Regulations

The Club Marató i Mitja, with provincial clubs, sponsorship from the Castellón County and collaborative efforts with the municipalities of: Castelló de la Plana, Borriol, Vilafamés, Les Useres, Llucena del Cid, Atzeneta del Maestrat, Benafigos, Culla, Xodos, Villahermosa del Rio and Vistabella del Maestrat are PenyagolosaTrails®HG organizers.

PenyagolosaTrails®HG 2018 is a sports event composed of three long-distance, semi self-sufficient races. Departing from Castelló de la Plana, runners will finish at the Sanctuary of Sant Joan de Penyagolosa in the heart of the Penyagolosa Natural Park. The route runs through trails and paths of the mountain ranges that make up the second most-mountainous province of Spain.

• Trail World Championships: are open only to runners selected by their national federation or association member of IAU.

In order to optimize the work of the volunteers the Trail World Championships will share some sections of both races, having these ones slight modifications:

• PenyagolosaTrails®MiM [Marató i Mitja]: 59K 3300d+ 2000d-. Depart at 07:00 on May 12. Maximum race time: 14 h. With 4 ITRA points. The race is part of the WAA Spain Ultra Cup M
• PenyagolosaTrails®CSP [Castelló-Penyagolosa]: 108K 5600d+ 4400d-. Depart at 00:00 on May 12. Maximum race time: 27 hours. With 5 ITRA points. The race is part of the WAA Spain Ultra Cup and Ultra Trail World Tour and qualifying for Western States Endurance Run 2019.

To participate, you must:

• Obtain prior to the race, a capacity to be self-sufficient, which would allow you to solve unassisted the challenges that can occur in this type of race, especially:
  • Weather conditions that can be very difficult due to heat, wind, cold or rain.
  • Know how to manage, even if isolated, physical or mental challenges resulting from fatigue, digestive problems, muscle or joint pain, minor injuries, etc.

• Be fully aware that for this activity in the nature, safety depends on the runner’s ability to solve foreseeable problems that may be encountered.
• Be of legal age on the day of the race and accept race regulations.

Participants registered in this race participate voluntarily, take responsibility for themselves and meet the necessary physical and health requirements to participate in a race of this nature.

These races are governed by the singular race principle of semi self-sufficiency. That is, the ability of a runner to manage his/her own survival between two aid stations, including food, clothing and security.

This principle implies the following rules:

• Each runner must carry all mandatory equipment throughout the race (see article 9 EQUIPMENT). At any time, commissioners may request a check of this equipment. All runners are obliged to submit to such requests, under penalty of elimination from the race.
• Except in case of accident or emergency, personal assistance is authorized only at certain aid stations (*), in areas reserved for that purpose, or within 100 meters before or after designated areas.
• It is forbidden to be accompanied during all or part of the race by an unregistered person, outside of designated aid stations.

(*) Personal assistance is tolerated in the following places:

• PenyagolosaTrails®MiM: Borriol, Les Useres, Torrosselles and Xodos.
• PenyagolosaTrails®CSP: Borriol, Les Useres, Atzeneta del Maestrat, Benafigos, Culla, Vistabella and Xodos.

It is forbidden in all other aid stations or in any other point on the route.

It is the obligation of each participant to carry their own waste until the finish or until places designated by organizers.

The race organization will implement its own preventative medical measures. These measures have neither the aim nor the competence to substitute national and international regulations in force in the antidoping fight, but they are intended to strengthen medical assistance put in place by organizers.

Each runner commits to:

• Inform organizers in case of use of a prescription subject to a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). Allergy and/or any other type of medication that could qualify for a TUE.

• Comply with the collection of urine, blood or capillary samples and their corresponding analyses as requested by the organization’s Medical Council, understanding that the expenses inherent to both extraction and analysis will be responsability of the organization.
• Accept any appointment made by the race doctor, based on the information collected to assess the runner’s ability to participate in any of the races. After that appointment, organizers may determine the runner’s participation in the race.
• See ANNEX I, on page 11.

To validate registration for any Penyagolosa Trails® HG race, each runner must:

• Provide a disclaimer (*).

He/she must, in addition to the previous document, for Penyagolosa Trails® CSP:

• Provide a non-contraindication medical report for ultra-endurance sport (*).

