RACE RULES FOR THE

Race Rules for the Red Fox Adventure Race 2019

Goals and Objectives

Propaganda of a healthy life-style. Popularization and development of adventure races as a new sport in Russia. Involvement of the population in doing sports outdoors regularily. Getting to know the unique nature and landscapes of the North-West region of the Russian Federation and sharing it with other racers.

Organisation

Organizer of the Race: Red Fox Company
Chairman of the Organisation Committee: Olga Moroz
Designer and Chief Judge: Vitalij Chegarovskij
Vice Chairman of the Organisation Committee and Safety Manager: Denis Kuprienko
Responsible for Installation of the Rope Course: Alexander Ovcharuk
Supervisor of the Volunteers: Dmitrij Bulavinov
Manager of the Race Centre: Ilya Kuznetsov
Electronic Timekeeping: Jurij Gultjaev
Chief Secretary: Aljona Strepetova

Date and Location of the Race Center

The Red Fox Adventure Race 2019 will be held in the picturesque Karelian Republic on June, 8-12, 2019. Participants and organizers will be staying in tents.

Race Format

The Race is an adventure race with different ways of traveling: biking, paddling, trekking, SUP surfing, roping. The Race format is a non-stop adventure race.

Line-up of Teams

For each class/course, short or long, there are three line-ups (groups):
1. team of 4 racers (minimum one woman)
2. team of 2 racers – man/man line-up
3. team of 2 racers – man/woman line-up

Each racer has to reach the age of 18 by the start of the Race. Each team has to elect a captain.

Rules for Passing the Different Sections

The main and obligatory part of the route for each class (short or long) must be passed in a specific order. I is not allowed to change the order of passing stages or skip any check point. After finishing these obligatory stages, teams can pass the additional stages according to their time and abilities left over. Now, stages and check points can be passed in any (not specific) order.

Each stage contains a certain number of check points. Some check points are obligatory and need to be visited in the order specified in the route sheet, some check points are optional and may be visited in any order.

For separate stages there might be special regulations for passing, which will be specified in the route sheet.

If one member of a team of two racers for any reasons has to quit the Race, the second participant cannot continue the Race alone. If one member of a team of four quits the Race, the rest of the team may continue the Race without be ranked.

* The passing of different stages assumes passing the Race Center several times.

Mandatory equipment

All team members must have all mandatory personal and group equipment on the stages where it is indicated. The judges have the right to check equipment on-course. There will be a penalty of one point for any single missing item.

Before registration each racer must personally undergo a gear check specified by these Regulations. Participants who have not undergone gear check or who have presented equipment inappropriate to the requirements are not allowed to start. Detailed technical requirements for mandatory equipment for the fix rope stages can be checked here: "Technical requirements for mandatory equipment".

During the entire Race all teams must carry the following general mandatory team equipment:
1. First aid kit in a sealed package. It must contain: Bandage of 6 cm width - 2 pcs. Adhesive plaster minimum 3 cm width. Anaesthetic (like Paracetamol or others). Anti-inflammatory (like Ibuprofen and others). Aseptic bandage and cotton patches - 1 kit
2. Knife
3. Matches in a sealed package
4. Mobile phone fully charged in a sealed package

During the whole Race all team members must carry the following mandatory personal equipment:
1. Start bib (provided by the organizers)
2. Electronic chip (provided by the organizers)
3. Compass
4. Whistle
5. Headlight with a double stock of batteries

Mandatory personal equipment for the mountain bike stage:
1. Mountain bike with rear red light
2. Helmet
3. Bike gloves
4. Maps (received at team registration)
5. Team’s number (given by organizers at team registration), which must be fixed on the front of the bike

Recommended equipment for the mountain bike stage:
1. Clothing according to weather conditions
2. One spare tube for each team member
3. Bicycle repair kit
4. Food supplies for the whole stage
5. Bike map-board on handlebar

All participants must obey traffic rules and regulations.
It is mandatory to use a helmet during the whole MTB stage.

