Water Gap 50k

Procedures and Protocols

  1. Mandatory Action Item:
    1. You must print, sign, and bring this updated waiver to race.
  2. Start/Staging Location:
    1. Milford Beach, 150 Milford Beach Rd, Milford, PA 18337
    2. Google Maps Pin: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Mf717GFMQwDtyE7SA
    3. Directions: From Rt. 209 (Federal Rd) at the southern end of the town of Milford, PA, head south on Milford Beach Road (2013), following signs for Milford Beach Park.
  3. Wave Start Format:
    1. We will use designated times for both check-in and start to facilitate social distancing. Runners are asked to not check-in ahead of their designated time. Arrive early? Hang with your car, stretch, relax...but please don't make your way into the check-in area until your designated window.
    2. While checking in, please maintain 6 foot separation if in line
    3. We will start three runners every 2 minutes beginning with the 50k at 7:00 am. The order will be fastest runners first in order to maintain if not increase spacing among participants, though we may consider a few of the slowest runners to lead out if it appears cut-off times will be close.
    4. We will encourage runners be mindful of and stick to the planned 8 hour cutoff time for the 50k.
      1. We will use UltraSignUp's time projections as this basis. We cannot allow anyone who US predicts to be over 10 hours into the 2020 running.
    5. The starting and check-in wave times will be found here and with changes made up until a few days prior to raceday.
  4. General Protocols Mandatory to Read / Understand / Agree To
    1. Masks
      1. Entrants will be required to wear masks (covering your nose and mouth) at check-in, at the staging area (pre and post) unless actively eating / drinking, and while in all aid stations unless more than 6 feet away from another individual. You must pull up your mask when entering all Aid Stations!
      2. Volunteers required to wear masks when in close (within 6 feet) and/or sustained contact with entrants or other volunteers, or while in contact with any shared equipment
      3. Entrants and volunteers will be provided buffs to use as masks (note, these are not medical-grade or N95 and will not prevent spread), but with both permitted and encouraged to use their own and of preference.
      4. Entrants are not required to wear masks while running / hiking, but to be considerate while passing others.
    2. No spectators
      1. In an effort to reduce numbers on course, entrants are not permitted to have spectators or crews supporting them on course. Friends / Family are welcome to plug in as a volunteer w/ the event as an opportunity to see their runners on course, and help the event work in a volunteer-challenging year. Please have them email Ian@RedNewtRacing.com to request plugging in as a volunteer.
    3. Surface-contact
      1. The event will have a pump jug of liquid hand sanitizer at check-in and each aid station for the use of entrants and volunteers.
      2. Runners and volunteers are strongly encouraged to bring their own hand sanitizer, using pre / post contacting any common surfaces and very much including porta-johns.
    4. "Hot-Spot" States and Communities, Exposure, and Risk:
      1. Any entrant with fever, persistent cough, or with exposure to an individual who is / was COVID positive within 14 days of the event are asked not to race this year, and will have registrations rolled into 2021.
      2. Any entrant deemed at heightened risk for complications due to exposure to an individual or within a community who are, are encouraged to differ their entry to 2021.
      3. Entrants who are from or who have spent time in States deemed by NYS to be "hot-spots" are not able to participate unless quarantined within NYS 14 days or more prior to the event.
        1. As of July 15th, the list of those states are:
          1. Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.
        2. Entrants who have visited or spent time in communities outside of those States which are experiencing "hot-spot" or significant case rises are asked to consider pushing their registrations to 2021.
  5. Registration and Check-In:
    1. No race-day registration.
    2. All registrants must pre-print, sign, and bring updated waiver to check-in
      1. Waiver can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TwidFzAaYHyKFXB6a5_OET5pyLYXnzO29iCe81gbFxI/edit?usp=sharing
    3. All entrants will be assigned mandatory check-in times which will be approximately 35 minutes prior to their assigned start wave, and with check-in held in a walk-way pavilion of sorts, just in from the main parking area at Milford Beach. If the weather is favorable we will have check-in outside of the pavilion.
  6. Start Time Format / Procedure
    1. Each event will have staggered start-times with 3 runners sent off every 2 minutes. Note: the event is chip-timed, so while we'll try to get as close as we can to planned / recorded start times, actual start and finish times will be accounted for when runners cross the start and finish mats. That spreadsheet is found here, and with one worksheet / tab for the 50k, and one for the 25k. Please look at the spreadsheet again on Wednesday prior to the race as we may need to shuffle slots until that time.