These documents must be uploaded to the corresponding space, next to the list of registered runners, before the 1st of April. Organizers will not accept any documents sent by e-mail or any other means other than the one indicated. In case of non-receipt of either document before the date indicated, the registration will be canceled.

(*) Documents will be available for download during the month of December.

The following registration fees have been established:

• Penyagolosa Trails® MiM: 70 €.
• Penyagolosa Trails® CSP: 100 €.

The registration fee includes:

• Access to all aid stations established by the organization.
• Medical care throughout the race and upon arrival at the finish.
• Showers and massages in designated areas.
• Gift bag (race kit).
• Possibility of obtaining trophies and cash prizes offered by organizers.
• Bus transportation for all participants from the finish back to the start.
• Accident insurance provided by the organization.
• Cloakroom storage at the finish line.

Once registration is completed and paid for, any runner can request fee refund in case he/she decides not to participate. For this purpose, the following deadlines have been established:

• Until March 15: 80% of registration.
• From March 15 to 31: 50% of registration.
• As of April 1st, no amount of the registration fee will be refunded.

All requests for registration refund must be made in writing to inscripciones@penyagolosatrails.com and include relevant personal information, proof of payment, and a bank account number into which the amount of the corresponding registration reimbursement will be transferred according to the conditions established above.

For reasons of safety, respect for the environment and respect for runners, it is necessary to limit the number of bibs. All pre-registrations and registrations will be done exclusively by completing the form via Internet.

PenyagolosaTrails^®MiM: → Lottery.

PenyagolosaTrails^®CSP: → Lottery.

IMPORTANT: If you opt for the MiM lottery, it is not possible to simultaneously sign up for the CSP lottery, or vice versa.

The pre-registration period will be from 19:00 on November, 1 until 19:00 on November, 21. During this period, runners interested in participating must complete a form with their data.

Since 2015, there has been no waiting list. Given the experience of previous years, most cancellations occur as late as possible and it is not reasonable to consider participating in a long-distance race without adequate preparation.

Therefore, registrations will be managed through overbooking, that is to say, when registration closes, more runners than slots available will be registered because cancellations are anticipated. Thus, all runners will have the same time to properly prepare.

Lottery:

If the number of pre-registrants is higher than the maximum allowable number of slots, a lottery will be organized. Otherwise, if the maximum number is not exceeded, all pre-registered runners will be automatically registered without having to enter the lottery. In addition, the process of pre-registration would become immediate registration and would remain open until the remaining slots are filled.

Direct registration, without entering the loterry, will comply with any of the following requirements:

• Loyalty:
  • MiM: It is necessary to have completed at least 9 race editions between MiM and CSP.
  • CSP: It is necessary to have completed at least 3 editions of the
• Results: Runners who have scored any of the following results in any of the last two editions (2016-2017).
  • PenyagolosaTrails®MiM men sub 7h00’, women sub 8h30’
  • PenyagolosaTrails®CSP men sub 15h00’, women sub 19h00’
• Podium: Absolute podium in one of the previous editions and subcategories from the last year.

1,500 places for the MiM and 600 places for the CSP will be raffled among all runners who have pre-registered during the established period, excluding from the lottery, those who have obtained a slot for fulfilling any of the previous requirements.

Then, organizers will then reserve an amount of  slots for:

• Clubs and Sponsors: for the teams of our partner clubs and official sponsors.
• Series and international participants: this consideration will be strictly applied and limited to:
  • Runners designated by the WAA Spain Ultra Cup and Ultra-Trail World Tour.
  • Minimal representation of each country from the list of pre-registrants.

Lottery info:

The lottery will be held on November, 24 at the presentation of PenyagolosaTrails®HG in Castellón. The lottery will be public and everyone is invited to attend it live.

Once participants who have obtained a slot for some of the reasons detailed in the rules, have been removed from the lottery, remaining lottery entrants will be assigned raffle numbers according to the order of pre-registration.

The list of lottery numbers will be published after pre-registration closes and before the lottery takes place.