Mandatory team equipment for the paddling stage:
1. For teams of 2 racers: Two-seat kayak and one pair of paddles
2. For teams of 4 racers: 2 two-seat kayaks and 2 pairs of paddles. It is allowed to use kayaks of any model. The kayak should be equipped with floatation bags corresponding to its model. All standard details of the kayak's frame and body must be in working condition
3. Map and route sheet (received at Team registration)
4. Kayak repair kit in case of damage of the kayak's frame or body

Mandatory personal equipment for the paddling stage:
1. Life vest
2. Skirt

Recommended equipment for the paddling stage:
1. Map-board of А3 format
2. Gloves with good grip
3. Clothing according to the changing weather conditions and an additional spare set of clothes packed in a dry bag
4. Food supplies for this stage

All participants must wear life vests during the whole paddling stage.

Both stickers with the team's number (given by the organizers at registration) must be placed on the kayak in a way that allows to easily identify it in the transition area.

Recommended equipment for the trekking stage:
1. Clothing according to expected weather conditions which provides protection while moving in the forest
2. Footwear with metal spikes
3. Trekking poles
4. Food supplies for this stage
5. Insect repellent. There can be a lot of mosquitoes! Mesh or mosquito net will allow you to sleep in the forest

Mandatory personal equipment for the fixed ropes stages:
1. Harness
2. Alpine or bike helmet
3. Self-belay with 2 loops
4. Carabiners 3 pcs
5. Descender. Recommended: reverso, atc or other. Figure-eight descender is admitted
6. Rope clamp - 2 pcs. Recommended: jumar, baisic, croll, pantin. Prusik knots are forbidden
7. Tradle for jumar
8. Clothing protecting elbows and knees
9. Gloves

Please see detailed technical requirements for mandatory equipment for the fix rope course in the special chapter: "Technical requirements for mandatory equipment".

Mandatory personal equipment for the rowing on inflatable mattresses:
1. During this stage, competitors may use either inflatable mattresses or inflatable boats excepting dry bag, as well as paddles of any form and construction.

The number of inflatable mattresses or inflatable boats for team is not regulated.

Organizers don’t provide inflatable mattresses or inflatable boats and pumps for inflating.

Using of paddles for rowing is not obligatory.

2. Life vest
3. Helmet

Forbidden equipment
1. GPS devices
2. Motororized or mechanical means of transportation, which are not mentioned in this regulations

Check points – CP

Check points are exact points which the team has to pass and make a mark.

The check points are located at or on distinctive natural or artificial objects. Check points are marked on maps by circles, the center of which shows the exact position of the check point.

Check points themselves are marked by white-and-orange signs, the size of which may be different, depending on the objects on which they are located. At some checkpoints, only the station of electronic punching may be installed, without a sign indicating the check point itself. This will be incicated separately in the route sheet.

The signs of check points are visible from the way points, shown in the legend, but not at an earlier stage. The station of electronic punching is installed right near the signs.

Any other important information concerning a specific check point is given in the legend.

Legend

The legend describes, in words, the location of an object, at or on which a check point is located. The legend is included in the route sheet.

Route sheet

The route sheet provides the following information: order of passing sections; order of passing check points; legends of all check points; operating hours of transition areas; specific rules for passing specific check points, or time limits for passing them. The route sheet includes the Race Scheme.

Electronic punching

Check points are equipped by electronic punching system SFR. The according SFR-chip will be handled to the competitors during Race Registration and has to be fixed by judges on each competitor's wrist.

Registering at a check point is obligatory for each team member, otherwise passing of the check point will not be valid for the whole team!

The time for passing a check point from first to last member of a team cannot be more than 1 minute. This does not apply to rope and rock climbing stages and other special sections that will be mentioned in the route sheet.

