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The NorthFace 100
RACE INFORMATION
1. THE COURSE
2. BRIEFING
3. ENTRY FEES
6. CHECKPOINTS
11. ACCOMMODATION
12. PRIZES
13. EVENT RULES
15. INSURANCE
1. THE COURSE
Two changes to the course will be implemented in 2010. These changes are:
1. The first five kilometres from the start has been changed to allow an opportunity to overtake after completing the first walking track section. A description of the new route is: Fairmont Resort, Fairmont Place, Sublime Point Road, Willoughby Road, link track to Golf Links Lookout, Cliff View Drive, Gladstone Road, Wentworth Avenue, Everglades Avenue, Easter Street, Albert Street, Craigend Street, Abbey Street, Malvern Road, Gordon Falls Reserve, Prince Henry Cliff Walk.
2. The temporary ladders installed at Tarros will be strengthened to allow a constant flow of runners. There will also be an overflow track via Duncan’s Pass which will be used when the ladders are busy. The Duncan’s Pass route is about 400m long.
Course Maps:
2. BRIEFING
When you come to the event registration on the Friday night you will need to hand in a signed indemnity form. Please print this out and have it ready with you.
Indemnity and release TNF100 2010.pdf
Please download, print and read the competitor briefing document. This is a very important document which all competitors must read and you should print this out and bring it with you to the event. This is a link to the 2009 competitor briefing. THE 2010 COMPETITOR BRIEFING WILL BE POSTED CLOSER TO THE EVENT DATE.
3. ENTRY FEES
| SOLO 100km | $215 |
| MARATHON PAIRS RELAY | $150pp ($300 p/team) |
Standard entries close COB Thursday 15th April 2010. After this date a late entry fee of $50 per person applies (whether you are a solo or Marathon Pairs participant). Late entries close COB Friday 30th April 2010.
Transfers, Cancellations & Refunds
We understand that circumstances arise where you may no longer be able to participate in the event.
Transfer of Entry
You are able to transfer your entry to anyone else of any category with no charge up to the entry closing date (COB Friday 30th April 2010). Any transfers after this date must be done at the event registration on Friday 14th May 2010 in the evening and will incur a $30 administration fee. Please note that there is no waiting list and that it is each participant’s responsibility to find a replacement.Refunds
If you can't find anyone to replace you and would prefer a refund of your entry fee we are able to provide:
- Full refund less $30 administration fee if you advise us by email anytime before the late entry fee date (COB Thursday 15th April 2010).
- 50% refund if you advise us by email between Friday 16th April 2010 and COB Friday 30th April 2010.
- Unfortunately, no monetary refund if you advise us after COB Friday 30th April 2010.
In case of event cancellation or postponement:
If you wish to have your own personalised race number, any transfers must be notified by COB Thursday 15th April 2010.Should the event be cancelled for any reason we will endeavour to reschedule the event. The back up date for the event will be Saturday 22nd May 2010. If you are unable to attend the rescheduled date or if the event cannot be rescheduled for any reason no refunds will be made.
For refunds and transfers please email: alina@arocsport.com.au
4. EVENT SCHEDULE
FRIDAY 14 MAY 2010 |
|
| REGISTRATION | 5:00pm - 8:00pm |
| PASTA CARB -LOADING BUFFET |
6:00pm - 10:00pm (must book directly through the York Fairmont Resort) |
SATURDAY 15 MAY 2010 |
|
| LATE REGISTRATION* | 5:45am - 6:30am (*by special arrangement only – email alina@arocsport.com.au) |
| RACE BRIEFING | 6:40am |
| RACE START | 7:00am |
| CHECKPOINT 2 CUT-OFF | 3:45pm – after this time runners continue on shortened course to checkpoint 3 |
| CHECKPOINT 3 CUT-OFF** | 8:25pm |
| CHECKPOINT 4 CUT-OFF** | 11:50pm |
SUNDAY 16 MAY 2010 |
|
| CHECKPOINT 5 CUT-OFF** | 7:15am |
| RACE CUT-OFF | 11:00am |
| PRESENTATION | 11:00am |
**Cannot continue after this time
5. COURSE MARKING
The course will be marked with directional arrows, crosses and pink flagging tape. There will also be some reflective tape on night time sections. You need to follow these course markings. You do not need to navigate your way along the course with a map and compass. However for safety reasons you are required to carry a map of the course and a written description of the course. A final map of the course and course description will be provided to you at event registration.