Lottery process:

A number (one for each race) will be randomly drawn from all the numbers assigned to that lottery. Each one of these numbers will be granted a slot, as well as will the 1,499 sequential numbers for that number in the case of the MiM, and the sequential 599 in the case of the CSP. That is to say, if the number happens to be 120 for the MiM, those pre-registrants from number 120 to number 1,619 will have assigned slots.

In case the number drawn is such that the remaining sequential numbers will exceed the final number in the list, the sequence would continue with the first number, number 1, and sequentially include successive numbers until all slots have been assigned. That is to say, if there are 2,000 numbers in the MiM and the number drawn is 1,950, slots would be assigned from 1,950 to 2,000, and then from 1 to 1,449.

Lottery results:

The lottery results will be a provisional list. In addition, winners will be notified by e-mail to obtain their slot. The lottery winners, and all those who have obtained a number for any of the reasons stated above, have a period of 8 days, from the date of the dispatch of the notice to finalize their registration. Those who do not complete registration in the determined time period, will lose their right to register.

Any time a slot becomes free during this period, organizers will contact the following runners on the provisional list for the 2018 lottery. In the case of the MiM: starting with those who have been rejected in lotteries from the previous two editions, and who have not had the option to run in either race, following the order of the provisional list by lottery number, will be contacted. These newly selected winners have a period of 72 hours to complete registration. Otherwise, they will definitely lose their slot.

Penyagolosa Trails®HG subscribes to a philosophy that combines outdoor sport with respect for nature. For this reason, we invite all runners to share our philosophy and to contribute – through their eco-friendly behavior – to maintaining the natural environment in the places where the race is held.

Part of the route runs along paths and trails of the Penyagolosa Natural Park. Participants in these races know very well that the mountain is a fragile ecosystem that must be preserved. Therefore, organizers have as their aim an eco-friendly race that shows maximum respect to the mountain environment. The race’s objective is to have zero impact on the natural environment, and to increase the awareness of all participants and fans for protecting this exceptional environment. For this reason, organizers, in addition to strictly complying with the norms of the Penyagolosa Natural Park, propose:

• Preventing soil erosion. It is forbidden to use shortcuts off of marked roads and paths – with special attention to the section of the route from Les Useres to Sant Joan de Penyagolosa, which runs through Camí dels Pelegrins de Les Useres.
• Limiting waste. Organizers encourage runners to bring their own beverage containers to be used in aid stations.
• Waste management:
  • All waste during the race must be disposed of in aid stations.
  • Do not leave tissues, paper or toilet paper.

In addition, the use of paths and dirt roads located on privately-owned land is regulated by decrees 49/2006 and 98/1996, which state that:

“People passing through the property for any purpose can only do so with the express consent of the land owners and that equally, sports activities that run through said forest lands are prohibited except for those that are part of events authorized by the appointed general management”.

In both cases, people who fail to comply with the rules or who cause damage to private spaces listed in the Natural Resources Management Plan of the Penyagolosa Massif, will be responsible for their actions.

Organizers recommend proper planning of race equipment based on competitors’ abilities, the weather, estimated race time and other variables that may compromise competitors’ safety. Each participant must be fully aware of the race’s length and difficulty, which can increase at night, under possible climatic conditions: heat, cold, rain and wind. Therefore, competitors should make sure that clothing, footwear, as well as physical health, are appropriate to complete the race. All participants are obliged to carry the following equipment, which will be checked at the start and can be checked again at any other point during the race.

Organizers may add some type of mandatory equipment not included in this section. In such case, such equipment requirement will be properly communicated in advance to race participants via the website or by e-mail.

Runners can pick up their race bibs at the Runners Fair on Friday, May 11 from 11:00h to 21:00h, under no circumstances can this be done on Saturday. In order to obtain your race bib, you must provide your DNI (ID) or its equivalent for non-Spanish/EU citizens. We remind you that changing or transferring your race bib or chip is not allowed. In this circumstance immediate disqualification and race bib annulment would occur.

Race bibs will be worn on the front and must be continuously and fully visible at all times. Race bib will always be worn on outer clothing and cannot be attached under any circumstances to a backpack or to the leg. Race bibs cannot be modified, hidden or folded. Race bib will allow the access to buses, aid stations, first aid, showers and rest areas or drop bag transfer areas. Except in case of disobeying a decision by course commissioner, race bibs should never be removed. In case of abandoning the race, the race bib will be deactivated.

