2001 Weyerhaeuser AuSable River Canoe Marathon

 

Race Rules

 

ATTENTION MARATHON CONTESTANTS:  There have been significant changes in the format and content of the AuSable Marathon Race Rules.  Be sure that you carefully review the 2001 Race Rules, Sprints For Position Rules and Information, and the Competition Committee & Infraction/Penalty Information

 

1. Teams are required to race as indicated on their entry form.  The two contestants must continue together as a team for the duration of the race in the same canoe that they start with.

 

No contestant substitutions are allowed.  Any changes in the team entry, prior to the official entry deadline, will require a newly completed and signed entry application and will be subject to the new entry fee, based on the date the new entry is received by the Race Committee.  There will be no refund or credit of entry fees for entry changes or for withdrawal from the race.

 

Amateur contestants may paddle in the Expert division and decline their prize money.

                 

Minimum age to participate – 15 years of age.  Contestants under 18 years of age must have written parental/guardian consent on their entry form.

 

2. All contestants must check in, before their sprint, at the Marathon Race headquarters at the Grayling Mini Mall.  For contestants sprinting on Thursday, the check in deadline is 3 PM on Thursday of race week.  All other Marathon contestants must check in by Noon on Friday of race week.  Contestants who fail to check in by the deadline will be disqualified from competing

 

3. Canoes used by all contestants must be commonly recognized type C-2 racing shells and must meet the official Marathon specifications.   (Note – recreational canoes are not acceptable) 

 

Canoes must be presented for Official Inspection in “race ready” condition.  Any canoe that does not pass inspection by 3:00 PM at the Official Inspection on Saturday, July 28^th is disqualified.  Canoes will be also be inspected at the finish.

 

Official measuring of the canoes will be available at the Sprints on Thursday and Friday.  A decal will be placed on the canoe by the Marathon Committee if the canoe meets all the required specifications outlined in the rules and entry packet.  All canoes must be presented for inspection (lifejackets, flares and whistles) following the Pre-Race Briefing at noon on Saturday.  The canoes will be presented Saturday in the order of Sprint results-fastest first.

 

 

The Marathon Committee will measure the canoes of the five (5) fastest Sprint teams (first row for the Marathon) as part of the Official Inspection process following the Pre-Race Briefing even though such canoes may have already been measured at the Sprints on Thursday or Friday.  Any team which chooses not to have their canoe measured during the Sprints, or their canoe failed to meet all required specifications when measured at the Sprints, must present their canoe for measuring at the Official Inspection following the Pre-Race Briefing on Saturday.  The Marathon Committee reserves the right to re-measure any canoe as part of the Official Inspection on Saturday.

 

Teams are required to use the Marathon-committee approved two-digit [expert division] or three-digit [amateur division] Arabic adhesive numerals.  If a team does not have the required numerals, they will be supplied by the Race Committee.  These numerals must be white on a dark-colored background and/or must be dark on a white-colored background.  In addition, amateur teams must display the letter “A” following their canoe number.

 

Commercial advertising is allowed on canoes.  All teams are to have a clear 20” long area [20” long x 5” high] from the gunwale to the water line on both sides of the canoe at the bow and at the stern so that the Race Committee can place promotional stickers on the canoe.  These stickers are to remain on the canoes throughout the completion of the race.

 

4. A single blade canoe paddle is the only means of propulsion each contestant may use. 

 

5. Each contestant shall have at least one U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket and sound signaling device (pea-less type whistle) in the canoe at all times that are easily accessible.  The whistle may be either attached to the life jacket or to the contestant.  Life jackets may not be taped in or otherwise permanently secured and will be inspected.  Life jackets shall not have holes in the material or holes covered with tape; properly made repairs to life jackets – stitched up rips or tears – are acceptable. 

 

Each team is required to carry three (3) U.S. Coast Guard approved red aerial flares.  The flares must satisfy all Coast Guard day and night signal requirements.  The flares are to be used to signal for aid only in the event of serious injury or illness or other life threatening situations. 

 

Contestants should ensure that they have all of the above required safety equipment when they present their canoe at the Official Inspection; this required safety equipment will not be available for purchase at the Official Inspection.

 

6. Following the Official Inspection canoes will be sequestered in a fenced and guarded area until race time.  Absolutely no admittance will be permitted.  Prior to the race no contestant shall touch another contestant’s canoe or equipment without permission. 