If a chip fails or breaks due to pressure or other impact, do not panic and continue the Race in normal order. Continue to mark checkpoints on the course with all other chips and inform the timekeepers on the way.

There is a slight chance that an electronic check point or chip may be out of order or has been removed by outsiders. Please do not stop the Race to call to the organizers, but continue and inform the organizers about it on arrival at the Race Center. This CP will be scored for your team.

For score keeping of intermediate results during the Race, the teams need to pass by the timekeepers at the Race Center each time they reach it.

Transition areas - TA

Transition areas are located in places, where teams will change Race stages and mode of travel.

The teams must deposit their equipment at the team’s number (if it is shown) or, if there are no numbers, at the places shown by the judges.

The working hours of transition areas are indicated in the route sheet.

Transportation of individual or team gear to some of the transition areas may be organized (information about this will be published later).
Transition areas are served by race volunteers. Their duty includes also control of observance of the Race Rules by the participants.

Maps

We provide special maps, drawn and edited exclusively for the Race, with common symbols, used in topographic maps and orienteering.

Maps are drawn on the base of topographical maps of the area with a scale of 1:250 000, satellite imagery and field work, done in the year 2018. The maps are laminated on both sides (mat laminate).

There will be several maps with different scales for the different sections of the course. Some routes or parts of the routes may be shown only on satellite imagery.

Each competitor will get a full set of maps. We recommend to bring along thin permanent pen markers for marking your routes on the maps.

Safety

Each competitor has to be aware of the fact that the Race bears inherent dangers due to technical, natural and climatic circumstances.
The competitors must not admit fatigue and overwork and need to stay attentive, coordinated and maintain a good reaction throughout the whole course.
Competitors must not continue the course or refuse to pass a certain section of the course, if they are lacking physical or psychological abilities to continue.
Each team has to carry a cell phone in a sealed bag to connect to the organizers in emergency. The emergency phone number is indicated on each map.

Cell phone connection is available not everywhere during the course. On the top of hills or on wide open waters the connection normally is good. "Megafon" is working better than all other providers!

All competitors must wear life vests during the paddling stage.
All competitors must wear helmets during mountain bike and rope stages.
There will be a doctor and medical station located in the Race Centre, where every competitor can get medical help at any time.
The organizer disclaims any material, civil and criminal liability in case of injury or material damage received during the course. The competitors must have medical and accident insurance.
A team which has left the course prior to the finish gate, or could not reached the finish gate in time, must contact the organizers as soon as possible to inform them about their wellbeing or problems and, thereafter, show up at the finish gate and return all electronic chips.

Payment of the Start Fee

All registered teams must pay a start fee for participation in the Race.
The start fee is 55 Euros for each participant regardless of the race class, if the application was made up to April 10, 2019.
The entrance fee is 67 Euros for each participant regardless of the race class, if the application was made from April 10, 2018 until May 10, 2019.

Registration procedure step-by-step

1. The team captain informs the organizers about their arrival and confirms the final team line-up. He receives a token for undergoing the pre-race gear check.
2. After that, the whole team has to undergo a pre-race gear check of all mandatory equipment. If everything is all right, the judge makes a mark on the team's token, and the team can continue to register. If the equipment is not full or not meeting the race's requirements, the team has the opportunity to buy it in the Red Fox shop at the Race Center and undergo the gear check once more.
3. Each competitor has to show the necessary documents needed for registrations: medical and accident insurance, covering sports activities in Russia. Please contact your insurance company before arriving to Russia and find out the type of insurance which is fitting your needs during the Race (first aid/ evacuation/ transportation to the nearest hospital/ medical treatment). Insurances can be concluded on spot. Each participant has to fill in and personally sign the disclaimer, in which he disclaims the organizers responsibility for his/her health and life during the course.
4. After that, the team receives start bibs, start numbers for their bikes and kayaks, maps, route sheet and T-shirts from Red Fox.
5. Then each participant receives the chip for electronic punching from the timekeepers.