Along with the race bib, participants will receive a bag (2 in the case of Penyagolosa Trails® CSP) in which to place their race equipment, which can be delivered to staff, securely closed and clearly marked with the identification method provided. The bag will be transported to the finish line at Sant Joan de Penyagolosa. For Penyagolosa Trails® CSP, a second bag will be transported to Culla. If possible, this second bag will be transferred to the finish in time for the runner’s arrival; this cannot however, be guaranteed.

Will not be accepted claims for the loss or breakage of the bags’ contents; they will not be checked by organizers upon delivery. It is recommended to leave valuables at home. Once securely closed and the contents contained therein, bags will be delivered to race staff at the Runner’s Fair before it closes.

Once the race is over, organizers will store lost and found items for 15 days. At the end of this period, organizers will no longer respond to owners’ requests. This items may be collected at the headquarters of the Club MiM settled in Calle Sanahuja 55 on the entrance level, Wednesdays and Fridays from 19:00h to 21:00h.

There will be several roving medical teams distributed among different points along the course, depending on immediate medical priorities. These teams will be in radio contact with race directors and will have the capacity to assist at any point throughout the course. This fact does not exempt runners from the obligation to offer assistance to any other participant who is in need.

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All runners are subject to the doctor’s evaluation and will acknowledge that the doctor’s decision is final with the authority to:

• Remove from the race (annulling his/her race number) any runner not fit to continue.
• Order the evacuation of any runner considered being in danger.
• Order the hospitalization of any runner for whom it is deemed necessary.

All runners will have a chip and a race bib. There will be a check upon arrival at all checkpoints and there will also be random checkpoints whose location will not be revealed by organizers.

To avoid excessive use of plastic cups, each runner must carry his/her own cup. Only in the first aid station, due to the large influx of competitors, will disposable cups be available. There will be trash bins at the exit of each aid station, any runner who throws trash on the race course will be disqualified.

To be allowed to continue the race, runners must leave the checkpoint before set time limits, regardless of arrival times to the checkpoint. If runner exceeds cutoff time, he/she must withdraw from the race and follow the instructions of those in charge of the checkpoint.

Except in case of serious injury, a runner should never abandon outside of a checkpoint. Runners must notify his/her decision to withdraw to the person in charge of the checkpoint, who can definitively invalidate race bibs. Runners should retain race bibs, as this is the pass for buses, food and rest rooms. Evacuation will be decided by person in charge, according to the following general rules:

• There will only be buses at Les Useres, Torrosselles, Atzeneta, Culla, Vistabella and Finish Line at designated times.
• Runners who drop out in an aid station or checkpoint where there is no bus, and who are not injured, must reach the nearest evacuation bus stop as soon as possible, and by their own means.
• Aid stations that are only accessible by 4×4 vehicles:
  • Upon closure of the checkpoint, organizers may evacuate retired runners who are still present.
  • In case of unfavorable weather, which may force a total or partial stop to the race, organizers guarantee evacuation in the shortest time possible.

In the case of withdrawing after leaving a checkpoint, it will be necessary to return to that checkpoint and report the race withdrawal to the checkpoint’s manager. If upon return to the checkpoint you find the runners who close the race, they will invalidate your race bib and, from this point onward, runner will not be any longer under the control of the race organization.

There will be a exclusive bus service to transfer runners for free from the finish line to start. This service will be free for all runners. The bus schedules will be published later along with an access guide for the public to access different areas along the racecourse, as well as the finish.

The route will be marked by organizers with colored plastic tape, banners, flags and other course markings located at regular intervals depending on type of terrain and roads, it being the responsibility of each participant to locate marks and follow it. ATTENTION: If you do not see the course markings, go back and look for the signs again. It is obligatory to follow the race course and not to take shortcuts. Shortcuts do not save much time, are dangerous and erode the terrain.

Sections of the route that run along urban roads or streets will not be blocked off to traffic; participants must comply with general traffic norms or with the indications put in place by organizers. It will be obligatory to cross roads via pedestrian crossings or places enabled for the occasion and properly marked. It will be obligatory to follow the marked itinerary, as well as go through all the established checkpoints. For greater visibility at night during PenyagolosaTrails®CSP, signs that mark the route will be equipped with refracting elements that will stand out in the light from the runner’s front light.