There will be course markings at least every 500m and at every track junction. At all track junctions there will be an arrow indicating the direction of the route as well as confirmation pink flagging tape along the correct route. There will also be a cross 'X' on the tracks that you should not take. There will be a distance sign every 5km.
6. CHECKPOINTS
| Checkpoint 1 | 17km | Narrow Neck | No support crew permitted. Water, Endura drink, Go Natural bars, fruit and lollies will be available. |
| Checkpoint 2 | 38km | Dunphy's | No support crew permitted. Water, Endura drink and gels, fruit buns, fruit and lollies will be available. Hot water, tea and coffee will also be available. |
| Checkpoint 3 | 54km | Old Ford Reserve | Support crew permitted. Water, Endura drink, Bounce Balls, fruit buns, fruit, lollies and hot water, tea and coffee will be available. There will also be Mancini’s Traditional Woodfired Pizza van selling pizza, pasta, salad and coffee. |
| Checkpoint 4 | 67km | Katoomba Oval | Support crew permitted. Water, Endura drink and gels, fruit buns, fruit, lollies and hot water, tea and coffee will be available. There will also be a free sausage sizzle. |
| Checkpoint 5 | 89km | Queen Victoria Hospital | Support crew permitted. Water, Endura drink, Go Natural bars, fruit, lollies and hot water, tea and coffee will be available. |
For the Marathon Pairs - the change over point is at checkpoint 3 at the 54km mark. You are not permitted to change at any other point.
Support Crews - are permitted to assist runners at checkpoints 3, 4 and 5. These checkpoints can be accessed with a standard 2-wheel drive. Support crews are not permitted at checkpoints 1 and 2.
How to get from Katoomba to Checkpoint 3, Old Ford Reserve in the Megalong Valley. Download driving directions here.
For runners without a support crew - we will take one bag or plastic tub (no lightweight plastic / garbage bags allowed) to each of checkpoints 3, 4 and 5. Your bags/boxes must be clearly labelled with your surname, your race number and which checkpoint you want them taken to (ie. CP3, CP4 or CP5). You might like to include extra food, spare socks, clothing, batteries, brighter light, etc. Only one bag/box per person is permitted for each of these locations and they must be no bigger than 20 litres each. There will be 3 separate drop gear areas near the start to drop your 3 different gear bags/boxes. You will need to drop your bags/boxes just before the start on race day.
There will be water, Endura drink and food available at all checkpoints. Food available at checkpoints will include an assortment of fruit, Bounce Balls, Endura gels, Go Natural bars, lollies and fruit buns. On top of this, night time checkpoints will be stocked with hot water for tea or coffee. There will be Mancini’s Traditional Woodfired Pizza van selling pizza, pasta, salad and coffee at checkpoint 3. Runners and support crew will need their own money to purchase food from this van. There will be a free sausage sizzle at checkpoint 4.
Emergency first aid will be available at each checkpoint. There will also be roving first aid crews on the course.
Live results will be available on the internet. Your support crew is welcome to use the event computer at the York Fairmont Resort to check how you are progressing on the course. You should estimate how long you think each leg will take so your support crew can use this as a guideline of when to meet you at the allowed checkpoints. You can also phone your support crew during the event to let them know your progress.
Mobile coverage over the course varies from excellent at most escarpment / cliff top locations to non-existent when directly below cliffs on tracks such as Federal Pass. Generally you can get reception on hills and ridges across the whole course especially when you have views directly to Katoomba. We strongly recommend you have a Telstra Next G or an Optus phone. If you need to buy a new phone or borrow a phone, Telstra Next G is preferable as it works on approximately 90% of the course. Optus works on approximately 50% of the course. We have no knowledge of phone reception provided by other carriers.
