The Black Beacon

Please do not enter any event unless you agree to take full responsibility for your own health, fitness and well-being whilst out on the route and agree to our terms and conditions. 

For distance races you must be able to navigate the route and have experience / intend to gain experience of night navigation (if required). 

Competitors must read carefully all of the information provided on the Run Walk Crawl website, including kit lists, route details and safety information. 

Competitors should not take part in the event if they are knowingly under prepared, have an undisclosed medical condition or current medical illness (eg: chest infection) or any other condition which may compromise their safety. 

All details provided by competitors must be accurate at time of entry. Any changes to personal or medical details must be notified to the event organisers by email (info@runwalkcrawl.co.uk) before the start of the race.  

If you are unable to attend the race please let the organisers know only via e-mail. Please note Facebook messenger or calling via telephone are not an accepted method of cancelling or deferring entry.  

• If competitors withdraw prior to the event, the following costs are incurred: 
  5 months before the event, 75% of entry fee will be refunded OR you can transfer the remaining cost (75% of entry fee) off a different event.  
• 2 months before the event, 50% of entry fee will be refunded OR you can transfer the remaining cost (50% of entry fee) to a different race.
• 1 month before the event, no Refunds or Transfers to another race are available 

You can transfer your place to another participant until two weeks prior to the race day, but you must contact us first and follow the instructions we provide. Any transfers without our consent will not be honoured. 
 
Your deferral or refund will be processed within 30 days of initial e-mail. 

Competitors must follow the rules and regulations of the event as outlined by the organising team. 

If the organisers are forced to cancel the event for any reason, a new date will be established and all entries will be carried forwards. If no alternative date is available, all entries will be carried forwards to the next year. 

Entrants should always act in a manner which ensures minimal impact upon the environment, event route and local inhabitants.

These include but are not limited to:Leaving no litter, Closing gates, Acting responsibly around livestock,Being quiet when travelling through villages at night, Keeping to marked paths 

Any entrant not acting in this manner, either during or before the event, will be disqualified and their entry fee will not be refunded.

Officials also reserve the right to withdraw a participant from the event if they deem that it is unsafe for them to continue.

Self-sufficiency
All our events are self-sufficient which means participants complete the course carrying compulsory kit, following the route (details below), and being responsible for themselves and there safety.  This is standard practice in these types of ultra-running, trail running, walking and fell running events.  The organisers will provide additional safety cover, aid stations / checkpoints, to help you complete the challenge.

Participants must be aware of and look out for traffic and road crossings, general members of the public, other path or road users, as well as livestock, dogs and bikes. It is your responsibility to keep yourself safe whilst following the route. You must pay reasonable attention to your safety on the paths, mountains, cliff edges and roads. You must give way to other path users and keep to single file when paths are narrow, busy or when instructed to by marshals.  

Marshals will be on the course at checkpoints, and generally around the start areas. In addition there will be a first aid and safety team monitoring the course. There will not be marshals every couple of hundred meters on the course. Some sections of the courses may be exposed and you could not see another person on it! This is one of the great reasons to do this type of event. However, if you are NOT completely confident with this style of event you should not enter! There are plenty of looped style events and road races, with marshals every 100 meters which would be a more suitable choice.  

You should be familiar with the serious disabling consequences of hypothermia, dehydration and heat exhaustion and act appropriately during the race.  You should also take appropriate action to avoid getting into the above situations which increases the risk of the above occurring. For example- Drink enough water and take on appropriate levels of fuel (food) (We recommend 500ml and 60g of Carbohydrate per hour as minimum with some electrolytes. Add warm layers and carry appropriate kit to avoid hypothermia. It is advisable to test these preventative methods, the effectiveness of your kit, and nutrition and water intake strategy during your training. You should also be aware of the effects of Hyponatremia.  

You must take note of the length and severity of the race and local weather forecast for the day and judge their capabilities accordingly.  If the weather forecast is particularly bad then you should add additional kit (for example warmer clothing) based on your ability. Remember the compulsory kit is just the minimum required! You may need more.

