Rules and Compulsory Gear
Conservation
- The event is taking place in a Nature Reserve – Normal Nature Conservation rules and regulations apply. DO NOT LITTER – anyone observed littering will be disqualified and banned from future races.
- Smoking or the lighting of fires is forbidden at all times during the race.
- Washing of apparel and equipment in streams or lakes is forbidden at all times during the race.
- Strictly adhere to the “leave no trace and take no souvenirs” policy.
Support
- No Support / Seconding /Outside assistance will be allowed unless specified for a certain race category by the Race Director
This includes:
- Any form of mobile support along the route, eg: pacing or muling. Carrying, pulling or pushing by other racers or members of the public is prohibited
- Not carrying on your person at all times the full set of mandatory gear. Including a 300ml reserve of water at all times.
- Switching of running packs is not allowed. Start with one pack and carry it for the full duration of your race.
- Race participants may take as much food and beverage as needed from the water station provided by the organizer. Race participants will not be allowed to take any bottles, cans or cups from these areas and should plan on carrying and refilling their own hydration systems at the stations.
- Participants may not make use of any motorized or wheeled vehicles during the race.
- If you choose to use poles they are to be carried on you at all times from start to finish. You are not allowed to discard, stash or give to officials for keeping.
- Please be conscious of those around you when using poles.
On Route
- The event takes place on very rugged, single-track hiking trails. Running on such trails comes with inherent risks that participants accept upon entering the event.
- Your race number must be visible at all times on the outside of your clothing and on the front of your body. Do not cover your race number with any backpack strap or article of clothing.
- Most of the course will be clearly marked (follow the marked course route) however basic trail finding skills and common sense will be required to find the route on certain sections. No taking shortcuts.
- Tampering with Route Markers will lead to disqualification. Misplaced or damaged event signage must be reported to the next marshal immediately.
- Yield trail by respecting other participants when passing – keep left and pass right, be aware of blind spots and slow down when you need to.
- Withdrawal: Should you need to drop out of the race, inform the nearest race official. If you leave the course and fail to notify race officials, you will be banned from participating in the future (unless assisted from the course by First Aid crews).
- The organisers reserve the rights to change the routing and format at any time during the event.
Music: Listening to music using earphones only, is tolerated, so long as it is safe to do so. Any earphones MUST be removed when crossing ANY roads and MUST be removed while running on any tar roads (the full duration thereof), as well as on approach to, and whist at, any checkpoints and when approaching and passing any Safety Team members.
Anti Doping
The use of band performance Enhancing Substances is not permitted during this event. Event organisers reserve the right to test participants for Banned Substances. Participants failing to provide a sample on request will be disqualified from the event.
Racers wishing to make a protest must notify a race organiser within 60 minutes of finishing the race. Protests will be considered by a two-person committee consisting of the race director and race organisers. Decisions of the committee are final.
Bad sportsmanship and abuse towards officials can lead to disqualification. As participants please show your appreciation for their efforts to help you finish the race by thanking and giving a smile to our volunteers.
Weather
The event will take place irrespective of weather conditions unless intervened by Disaster Management.
The event organisers reserve the right to cancel the race or make route changes at any time (before and during the race), and the race can be cancelled due to any circumstances. Serious considerations will be taken before this happens and the decision will not be taken lightly
Lost and Found
Any personal items left after the race will be donated to a charity or to other local runners in need. We will not ship items to you.
Refund and Cancelation Policy
- All refund requests must be made in writing via email. The date the email was sent will determine the refund amount.
- Please see below refund scale:
- 60% refund if refund requests are emailed before 31 DEC 2024
- 30% refund if refund requests are emailed before 31 January 2025
- After 31 January 2025 no refunds allowed without valid medical/doctors note after which a 30% refund will be processed within 7 days
- No refunds for races P2P Dash or P2P Lite without valid medical/doctors note
- Replacements/Transfers will be allowed up to 1 March 2025 at R200 admin fee. This will only apply for the same distances and a blank race bib will be given to the replacement runner
- Replacement/Transfer requests must be made in writing via email before 1 March 2025. No exceptions.
- No deferrals, even with a medical/doctors note.
- No credit towards another event will be given
Distance Changes
- All up and downgrade requests must be made in writing via email.
- No refunds on downgrades will be given and you will need to pay in the difference should you want to upgrade.
- No up or downgrades will be accepted/allowed after 31 January 2025. No exceptions.