 

7. Except for the six (6) dam portages, canoes must remain in the riverbed.  Leaving the riverbed to advance the canoe constitutes an illegal portage.  To remain in the “riverbed”, contestants must be in the water, shoes wet.  There will be race officials at unspecified points along the river.

 

8. Contestants may receive food, water and extra paddles during the race.  Teams must carry the canoe, at least two (2) life jackets and two (2) whistles and at least two (2) paddles through all portages.  No one is allowed to help convey or advance a contestant, canoe and/or the specified equipment.  Feeders may stabilize a canoe during a feed, however, a “push-off” after feeds or portages and/or aiding the forward motion of the canoe at any time is not allowed. 

 

Canoes may be removed from the river by the contestants for repairs or due to illness or injury, but must reenter the river at the point of exit.  All repairs must be performed by the contestants. 

 

9. A competing canoe shall not benefit from a non-competing watercraft by means of a tow or pull, wake riding, pacing, leading or feeding from a non-competing watercraft.

 

10. Contestants are responsible for their own food and water.  Each team is to designate a feeder/support Captain.  The Captain or another member of the feeder/support team must attend the Pre-Race Briefing.  The Captain is to brief all support team members and is responsible for the actions of his/her team.

 

Contestants are not to throw trash such as jugs, cups, plastic bags, etc. into the river.  Feeders are responsible for all clean-up after feeding.  Contestants who litter the river or whose feeder teams do not clean up after feeding are subject to a penalty.

 

11. Commonly accepted rules of sportsmanship will prevail.  Intentional capsizing or damaging an opponent’s canoe, or other flagrant un-sportsmanlike conduct, will mean disqualification.

 

12. It is illegal to use “cuts” (flowing shortcuts) identified as “closed” during the Pre-Race Briefing.

 

13. Teams (both members, together) and the feeder team Captain/representative must report at noon, Saturday (race day) and must be present for the entire Pre-Race Briefing.

 

14. Teams (both members, together) which do no participate in the Sprints For Position and/or are not present when the team’s names are called for the Introduction of the Paddlers at the pre-race program which begins at 7:30 PM Saturday night will be penalized by being moved behind the back row for the race start.

 

15. Cut-off times have been established at Stephan Bridge, McMaster’s Bridge, Mio Dam and Five Channels Dam.  Teams which require more than two (2) hours to reach Stephan Bridge, more than four (4) hours to reach McMaster’s Bridge, more than seven (7) hours to reach Mio Dam or more than fourteen (14) hours to reach Five Channels Dam will be disqualified and must leave the race course at that point.

 

NOTE - Cut-off times will also be established for Camp Ten, McKinley Bridge, Alcona Dam, Cooke Dam and Foote Dam

 

16. The Marathon is officially concluded nineteen (19) hours after the start.  The Race Committee ceases all race course functions at that time.  Teams which do not finish within nineteen (19) hours do not qualify for awards.

 

17. Teams dropping from the race, or their feeder/support Captain must report to the nearest timing location to sign out of the race.  Teams may also call the Marathon Office (989-348-4425) to report that they are leaving the race; they must still report to a timing location as soon as is possible to officially sign out of the race.  Contestant/team members who leave the race and who do not officially sign out of the race are subject to disqualification from the following year’s Marathon.

 

18. Under no circumstances shall any illegal drug be taken.  Any contestant who has a physical ailment for which it is necessary to ingest a controlled substance (prescription medication) shall so declare in writing to the Competition Committee no later than before the start of the Pre-Race Briefing.

 

A contestant who wishes to lodge a protest against another competitor under this rule shall submit the protest in writing, accompanied by a $100 protest fee.  Said protest fee will be 50% refunded should the protest be upheld. 

 

In the event of a drug-rule violation protest, the prize money of the contestant(s)/team against whom the protest has been made shall be held in escrow by the Race Committee pending results of the drug test and the conclusion of the protest.

 

The Competition Committee, whether on their own initiative or in response to a contestant’s protest, has the right to collect specimens and conduct such laboratory tests necessary to prove or disprove the presence of any illegal drug or controlled substance in a contestant’s body.

 

19. All protests by a contestant must be made to the Competition Committee in writing within ½ hour of the race finish (19 ½ hours after the race start) accompanied by a $50 non-refundable protest fee (except as noted for a drug rule violation protest).

 

20. Imposition of any sanction or penalties is the responsibility of the Competition Committee.  The Competition Committee reserves the right at all times to modify, amend or abbreviate the rules and to impose, modify or waive any penalty or sanction.