7. MANDATORY GEAR LIST
The weather in the Blue Mountains can change very quickly from extremely hot to very cold and wet. It could even snow in May in the Blue Mountains. Please be prepared for these extremes in conditions. As a minimum each participant will need to carry with them at all times the following items:
- 1 x long sleeve thermal top (polypropylene, wool or similar. Cotton, coolmax, lycra and any compression garment will not be sufficient)
- 1 x long leg thermal pants (polypropylene, wool or similar. Cotton, coolmax, lycra and any compression garment will not be sufficient)
- 1 x waterproof jacket with hood (plastic rain poncho etc. not acceptable)
- 1 x beanie, balaclava or buff
- 1 x full-fingered lightweight thermal gloves
- 1 x High Visibility Safety Vest with reflective strips for use on road sections at night (this must be visible from both the front and the back, even when wearing your backpack). One solution could be to have an oversized vest that covers your whole torso AND your backpack.
- 1 x headlamp (test your headlamp on bush tracks at night prior to the event to make sure it provides enough light to both see the track and the course markings)
- 1 x small backup light in case of headlamp failure but still bright enough for you to walk by and see course markings
- 1 x mobile phone (Telstra Next G is strongly recommended as coverage on the course is far better than any other network)
- 1 x compass for navigation in the very unlikely event that you get lost (while we recommend a good quality compass such as the Silva Field 7, you can bring any compass as long as the magnetic needle will settle quickly and will point to magnetic North)
- 1 x whistle
- 1 x emergency space blanket, light bivvy sack or equivalent
- 1 x compression bandage (crepe bandage is not suitable)**
- 1 x full box of waterproof & windproof safety matches (provided by organisers)
- 1 x firelighter block for emergency use only Jiffy Firelighter (provided by organisers).. You will need to provide your own zip lock bag or container.
- 1 x lightweight Dry Sack to keep your compulsory clothing dry (plastic bags or zip lock bags are fine but Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil dry sack is recommended)
- Capacity to carry 2 litres of water (water bladder or water bottles)
- 2 x bars / food portions
- 1 x Ziploc bag for your personal rubbish
- 1 x set of maps and course descriptions (provided by organisers). At registration, you will be provided with one set of black and white maps and course notes. You will need to protect these from getting wet (using item below)
- 1 x waterproof map case or any other way to keep your maps protected such as map contact
- 1 x laminated A5 participant emergency instructions card (provided by organisers)
- 1 x timing band to be worn on your left ankle (provided by organisers)
- 1 x race number to be worn on your front and visible at all times (provided by organisers). A recommended method of securing your race number is to use an elastic waist strap like a triathlon band which allows you to easily have your number visible over the top of your outermost item of clothing. You will need to provide your own elastic waist strap if you choose to do this.
- 1 x long leg waterproof pants*
- 1 x 100-weight long sleeve fleece top*
* While you must have the above two items with you at registration, you will only be required to carry these items if weather conditions are bad. The organisers will notify you at the Friday night registration if these two items must be carried on person from the start, or if they need to be left with your support crew or in a specified gear box for use during the event. The most likely scenario (in fine weather conditions) is that you will leave these additional items with your support crew or in your checkpoint 4 drop bag and you will be told at checkpoint 4 if you need to carry these additional items.
There will be random gear checks during the event and if you are missing any item you will not be allowed to continue until the item can be replaced. You will also receive a time penalty.
The HIGH VISIBILITY SAFETY VEST must be worn at night when travelling on the following roads: Megalong Valley Road, the bitumen roads through Katoomba (from Stuarts Road to Cliff Drive), Tableland Road, Hordern Road. You must also wear your reflective vest when travelling on Tableland Road during the daylight.
