RELAY RULES

Please review all rules to avoid penalties (minutes added to finish time) or disqualification. To qualify as a competitive category winner, teams must follow all rules.

PRIOR TO THE RACE

• All teams must fulfill the volunteer requirement. Failure to abide by either of the two options will result either in the team being unable to participate or in their disqualification.

• All waivers must be signed and returned to the Wild West Relay prior to the race in order to participate. They will be accepted at the registration table on race day. If waivers are not signed by ALL runners, volunteers, and van drivers, teams will not be permitted to participate - no exceptions.

• The minimum age for participants is fourteen years of age. Participants between the ages of fourteen and eighteen as well as their parent or guardian will need to sign the waiver of liability.

• Teams that "fudge" their 10k times to earn an earlier start time will have a 2 hour penalty added to their finish time. This penalty will be accessed if a team finishes 2-hours earlier than their predicted finish time.

ON RACE DAY

Wild West Relay's rules are for everyone’s safety.

PLEASE ALWAYS USE EXTREME CAUTION during the entire race. There are no road closures, traffic control, or aid stations. All runners and teammates must be very aware of vehicle traffic at all times as several of the Exchange Points are along busy roads. Always run against the flow of on-coming traffic unless stated otherwise.

ON RACE DAY: VEHICLES

• Vehicles must drive ahead to the next Exchange Point or Van Exchange to ready the next runner. Follow traffic laws - trailing runners or forcing runners onto the road by obstructing the shoulder is prohibited.

• Except for Van Exchanges (6, 12, 18, 24, 30), only Active Vans may park while waiting for incoming runners.

• All teams are limited to 2 vehicles (ultra teams only one) to transport runners along the route. SUVs, minivans and vans are preferred. (Motor homes, campers, buses, trailers, or limousines are not permitted).

• All vans must display a "CAUTION: Runners on Road" sign (minimum 17 x 22 inches) on the rear of each vehicle throughout the entire race. Signs may be hand-drawn, but must be legible and clearly visible to all traffic.

• All vans must also have their team number (signs provided at the start) displayed on both the front and driver side windows of their vehicles. The Orange sign is for Van 1 and the Yellow sign is for Van 2. Ultra teams will have a Green sign.

• Vehicles may NOT stop or park within 500 feet BEFORE Exchanges. Please park beyond the Exchanges or in the designated parking areas before exiting vans.

ON RACE DAY: RUNNERS

• All runners need to wear their team numbers (bibs) visibly in front and wear/carry the relay batons (wristbands). From sunset to sunrise, runners must also wear reflective vests and carry flashlights. Wearing reflective vests during daylight is highly recommended, as it will increase visibility, especially on blind curves.

• NEW RULE - runners who are running Legs 30 - 35 (over Rabbit Ears Pass on US 40) are strongly encouraged to wear bright colored shirts/clothing to increase their visibility. In addition, runners will be required to wear reflective vests on these legs even if after sunrise.

• Obey all Colorado pedestrian and vehicle codes.

• Cross roads only in crosswalks, intersections, or at the instruction of the race marshal assigned to this task.

• Runners and vans must stop at red lights.

• Alcohol, bicycles, headphones/earbuds on active runners, and pets along the race course are prohibited and can result in the entire team being disqualified (Insurance liability rules)

• Please be quiet near any residential areas.

• Obey volunteers and respect private property. Properly dispose of trash and use the portable toilets. Any runner spotted littering (even the smallest energy gel packet), or urinating/defecating on private property, will cause their entire team to be immediately disqualified. We are guests in the towns and roads along the race route – please act as such.

• Incoming runners must pass batons (wrist bands) to outgoing runners only at the Runner Exchange Areas.

• If a runner makes a wrong turn, the runner must return to the course on foot to the point on the course where the error occurred and then resume the race.

• Each team is required to turn in a completed Scoring Sheet with each runner's leg time. Scoring sheets will be provided.

RUNNING AT NIGHT:

From sunset to sunrise, runners must wear reflective vests, carry lighted flashlights or headlamps, and wear a blinking red light on their back. Women may run with escorts, phones, and/or pepper spray.

Shadowing your team’s runners between transitions is only permitted from dusk until dawn provided:

• “Shadowing” your runner means leapfrogging your runner by several hundred yards, waiting until they pass you by a few hundred yards; then repeating.

• Your team vehicle driver obeys all local traffic laws

• Your team vehicle does not interfere with the progress of another runner or other vehicle traffic

• Your vehicle can pull completely off the road onto a shoulder

• Your vehicle headlights and emergency flashers are on

• Driving behind the runner at the pace she/he is running is not permitted - vans must maintain the speed limit.

FOR COMPETITIVE TEAMS:

• Runners must maintain the order submitted at the Start on the Roster/Waiver.

• Masters and Flatlanders teams must submit a photocopy of each runner's driver license (with a current address for the Flatlander category) at the Start.

IN THE EVENT OF AN INJURY OR SUDDEN ILLNESS:

• If a runner becomes injured or ill and is unable to finish (i.e. cannot walk), the next runner (of the same gender if a Mixed team) in the rotation may substitute at the point of injury and continue.

• A hand-off must occur at the next exchange. A runner may not complete one leg and then also run the next leg.

IF A RUNNER SUBSTITUTION OCCURS:

• The injured runner may not run again.

• One or more runners will be required to run extra legs.

• The original order must be maintained.

• No more than one substitution per leg is permitted.

• Women must run a minimum of seventeen legs or a mixed team will be reclassified

Example - presume injury is to Female #3 on Leg 7:

Start Rotation		Revised Rotation
Position	Gender	Position	Gender
Leg 1	M-1	Leg 1	M-1
Leg 2	M-2	Leg 2	M-2
Leg 3	M-3	Leg 3	M-3
Leg 4	F-1	Leg 4	F-1
Leg 5	M-4	Leg 5	M-4
Leg 6	F-2	Leg 6	F-2
Leg 7	F-3	Leg 7	F-4
Leg 8	M-5	Leg 8	M-5
Leg 9	M-6	Leg 9	M-6
Leg 10	F-4	Leg 10	F-5
Leg 11	F-5	Leg 11	F-6
Leg 12	F-6	Leg 12	M-1

• No runner may drop out to substitute a faster runner.

• To report a rule violation, submit a Protest Form (included in your race packet) to a Relay official within 30 minutes of crossing the finish. Prior to submitting the form, the protesting team must notify the accused team so any misunderstandings can be settled.

Last updated 7/8/2009