipment at any time. For example equipment such as CP markers, punches, signs, route marking etc.

44. Competitors must follow any additional rules outlined in any of the race briefings. Competitors must also obey directions issued by officials.

Complaints/ Protests

45. Any complaints or protests must be in writing and submitted to race organisers within 24hrs of either finishing or withdrawing from the race.

46. The decision of the Race Penalties Committee is final.

Conclusion

47. The overriding consideration with these rules is to use common sense and to appreciate the intention of the organiser and the spirit of the event. Organisers will not be sympathetic to teams attempting to use loop holes in the above rules.

48. In all respects decisions by Race Organisers are final.

Annex A

Example of Calculation of Deviation Time

Example 1 In this instance teams turn off the main route and travel route A out to the CP, and back again on route A, to rejoin the general direction of course travel. This is also known as an "out and back" CP. A slow team may be estimated to take 30 minutes to travel out and 30 minutes to travel back when obtaining the CP. The deviation time is calculated as 60 minutes. The penalty time for missing this CP is calculated as twice the deviation time, 2 x 60mins = 120min penalty.

Example 2 In this instance teams turn off the main route and travel route A out to the CP, and continue on route A to rejoin the general direction of course travel at a point further from where the first deviated. A slow team may be estimated to take 120mins to obtain the CP by traveling along route A. If they were to bypass this CP and continue the most obvious route, the estimated time to travel route B is 15 minutes. The deviation time is calculated as 120 - 15 = 105 minutes. The penalty time is calculated as twice the deviation time, 2 x 105mins = 210min penalty.