Course commissioners present on the racecourse, as well as checkpoint and aid station managers, are authorized to enforce these regulations and apply – if necessary and as an immediate reaction, a penalty according to the following table, always with prior authorization from the Race Committee.

It will be the responsibility of the Race Committee to establish penalties and their amount.

Any runner may be subject to doping control before, during, or at the end of the race. In case of refusal to undergo testing, the athlete will be sanctioned in the same way as if he/she were found positive. See ANNEX I, on page 11.

In the hour immediately following publication of race classifications, and provided that the formal requirements established in this article are fulfilled, all complaints that have been filed for a fee of 60 € will be accepted.

After that time, no complaints will be accepted. The filing fee will be refunded in the instance that organizers consider that the complaint is justified. Complaints will be submitted in writing to the race director and must meet the following requirements:

• Name and surname of the person filing the complaint, DNI (ID), whom it represents.
• Data of the affected runner(s), race bib.
• Exposition of the facts.

The race committee, formed by the race director and course stewards will have the authority to resolve complaints. There is no recourse against the resolution of the race committee. When the committee deems it necessary, it may meet with as many parties as it deems convenient in order to effect a resolution to the complaints.

Organizers will make modifications to the race that it considers necessary, or even suspend the race, if weather conditions or other causes become a threat. In this case, registration fees will not be refunded.

Modification to the race and/or its suspension. In the case of bad weather or other major threat, organizers reserve the right to suspend, neutralize or modify time allowances and/or the race and aid stations. In this case, registration fees will not be refunded.

In case of event cancellation due to a major threat and more than 7 days before the start date, a partial registration fee refund will be made. The amount shall be determined on the basis of the organization’s capacity for reimbursement after covering fixed, non-recoverable costs.

If the race is interrupted and suspended at a point on the course, classifications will be determined according to the order and arrival time at the stopping point or at the last checkpoint.

Organizers will provide accident insurance for all registered runners.

Current rules establish the following categories and subcategories:

The age determination for these categories will be the one that the participant has on December 31 the year of the competition.

Clubs category:

The clubs classification will be done by adding the times achieved by the first three male athletes and the first female athlete of the same club (3 + 1).

It will be scored only for the club that appears on the registration, in addition it must be legally constituted.

Prizes:

Trophies will be awarded to the top 3 ranked in each subcategory. In addition to the trophy, the top 3 finishers overall, both male and female, will receive the following cash prizes:

Notes:

• All cash prizes will be subject to withholding tax.
• Trophies and cash prizes will be cumulative.

Lack of attendance the awards ceremony will be considered as a waiver of trophies or cash prizes, as well as being subject to sanction under Article 16.

The subcategories awards ceremony will be held jointly at approximately 18:00 h on Saturday, May 12

The absolute category awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, May 13 in Castellón.

All runners expressly waive their image rights during the race, and they waive any right to appeal to organizers for the use of that image. Organizers may authorize the media to use that image through an accreditation or license. All communication about the event or the use of images from the event must respect the name of the event and the event’s trademarks with organizers’ authorization. The organizing entity reserves exclusives rights to event images, as well as rights to the audiovisual and journalistic exploitation of the event. Any media or publicity project must have the consent of the organizers.

In accordance with what is established in the Organic Law 15/1999 of December 13th regarding the Protection of Personal Data, all personal data provided by participants and the images obtained in the course of the event will be stored in the files of the organizers of  PenyagolosaTrails®HG, in order to manage event participation, as well as the promotion, distribution and dissemination of the event. This article grants the ability at any moment to exercise the rights of access, rectification, cancellation and opposition by sending a document accompanied by national ID to the registered office of Club Esportiu Marató i Mitja Castello – Penyagolosa in Sanahuja 55, 12004 – Castelló de la Plana.

In case organizers are obliged to change these rules, modifications will be properly communicated to participants in advance.

Registering for the race implies recognition and compliance with these rules.

Any circumstance not provided for in these rules will be resolved by the Race Committee.