Event Rules

EVENT RULES & GUIDELINES ARE APPLICABLE TO ALL PARTICIPANTS

The following event rules and guidelines are intended to help produce and direct a large scale event, to ensure the safety of all participants, to meet the requirements of local government permits and to be compliant with applicable USA Track & Field (USATF) for participant performance records and event liability.

Participation

Registrants must be capable of completing the full distance, start line to finish line, within event time requirement of 1 hour (19:00 per mile pace).
To register, participants must be 8 years of age or older on event day. Participants under 18 years of age must have a statement signed by a parent or legal guardian permitting participation.
Each participant must sign an Event and USATF waiver before participating in the event. Registrants under 18 years of age must have an applicant wavier signed by a parent or legal guardian.
The event time requirement and age minimum apply to all forms of entry and event participation.
Any participant seeking accommodation in respect of a disability must submit a written request to the Event Registration Manager. E-mail your request to ralph@ravenswoodevents.com
Participant event number bibs and timing devices are specific personal identifiers and may not be exchanged with or transferred/sold to any other person. Sale, trade and/or transfer of race entry/bibs and timing devices are strictly prohibited and will result in the disqualification and/or banning of any individuals involved from future events. All entry fees are non-refundable, and may not be deferred toward a future event. Registration closure is determined and announced when event participation reaches the established participant capacity.

On Site Registration and Packet (bib number) Pick-Up

Participant Packets (Bib, Timing Device, Safety pins, gear check tag, and T-Shirt) will be available for pick-up at designated locations the week before the race. Please visit the official race web site for specific information regarding locations and times.
Limited day of event registration may be available at the event site on race day after 8AM. Please note that this event has limited capacity and day of event registration is not guaranteed. Registration will be cut off once event participation reaches the established participant capacity which may or may not occur prior to race day.
A Participant Packet will NOT be released without a valid ID or Confirmation Ticket.
In the event a registered participant wishes to have someone else pick up his/her Participant Packet, the registered participant should provide that individual with his/her Confirmation Ticket.
Anyone picking up a packet–a registered participant or a friend of a registered participant– should be prepared to show photo identification).
Participant Packets and Bags will not be mailed to participants.

Event day

Participants must follow instructions as given from all event officials including race staff, volunteers, medical personnel, fire and police officials, security officers and city officials throughout the duration of the event.
All participants must remain on the paved surface of the trail during the race. Do not run in landscaped areas of the trail.
All participants are expected to conduct themselves in a professional and courteous manner towards the community and their fellow participants during their participation in the event. This means, for example, alcohol consumption, urinating or defecating in public except in designated toilet facilities, participant obstruction anywhere on or near the course shall be strictly prohibited unless facilitated by the event. Anyone violating this rule of conduct shall be disqualified from the event and will be asked to leave the course.
Every participant shall be provided with an event bib number, which shall be conspicuously worn at the torso on the front of the participant’s outermost layer during the event. The event bib number is to be worn as issued. No participant shall be permitted to participate in the event without the appropriate bib number.
The use of music devices (e.g. iPods) is permitted during the race. The use of cell phones, video devices, cameras or similar devices by participants while in the event is strongly discouraged, and event officials reserve the right to disqualify any participant using such devices who poses a safety hazard on the course.
The use of wheeled devices by participants or any other person authorized to be on the course shall be strictly limited to (a) authorized and registered competitive wheelchair participants (b) authorized course marshals on bicycles and (c) baby joggers or strollers. Participants with joggers or strollers are strongly encouraged to yield to faster participants and stay at the rear of the pack or off to the side. Skateboards, rollerblades, unauthorized bicycles or any other wheeled device will not be permitted on the course.
Pets are not permitted on the race course.
Participants must begin the event during the official recognized starting times. The course will remain secured until the 19:00 per mile pace Official End Vehicle crosses the finish line. At that time, the event is officially concluded, the trail will be re-opened to pedestrians, and course Aid Station will cease operation.
Participants are advised for health reasons, and to protect the safety of other competitors, not to consume alcohol while running. They must abide by all City of Chicago alcohol use rules and regulations. Event reserves the right to disqualify any runner who poses a risk to themselves or others.