      1. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mfuAOndajm-j4K7kK1Y9BIFR_Xz86padz_B34XWJUW0/edit?usp=sharing
    2. Starting times will be assigned based on UltraSignUp Ranking which is only marginally accurate, particularly for newer runners who do not have finish histories in UltraSignUp, or those who have run more competitive races with deeper fields than others.
    3. Entrants who are arriving to the event by carpooling together, or who have specific requests to run with friends should email Ian@RedNewtRacing.com to be placed in waves together.
  7. Course Configuration
    1. We've moved away from our traditional point-to-point course format to nix the need for busing. The new course follows an out-back format for both distances. Please be mindful to push to the trail boundaries when passing others, and consider pulling your gaiter / mask up for the passings
  8. Aid Stations Provisions and Protocol:
    1. Aid Station Separation:
      1. 25K: AS1 - 5.0, AS2 - 10.5, Finish - 15.5
      2. 50k: AS1 - 5.0, AS2 - 9.6, AS3 - 15.75, AS4 - 21.8, AS5 - 26.5
    2. Aid Stations will provide only water and Tailwind Hydration drink mix. We may have some ice on hand for heat and injury related issues, but to be used for those purposes only.
    3. Volunteers are not to handle entrant's bottles or hydration bladders and are to maintain distancing between themselves. Entrants needing fluids will be required to unholster their own bottles or bladders, remove caps, and hold while volunteers fill bottles or bladders with jugs.
    4. Entrants required to be as self-sufficient as they can in terms of supplies, including carrying enough fluids to make through up to 7+ miles without refill, and enough food / calories to get them through their entire race.
  9. Swag
    1. Swag will be provided at check-in and include:
      1. Buffs serving as intended finisher's items and ensuring that all entrants have masks.
      2. Custom event T - Sizes not guaranteed to those registering after August 15th.
  10. Awards
    1. Although we've had a good time w/ some creative awards in years prior, there will be no Awards or ceremony this year in an effort to reduce crowds around the finish.
  11. Finish Times
    1. Timing will be chipped and as managed by Vinny and/or Nicole Cappadora of Happily Running. While we'll do our best to insure accuracy, and timeliness of results, please let Vinny (vinny@happilyrunning.com) know re: questions / corrections, and with a GPS log / track / time to verify questioned finish times. He will do his best to have finish times uploaded to UltraSignUp by Wednesday, September 16. We will post that update when it happens to RNR's Facebook page.
    2. Runners are strongly encouraged to note their start and finish times just in case chips misread.
  12. Post Race Food
    1. We will not be doing our traditional on-site prepped chili or accessible post-race food this year per our need to reduce points of contact and post-race hanging around / crowding. We're unsure yet how / if we'll be able to provide post-race food as we may be too small for a formal caterer who could provide us prepped and to-go fashion foods. If we can manage to figure out something like wraps-to go, we will. It may be safe to plan for having your own supplies / nutrition for post-race just in case.
    2. Finishers are for sure welcome to decompress and connect at the finish for a bit, but encouraged to keep a distance from one another where possible, and to not stick around post-race too long.
  13. Course Marking
    1. We will plan to use streamers and/or surveyors flags at key / tricky turns. Given that the trail is clear and open for most the course, we will not use confidence markers.
  14. Road Crossings
    1. Please note that while road crossings are minimal, 50k runners will have one that they'll cross at 8.2 and again at approximately 23.5 miles which is open to traffic and cars may be traveling quite fast. While we'll hopefully have a marshal to place you under caution at that crossing, entrants take on the safe crossing on their own, with no guarantee of event security or oversight. Stop, look for traffic, and cross only if clear. For this reason, please, NO Headphones!
  15. Dropping Out
    1. Anyone who is not able to complete the course MUST NOTIFY THE STAGING AREA and TURN IN BIB for tracking purposes prior to leaving. Please don't have us calling your emergency contacts trying to track you down
    2. If an entrant drops out on course and needs a ride back to the finish, please do so at the nearest aid station, and have them call for assistance. Protocol will be for one dedicated driver to bring DNF's back in, and with the requirement that both driver and runner wear masks, have windows down, and have the seat toweled and area sanitized after, and with both parties using hand sanitizer pre / post. To prevent the need for this NO DROPPING OUT unless you do so at the Staging Area!
  16. Sometimes Asked Question
    1. Bathrooms (please bring hand sanitizer to use pre / post)
      1. We will have portajohns at the start finish. Per the Recreation Area being more closed off this year, you may or may not have access to portajohns or pit toilets while on course.