RULES
- All decisions of the Race Directors are final. Aid station captains have the authority to act as on-location race directors, but the RDs have final say on all decisions.
- You may not cut the course. There are very few “bushwacking” sections; when there are, they will be well noted. You must follow and stay on the trail and course and you may not shortcut it in any way. If there is a flag or marker it means stay on the trail the marker is on. It’s your responsibility to know and stay on the course. If you fail to run the course as marked you will not receive an official finish time and will not be eligible for an award– no time adjustments, no exceptions.
- You must complete the course on foot, with no assistance from vehicles, bicycles or animals. No scooters, skateboards or roller skates either. Or hot air balloons. Or sled dogs.
- While headphones are fine, no headphones between Spring Creek Trailhead and Olympian Hall. And remove your headphones when approaching an aid station. It’s impolite not to.
- THERE IS NO CREW PARKING AT FISH CREEK FALLS TRAILHEAD NOR MAY YOUR CREW DRIVE THERE! CREWS ATTEMPTING TO PARK OR DRIVE THERE WILL CAUSE THEIR RUNNER TO BE DISQUALIFIED! Really. You don’t want to do that. Access to this aid station is only by foot or bicycle. It’s four miles from Olympian Hall aid station on a very pretty road.
- HARES – crews may aid at designated crew aid stations only, and at the top of the gondola. We’re seeing how fast you can run, not how many crewmembers you can muster to help you. TORTOISES and 50 MILERS may receive aid at any designated crew aid station or spectator access point, as noted in the instructions.
- You are responsible for the behavior of your crew! No crewing or vehicle access above Dry Lake on Buffalo Pass Road. If your crew tries to drive past Dry Lake, you are outta here! WE WILL ALLOW CREW ACCESS AT DRY LAKE BUT NO PARKING. PLEASE TRY TO CAR POOL, OR ARRANGE TO HAVE YOUR CREW DROPPED OFF. THE SHERIFF WILL TICKET OR TOW ALL ILLEGALLY PARKED VEHICLES.
- A change from the past – we will now allow all runners, 50 and 100 mile Hares and Tortoises to use hiking or trekking poles. But be careful and courteous to others.
- MULING – we don’t care if your pacer hands you a flashlight or a Honeystinger bar or holds your water bottle (or your hand) while you puke, but really, consider fairness and good sportsmanship. Pacers are there mostly for safety, to keep you company, and to keep you on course. HARES – FUHGETTABOUTIT. And, while we’re not setting any hard and fast rules about it for Hares, that includes receiving physical assistance from other runners. You are running as an individual – this is not bicycle racing.
- If you receive an IV or oxygen, your race is over.
- Being rude, discourteous or otherwise annoying race volunteers or staff is grounds for disqualification. Same with being rude or annoying to other runners or anyone else on the course, such as bicyclists, hunters or hikers.
- No littering. Ever.
- No stashing food, drink or other supplies along the course. Drop bags at aid stations so designated only.
- Poor sportsmanship is grounds for disqualification and grounds for being barred from future races. A sense of humor is also always welcome. Try to smile no matter how rotten you feel. Sending nasty emails or making awful online postings may also bar you from future races. We’re volunteers. Until you try and put one of these on yourself – best be quiet and hush up.
- Pacers for 100 mile TORTOISES only, and only at designated exchange points. EXCEPTION: 100 mile runners over 60 may have a pacer for the entire course. Only one pacer at a time. ANOTHER EXCEPTION: Runners, 50 and all 100 milers, may have as many pacers as they’d like from the top of the gondola building to the finish. No pacers for 50 MILERS except as here noted.
- Generally, no cheating. If you wonder if what you are doing is cheating, it probably is. If you’re really not sure, ask us before you do it.
- The clock runs until you hug the Designated Hugger (DH).
- HARES ONLY – how deep we go in prize money will be based on the number of starters; thirty starters is the minimum for seven deep prize money; four starters for the masters premium, and we need at least five teams for the Team Prize Money. Masters are eligible for both masters and general prize money. See the Prizes page.
- TORTOISES run for TORTOISE awards, HARES for HARE prize money. No matter how fast you run. No prize money for 50 MILERS.
- Any objections or complaints must be made to the Race Directors within a reasonable time of completing the race. Like, within minutes of finishing.
- See Rule # 1
Drug Policy
The Run, Rabbit, Run has a zero-tolerance policy regarding the use of performance enhancing drugs. If you, whether you’re a Hare or a Tortoise or running our 50, have ever violated any anti-doping rule or policy, whether of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), or any other national sports federation you are ineligible to run in any of our events during the period of your suspension – no ifs, and, or buts. After that time we will evaluate your application on a case by case basis, considering such things as the length of your suspension, the time that has elapsed since you’ve been suspended, and any other mitigating or extenuating circumstance. Being honest and forthright counts for a lot! Not only that, but we reserve the right to conduct pre and post-competition testing for any and all performance-enhancing drugs listed on the current WADA Prohibited List and entry into our race constitutes consent to such testing. If you refuse to submit to testing you’ll be disqualified and will be subject to a lifetime ban.
Transgender Policy
We will accept a runner’s self-declared gender for any runner who runs our 100 miler as a Tortoise or who runs our 50 miler. If we decide to require a government issued identification for registration, we may request that the runner enter pursuant to their gender identified on the identification. No one may challenge a runner’s self-declaration unless a top finish, an age group award or a minor prize money or free entry is at stake and we will then determine whether the challenge warrants further review. As a general proposition, undergoing continuous, medically supervised hormone treatment for at least a year and having a physician’s statement to that effect will be sufficient to overcome a challenge.
For 100 mile Hares, where there is significant prize money at stake, we will review this on a case by case basis depending, among other things, on the amount of prize money involved. We may, for example, require compliance with the USATF/IOC guidelines regarding transgender athletes. A transgender runner looking to compete as a Hare should contact us beforehand. All such inquiries will be kept confidential.