Wave Start and Start Corrals

Start Corrals are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, and they will remain open until they reach their maximum capacities.
Faster runners are encouraged to stage themselves near start and to leave with the early waves.
Waves 1-3 will be reserved for competitive runners (8 minute pace per mile or less), waves 4-10 will be reserved for recreational runners (9-11 minute pace per mile or less), and the remaining waves will be reserved for casual runners (11 minute pace per mile or more).
All participants must be positioned behind the Official Start line and timing mat prior to the race start

Course Monitoring

Any participant who refuses to obey the directions of event officials, including fire and police officials, city officials or course marshals, or who conducts himself/herself in an unsportsmanlike manner, or who is offensive by action or language to officials, volunteers, participants or spectators may be disqualified by the event and from future participation at the discretion of race officials.
No participant, after leaving the course, shall be allowed to rejoin the race either for the purpose of gaining a place or to pace or to assist another participant.
Any participant who has been found by a course marshal, event official or surveillance equipment to have gained an unfair advantage by intentionally shortening the race route (“cutting the course”) shall be immediately disqualified from the event.
Any person who participates in the event without a current official event bib number or timing device, or a bib number or timing device not officially assigned to him/her, is subject to removal and disqualification from future events.
No persons are authorized to be on the course unless they are registered participants. Therefore, no person shall be allowed to accompany a participant if he/she is not registered in the event, nor shall any participant be allowed, without the permission of the event management, to receive assistance or refreshment from anyone during the progress of the event. Any person not properly displaying an authorized and issued bib number shall be directed to leave the course.

Participant Safety

Medical personnel authorized by the event to do so may examine any participant who appears in distress. If in the sole opinion of authorized medical personnel it is in the best interest of the participant’s health and welfare, medical personnel may remove the participant from the event.
Participants must retire at once from the race if ordered to do so by a member of the event’s official staff, official medical staff or any governmental authority, including fire and police officials.
Participants are responsible and assume liability for any and all medical expenses incurred as a result of training for and/or participating in the event, including but not limited to ambulance transport, hospital stays, physician and pharmaceutical goods and services.
Event officials reserve the right to delay, cancel or suspend the race due to inclement weather or other dangerous circumstances in accordance with Emergency Protocol on severe emergencies and/or inclement weather.

Result Timing & Awards

All participants are assigned an electronic timing device prior to the race in their Participant Packet.
Participants are responsible for the proper application of their assigned timing device. Instructions on proper application of the timing device are provided in the packet.
Official times for participants in all corrals will be the electronic timing device time (net time) from when the participant crosses the start line to the point where the participant crosses the finish line.
Participants must wear their assigned timing device continuously to receive an accurate finish time.
Participant net times greater than the event time requirement (1 hour) will not be recognized as official.
Age group awards are based on one’s age on race day.
Age group awards are based on official net time.
Participants found to be wearing two or more event-issued electronic timing devices during the race will be disqualified and their results will not be recorded.
Participants with missing split times at official electronic timing checkpoints will be reviewed and may be disqualified.
All participant finish times are reviewed before times are designated official.
Participants must begin the event during the official recognized starting time in order to register an official course completion time.

Exceptions/Amendments/Reservations/Acknowledgements

Any individual requesting a waiver of any of these rules from the event shall submit a written request no less than 30 days prior to the event date specifying the nature of and reasons for the request.
Event officials reserve the right to modify, supplement or waive all or part of the event rules.
Participants shall be bound by any modification or supplement of the event rules published prior to the event.
Failure to follow these event rules, as may be amended, will result in immediate disqualification and removal from official results.

The Bloomington Trail Run follows, and participants are subject to, the rules specified by USATF. Please visit usatf.org and iaaf.org for additional information concerning the rules mandated by the governing bodies for the sport.