Recommended items:
- Vaseline, Body Glide or other body lubricant
- Sunscreen
- Cap or sun hat
- Spare socks
- Spare clothing
- Spare batteries
- A brighter light for the night sections
- More substantial first aid kit (sterile dressings, roll of strapping tape, blister care such as blister block patches, Compeed or Fixamol, antiseptic wipes, painkillers, and any relevant personal medications).
For $20 (save $5 off RRP) you might want to consider purchasing the AIDE Void First Aid kit. At only 90g, this vacuum-sealed kit offers basic first aid support and includes:
- 1 Quickguide (first aid instructions)
- 15 Adhesive Bandages
- 3 Wound Closure Strips
- 2 Non-stick Dressings
- 1 Conforming (compression) Bandage: mandatory gear
- 1 Strapping Tape
- 1 Capsule with: Safety Pins & Bandage Fasteners
- 1 Pair Gloves (nitrile rubber)
- 4 Cleansing Wipes
Purchase your AIDE Void in all good outdoor stores (click 'Where to Buy' at www.spelean.com.au), or pre-order yours at a special price by Friday 16 April 2010. Email your name, contact number and the quantity requested to aide_void@spelean.com.au with the subject line “AIDE VOID TNF100 PRE-ORDER”. Collection and payment via cash or credit card only at registration between 5 - 9pm.
Go Anywhere Toilet Kit (the original Wag Bag)
An issue of great concern is toilet paper and human faeces being left on the side of the course route. We are offering Go Anywhere Toilet Kits (“Wag Bags”) for sale at cost price ($5) at registration. We encourage you to purchase one of these kits as they have improved the situation a lot from the inaugural event. Remember Leave No Trace!
About the Go Anywhere Toilet Kit
The Go Anywhere Toilet Kit, www.ferno.com.au, is a portable, waste collection system that turns solid and liquid waste into a hygienic, odourless, biodegradable substance. The non-toxic Poo Powder treats up to 900g of liquid and solid waste allowing for multiple uses. The Poo Powder contains a decay catalyst that controls odours and breaks down solid waste into a spill proof, bin friendly substance.
Each waste kit includes a zip close disposal/transport bag, a waste collection bag preloaded with Poo Powder, toilet paper and a hand sanitiser. After using the kit, carry it with you to the next checkpoint where there will be a waste bin for disposal.
There will also be a port-a-loo at all checkpoints.
8. TRAINING ON THE COURSE
One section of the course in the Megalong Valley goes through private property (cross hatched area on course map). This section is near Ironpot Ridge to the West of Dunphy's Camp. We have been given kind permission from the landholders to use tracks on their properties for the event day only. These landholders understandably value their privacy and therefore do not want people trespassing on their properties outside of the event day. So when training on the course you are NOT permitted to go through this Ironpot Ridge section. You must leave this section out of your training as you will be putting the future of this event in jeopardy. Therefore anyone caught on this section outside of event day will be disqualified from the event and their entry fee will not be refunded. All other sections of the course are OK to train on.
9. EVENT PHOTOS FOR PURCHASE
Aurora Images will be taking great photos of your experience out there on The North Face 100 track. For more information on ordering photos click here.
10. AURA - SANCTIONED EVENT
The North Face 100 is an AURA (Australian Ultra Runners Association) sanctioned event. For more information on AURA and how you can become a member, visit their website: www.aura.asn.au
11. ACCOMMODATION & PASTA BUFFET
The start and finish of The North Face 100 will be at the luxurious York Fairmont Resort in Leura. So why not treat yourself, be right in the action and just drop into bed when you finish. It is also a great place to bring your family and provide them a base from which they can support and cheer you on. The York Fairmont Resort and the nearby Leura Gardens are the Official Nominated Hotels for the event and are offering some great specials for the event weekend.