Take reasonable care not to create hazards that may cause harm to other people and support anyone in need of assistance, even if it means abandoning their race.  

By entering the event you are agreeing to take responsibility for your actions and that you are competent to participate in such an event.

Following the routes- We have 3 main ways of marking the route.

Fully Marked Routes- these have RWC signs at each turning or junction on the route. You will receive a map of the route as a reference just in case any of the signs are moved or you miss one, thus it will allow you to get back on route. However, providing you vigilant and continually looking for the signs and turnings you shouldn’t need to look at the map or gps to follow the route. The Brecon to Cardiff uses this form of route following.

Partially Marked- these are routes which follow national trails or waymarked routes such as the wales coastal path, but do not have additional signage from ourselves. You can follow all the routes using the trail waymarks, but you also will be given a map and gps of the route which you need to use in order to follow  the course. The Gower Ultra, Vale Coastal Ultra and Pembrokeshire Coast all use this form of route following. 

Unmarked routes the route is not marked in any way and participants must use the event map and/or their GPS device to follow the route when required. The SW100 and SW50 are example of this type of route following. Competitors will need to confirm that they are confident travelling through the mountains using a map and compass to navigate.

Participants must follow designated Rights of Way, Access Land or public highway as designated on the map. You must not cross into private land or should only cross walls or fences at designated crossing point such as gates and styles.

Checkpoints and Cut-Offs  
You must report to each checkpoint and ensure your race number is recorded by the marshal.

All checkpoints have a strictly enforced Cut-Off. The Cut-Offs are generous, and have been determined by the organizers to allow you to complete the event in the allotted time. They are there to ensure the safety of all participants and marshals. They are necessary so our resources especially first aiders and safety marshals are able to be in the correct positions for competitors. Any participant that has not departed the Check Point by the Cut-Off time will be retired from the event. 

Retirements & Repatriation
The support team and organizers will be doing everything we can to get every competitor to the finish line. If participants need to retire at any other location (other than a checkpoint) it is critical that they communicate this to the Race Director urgently as per the emergency instruction printed on the map. 
Unless it is a major emergency you should make yourself comfortable using your safety kit and find shelter. If you are safe and not a major medical emergency then you may have to wait some time before a marshal can pick you up. We would strongly advise competitors to carry sufficient money so that they could get a taxi just in case.

Compulsory Kit 
Having the right kit could be essential for yours or other competitor’s safety during the event. We have also made certain undertakings on behalf of the competitors to landowners and authorities about what safety kit competitors will be carrying. There will be kit checks during the event and at the finish line. There will be random kit checks for many competitors. The leading runners can expect a kit check at the end of the race! Competitors found to be missing mandatory items can expect to be disqualified from the event. If you have any questions about the acceptability of your kit please do not hesitate to contact us.

You agree to carry sufficient kit, e.g. body and leg cover which gives protection from the effects of wind chill and, rain and safety equipment, (including food and drink) throughout the race to be able to provide protection from hypothermia, or dehydration and heat in the worst foreseeable weather conditions during the race, noting that rescue could take a long time.  

Factors including weather and terrain mean that these style of races takes place in a hazardous environment. Competitors must have appropriate experience in the conditions that may be encountered so that they can manage their own safety.  

The Race Organisers have a duty of care to competitors in their race, however competitors must accept that race monitoring arrangements, e.g. marshals and checkpoint recording are primarily designed to ensure ‘fair competition’ and must not be considered a ‘safety net’.  A competitor enters a race on the understanding that they are responsible for their own safety.  The competitor must obey all instructions from the organisers and officials but must equip and conduct themselves as though they were unsupported for the duration of the race.  

Once registered you are ‘in’ the race. If you retire from the race you must text or phone the race number printed on the map, and let the next checkpoint know. This is a check to ensure everyone is safe at the end of the event. If you fail to do this you will be held responsible for us contacting mountain rescue and the police as a missing person and be liable for any charges!

Participants must not drop litter and must deposit litter in bins provided at the checkpoints and finish. Anyone caught dropping litter will instantly be disqualified.