Teams without any changes in team line-up with their insurances and signed disclaimers ready may undergo fast registration by the "green chanel".

* Mandatory gear check
The team has to show all obligatory equipment which is specified in this Rules to the judges.
The rope equipment has to conform to General Technical Requirements for Mandatory Equipment for Rope Course Stages. All equipment has to be put on the special canvas with partitions.

Ecological Ethics

The organizers may exclude teams from the Race, if they their behavior does not confirm with ecological ethics and causes harm to nature. During the course, all garbage has to be taken along and returned to the garbage bins at the Race Centre or villages and towns nearby.

Sports Ethics

The Race Regulations require that the teams have to respect each other and behave kindly and attentively. In difficult situations and emergency, the teams must help each other in all possible ways. According to the Race Regulations, mutual aid between humans is valued more than results of the Race.

Audience and Support Crew

According to the Race Regulations, only mental support of the teams is allowed. Outside assistance is allowed only regarding the preparation and passing of gear and food in the transition areas. In case of receiving physical help from outside, the team will be disqualified.

Start Bibs and Placement of Sponsors' Names

During all Race, the competitors have to wear their bibs with start numbers, which they have received during registration. The bibs have to be worn on top of all clothing and, during the paddling stage, on top of the life vests. If the start bib is not worn properly, there will be a penalty of 1 point.

Penalties and Disqualification

There may be on-course gear checks during all Race. Lack of 1 item of mandatory gear involves a penalty of 30 minutes. The team has to sit out penal time in the place where it was announced and can continue the Race only afterwards.

The team may be disqualified due to following violations:
- receiving outside assistance;
- use of means of transport and gear, which are prohibited during the race;
- violation of the Race Regulations (for example, not following the judges' instructions);
- violation of safety instructions (for example, not wearing helmets during the bike stage);
- lack of start bibs during any of the stages.

The following violations may involve penalties or disqualification (depending on judges' decision):
- violations of sports ethics (for example, deliberate blocking of movement of other teams/participants);
- violations of ecological ethics (for example, leaving garbage in the forest).

All disputes regarding results of the Race, penalties and any others are solved by the Chief judge. Appeals have to be submitted in written form not later than 30 minutes after expiration of Race Control Time.

Determination of the Winners

For passing of each CP the team will get a certain quantity of points which is specified in the Route Sheet and the maps. The first number of a CP is equal to the quantity of points given for passing this CP. All gathered points will be summarized for the final result. A team’s result is determined by the sum of the gathered points within control time.

The winners are determined by the highest quantity of gathered points within control time.

In case of an equal amount of gathered points, the first place is awarded to the team which passed the finish line first. Teams which passed every possible check point receive the place according to their Race time.

Teams which have passed the check points in wrong order or have skipped check points will be ranked lower, than teams, which have passed all check points in right order.

Fall out from the Race

In case, if a team decides to leave the Race due equipment breakdown, mistakes or fatigue, the participants are supposed not to ask for help of the organizers, but return to the Race Center by own efforts. The teams should ask for help of the organizers in case of serious injury or illness only.

Finish

The Finish is located in the Race Center.

The competition time of a team is determined by the time they pass the finish check point. The time is noted when the last team member passes the finish line. After finishing, all competitors have to handle their electronic chips to the judges in the judges' van.

A team can finish the Race ahead of control time at its own decision, but is obliged to pass the finish line and report the judges about finishing the Race.

Awards

The teams which took 1-3 places in each сlass are awarded by medals.

The winners in each group of classes are awarded by prizes from Race Sponsors.

Teams which do not show up at the rewarding ceremony without reasonable excuse lose their right for the awards.

Changes to the Race Program

The organizers reserve the right to make changes to the Race Program or Race Regulations in case of urgent necessity or occurrence of an unpredictable situation.

You and your team are cordially invited to the Red Fox Adventure Race 2019!