Room |
Single Rate |
Double Rate |
| Run of House - Fairmont Resort | $ 199.00 | $ 239.00 |
| Run of House - Leura Gardens Resort | $ 99.00 | $ 119.00 |
To make an accommodation booking, please contact Bobby Lin on: 02 4784 4144, or bobby.lin@fairmontresort.com.au
The Pasta Carb-Loading Buffet on the Friday night will be on again at the York Fairmont Resort. $30 per head ($15 for kids) which includes your choice of pasta (including vegetarian option), bread, salad, and tea/coffee. You will need to pre-book, spaces are limited.
To make a meal booking contact Bobby Lin 02 4784 4144 email bobby.lin@fairmontresort.com.au
For other accommodation go to the Blue Mountains Tourism Website: www.visitbluemountains.com.au
12. PRIZES
$1,000 will be awarded to the first solo male and first solo female to cross the line. Prizes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each category in the 100km solo and Marathon Pairs relay.
The much sought-after The North Face 100 belt buckles will be awarded as follows:
"Gold" Buckle to the winners
"Silver" Buckle to those finishing in under 14 hours
"Bronze" Buckle to those finishing in under 20 hours
Belt Buckles are only available to solo runners.
Certificates will be awarded to all finishers in both the solo and Marathon Pairs relay events.
Please note that you or a representative need to be present at the event presentation to collect your prize. Prizes will not be sent out.
13. EVENT RULES
- You must complete the marked course on foot under your own power. Trekking poles are permitted.
- Outside assistance is only permitted at the checkpoints. Support crews are only permitted at checkpoints 3, 4 and 5. Pacers are not permitted.
- Your race number must be visible at all times on the outside of your clothing (at the front).
- You must check in and check out at each checkpoint with the checkpoint officials.
- If you withdraw from the event, you must sign the withdrawal form at the closest checkpoint (unless assisted from the course by first aid crews)
- If you need first aid help on the course you must use the phone numbers on your Participant Emergency Instructions card to contact event organisers who will arrange to retrieve you. Support crews are not allowed to enter the event course to collect runners.
- A reflective vest must be worn at the times and locations as specified in the Competitor Briefing document.
- Stay on the marked course. Short cuts are not permitted. If you get lost return to the last sighted marking.
- You must carry the Mandatory Gear at all times during the event. Random gear checks may be performed during the event. Any participant without 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.
- Relay teams may only change over at checkpoint 3. The second runner must check in with the checkpoint officials at checkpoint 3 before starting. The 1st runner must hand over the timing band and any other mandatory gear being shared to the 2nd runner.
- You must obey directions of marshals if you miss any time cut-offs.
- Littering is prohibited.
- Leave gates as you find them. If closed, you may open it to pass through but it is your responsibility to close the gate after you.
- The participant is responsible for the actions of their support crew. Support crews must comply with all instructions from event staff and officials. The participant may be penalised or disqualified for actions or breaches of the rules by their support crew.
- Support crews must obey all road rules and drive within the speed limits. Please ensure that support crew get sufficient rest and are not tired when driving.
- Support crews must follow the instructions of all checkpoint staff including requests to vacate certain sections of the checkpoint area.
- Support crews are limited to one vehicle per participant at Checkpoint 3.
- The event organisers are not responsible for the safety or whereabouts of support crew.
- Breaking any of the rules may incur a time penalty or disqualification. Any such penalties are at the organisers’ discretion and are final.
14. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
There is no requirement to have completed any other particular event in order to participate in The North Face 100. You do however, need to be an experienced trail runner and must be sufficiently skilled and trained to undertake the event. The course is very tough and demanding with remote sections that can result in slower first aid / rescue response times. It is a combination of fire trail and narrow walking tracks including some very steep sections and sections that are rough under foot. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are fit enough to complete the event which may take you up to 28 hours to finish. Ensure that you are in good health and that you do not have any illness that will hinder your ability to complete the event. It is your responsibility to monitor your health and condition during the event and to withdraw from the event if you are no longer fit enough to continue.
15.INSURANCE
AROC Sport has its own public liability insurance. This does not include personal accident insurance. We recommend that you have your own personal accident and ambulance cover.