- Upgrades and downgrades will only be allowed if there’s entries available in those race categories. If no entries are allowed / capacity reached, a refund will be processed based on the date of the request (either 60% or 30% refund). The alternative for this would be to transfer your entry to someone else before 1 March 2025 as per rules above.
Pregnancy
- For Athletes that are pregnant: Organizers will provide a deferral to the same event the following year with proof of pregnancy or birth certificate of new child(ren)
- For Athletes that are adopting or birthing via surrogacy: Organizers will provide a deferral to the same event the following year with proof of surrogacy birth or adoption within three months prior to event date.
- For Athletes with a partner that is pregnant: Organizers will provide a deferral to the same event the following year with proof of due date or delivery on or within one month prior, or two months post event date.
Verification
- Athletes should provide written confirmation of the relevant circumstance e.g. medical note signed by a doctor or physician or registered midwife.
- P2P organizers reserve the right to request additional verification of the relevant circumstances and may deny a deferral request if the documentation provided is deemed insufficient.
COMPULSORY GEAR
- Participants are to have their mandatory equipment with them at all times during the race.
- There may be an equipment check; prior to the start, during the race or at the finish line. It is the participant’s responsibility to display all the items in order to pass the equipment check.
- Any participant failing to display the mandatory gear will not be able to proceed until they arrange for the missing item to be replaced. For the sake of fairness to other runners, there will also be a penalty ranging from a time penalty to disqualification based on the severity of the breach.
TIME PENALTIES AND DISQUALIFICATION (UTMB RULES)
BREACH OF REGULATION |
PENALTIES (*) – DISQUALIFICATION |
Short-cutting the route |
At the race director’s discretion |
Missing item(s) of the mandatory equipment checklist (no water supply of a volume of a minimum of 1 liter, no waterproof jacket with hood, no headlamp, no survival blanket, no smartphone) |
Disqualification |
Absence of other mandatory equipment items (race leggings or long trousers, only one torch, cap or bandana, hat, warm and waterproof gloves, long-sleeved top, waterproof over-trousers, whistle, self-adhesive elastic bandage, food reserve, reusable cup) |
1 hour penalty |
Refusal to have mandatory equipment checked |
Disqualification |
Smartphone turned off or in airplane mode |
15 min penalty |
Discarding of rubbish (voluntary act) by a competitor or a member of their entourage |
1 hour penalty |
Lack of respect for others (organization or runners) Note: a participant whose supporters are rude and/or refuse to respect the organization’s instructions will be penalized. |
Disqualification |
Not assisting a person in difficulty (in need of care) |
Disqualification |
Assistance outside of authorized areas |
1 hour penalty |
Being accompanied along the route outside the clearly defined zones of tolerance in the vicinity of an aid station. |
15 min penalty |
Cheating (eg.: use of a means of transport, sharing a race bib, …) |
Immediate disqualification for life |
Lack of visible race bib |
15 min penalty |
Wearing a non-conforming race bib |
15 minute penalty (during which time the runner places their race bib in a manner which conforms to the rules) |
Dangerous behavior (eg. : poles with unprotected points orientated towards runners or spectators)) |
15 min penalty |
No electronic chip |
According to the race directors’ decision |
No passage through a checkpoint |
According to the race directors’ decision |
Refusal to comply with an order from the race directors, race stewards, aid station’s team leader, doctors or search and rescue staff. |
Disqualification |
Refusal of anti-doping test |
The runner will be sanctioned in the same manner as they would be for drug taking |
Departure from a check point after the time barrier |
Disqualification |
Pack not tagged |
1 hour penalty |
Use of poles not carried from the beginning of the race |
1 hour penalty |
Dog and other animals prohibited (attached or not) |
Disqualification |
Throw papers, empty bottles, energy bars or energy gel on the ground (there will be garbage accessible at every aid station) |
Disqualification |
ADDITIONAL
Runners who didn’t pass the gear check on registration day 1 or 2 will have a final opportunity to pass at late registration. If runners still don’t comply, it will lead to automatic DQ without a refund.
Cancelling the Event
We (the event organisers) reserve the right to cancel the race at any time and the race can be cancelled due to any circumstances. Serious considerations will be taken before this happens as the decision will not be taken lightly. If the event is cancelled 5 days or more prior to the event, the race will take place on the “reserve day” scheduled for 26 April 2025. No refunds will be made in this situation. If the event is cancelled less than 5 days prior to the event for any reason, or the race still can’t take place on the “reserve day” for any reason, no refunds will be made.