Race Rules + Gear

Recommended Gear

We suggest you carry the following gear. You will be in the wilderness, and you are responsible for your safety. If you are injured it may be several hours before we can reach you, so you need to be prepared. Do not think it will not happen to you! Weather changes quickly, and every year we have racers that DNF due to environmental conditions, so prepare accordingly. You may elect to carry additional gear, like bear spray, at your discretion. We have a mix of mandatory and recommended gear, noted below:

1. Headlamp (hopefully you're done before dark but...)
2. Full water bottles or hydration pack to carry 2L of fluid
3. Wind/water resistant jacket
4. Toque or warm hat
5. Sun hat
6. Whistle (for alerting others)
7. Space blanket (shelter)
8. Race Bib (mandatory)
9. Timing Chip (mandatory)

If you do not wear your timing chip or bib number, as per the race rules, you are not considered a competitor in the event.

Note: We do not supply disposable cups at our aid stations on course, so you must have a vessel if you want water or electrolyte. You are welcome to refill bottles and bags.

Prohibited/Restricted Items

• Performance-Enhancing Drugs: See Rules below
• Headphones: See Rules below
• Dogs: Competitors are not allowed to bring dogs onto the course

Rules and Definitions

Updated November 12, 2021

New! See our new Gender Category Policy.

Definitions

• Competitor: Someone who is registered in the race, has checked in and signed a waiver, and is designated to run all of or a specific portion of the race
• CP: Checkpoint, also "Water Station" or "Aid Station".
• Disqualified: A competitor or team that has not completed a mandatory section of the race, or has been removed from the event by Race Administration.
• DNF: Did Not Finish, also "Disqualified".
• DNS: Did Not Start, also "Disqualified".
• Pacer: A runner who is enlisted specifically to assist a Competitor finish a stage of the race.

Race Rules

1. Competitors are required to check in at registration prior to the race, and sign a waiver provided by Sinister Sports Inc. A competitor is considered DNS without a signed waiver.
2. Competitors are responsible for their own medical coverage and all costs incurred by any form of rescue services, treatment, or hospitalization if they are injured during the race. If emergency evacuation is required, the cost will be the responsibility of the individual in need of assistance. This includes the cost of airlifting and helicopter or ground search if required.
3. Start Times:
   1. The 5km race begins at 5:00pm on the Friday of the race.
   2. The 50km and 25km races start at 8:00am on the Saturday of the race.
   3. The 3-hour loop race starts at 9:00am on the Sunday of the race.
   4. The 1.5-hour loop race starts at 10:30am on the Sunday of the race.
   5. Competitors must start within 10 minutes of their assigned start time. Late starters may be removed from the course or shuttled ahead and marked as Unranked at the discretion of the Race Director.
4. Finish and Cut-off Times:
   1. The 5km race ends at 7:30pm.
   2. The 50km and 25km races end at 7:00pm on the Saturday of the race (11 hour final cutoff).
      1. Competitors on the 50km course must leave CP8 by no later than 2:30pm, which is 6.5 hours into the course.
   3. The loop race ends at 12:00pm on the Sunday of the race.
      1. Competitors who start their final loop prior to 12:00pm have 15 minutes to complete the loop in order to have it count towards their total
   4. Racers not finished by these times will be considered Over Time Limit (OTL), but are typically allowed to finish the course, unless it is deemed unsafe by the Race Director for the competitor to continue.
5. Start and finish times may be adjusted at the discretion of the Race Director due to environmental, traffic, or safety factors.
6. The only means of travel on the course is self-powered and on foot (running, walking, crawling); using any other means of travel will result in disqualification.
7. The timing chip is property of Sinister Sports, or it's suppliers, and must be returned at the end of the race.
8. A timing chip and bib number must be worn while on the course or the competitor is not considered a participant in the race. The bib must be worn on the front of your body so that it is visible to race marshals.
9. Competitors must check in at all manned CPs. Your number and time will be recorded before you continue on the course.
10. The course is marked and runners must adhere to the designated route; any deviance or short cuts will result in disqualification. During any road sections, competitors may only cross highways and roadways at designated locations when safe to do so.
11. If any act of nature or uncontrollable act takes place that inhibits your progress on the course (eg: train crossing, rockslide, animal encounter) no time credit will be given; these factors are a part of the race.
12. Competitors are allowed assistance (eg: support crew, volunteer, race marshal, or bystander) only at designated locations, which include South Base (the Start/Finish area), and CP8 on the 50km course. Accepting assistance outside these locations from anyone besides a registered competitor, or race medic, will result in disqualification. You can receive assistance from appointed race medics anywhere on the course, even outside of designated TAs, providing that the assistance is not in the form of transportation.
13. Competitors are not allowed to use pacers. Competitors may run with other register competitors without penalty.
    1. Competitors may run with a solo competitor who is competing on the same stage and day of the race, and has not been marked as disqualified.
    2. Any individual may join the competitor within 300m of end of a stage in order to show support to the competitor as they finish.
14. Competitors are not allowed to cache food or gear along the course except at designated CPs.
15. Littering on the course is unacceptable and will result in immediate disqualification.
16. Any competitor found using, or supplying performance-enhancing drugs to other competitors, will be disqualified and permanently barred from all Sinister Sports events. See the World Anti-Doping Agency's for a list of banned substances. Sinister Sports Inc. respects any existing bans and will comply with any investigation undertaken by anti-doping agencies.
    1. Competitors may approach Race Administration to discuss exemptions based on medical conditions. This will be handled confidentially, and Race Administration may request a note from a prescribing physician
17. Headphones must be removed in a Checkpoint so that Race Administration and Volunteers can communicate with competitors. Not doing so may result in penalties or disqualification at the discretion of the Race Director. If used on course, consider wearing only one earbud and keeping the volume at an acceptable level so that you can hear your surroundings without disturbing other competitors.
18. Any competitor that drops out of the race must notify the nearest race marshal or director at the earliest opportunity. Do not drop out of the race without telling race officials as this will result in a costly search and you may be billed.
19. Medical staff and/or Race Directors may remove any competitor from the racecourse if they feel it is unsafe for the competitor to proceed (eg: natural hazards, hypothermia, dehydration, frostbite, debilitating injury, unprepared for weather events).
20. Unsportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated and may result in disqualification at the discretion of the race director.
21. Any disputes with the racecourse, race results, course management or the actions of other competitors must be submitted to the Race Director, in writing, within 30 minutes of the end of the race. If not received within this time, complaints will not be considered.
22. If evidence of infractions of these rules are discovered after the event has concluded, such as couse cutting being discovered on Strava, the Race Director has the discretion to take action, including overturning the race results.
23. The Race Director will determine if there has been a violation of these rules and will be the final authority in assigning penalties.