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On Course Info

SUPPORT CREW

Your support crew can be a big part of your day at Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB, and they're more than welcome to help get you through your Tarawera journey. Support crews can see you and assist you at specific aid stations, but may not assist you outside of these points. Assistance can include moral and verbal support, physical support, food and nutrition, hydration, and gear and equipment changes.

You should work with your support crew to formulate a detailed plan for them to assist you at various points on course. This includes estimating when you expect to arrive at supported aid stations, what support you might want at each, when they will need to meet you there and how they will get there.

Please see our Spectator page for supported aid station locations to help with your planning.

Support crews, please note:

  • Support Crews can only assist their athletes at the aid stations indicated with spectator access. This includes 200m either side of the aid station on course. Outside of these areas support crews cannot provide material support (physical, nutritional, gear or otherwise) to runners on course.
  • Please be courteous to other athletes and support crews at aid stations.
  • If you intend to meet your support crew at an aid station, do not use the drop bag service for this aid station.
  • Support crews have just as long a day as the athlete. Take the time and care to look after yourselves - plenty of food and water, dress for the conditions, and take the time to rest (sleep/naps encouraged) when you can between meeting points.
  • Many roads that access aid stations are rural and narrow, windy roads. Please take care driving on these, particularly with increased traffic during the event.
  • The actions of the support crew are the responsibility of the athlete. Any rules breached by crew will result in penalties or disqualification for the athlete.

PACER RULES

There are strict rules regarding pacing:

  • Pacers MUST register themselves online as they will be required to sign a waiver.
  • All Pacers must wear a compulsory race bib number. Pacer(s) must attend Athlete Check-in to collect their bib.
  • The minimum age for Pacers is 18 years old.
  • Pacer numbers will be black/white and match the number of your athlete. This is so we know you are part of the event.
  • Pacers must carry their own set of mandatory clothing and equipment items to match that required by the TMiler athletes.
  • Pacers cannot meet their athlete before or after the designated start locations or at intermediate points. Doing so results in disqualification.
  • Competitors can use two Pacers – but only one at a time (they must change over at an Aid Station).
  • If you plan to make an exchange, you must hand over your pacer number to the next pacer.
  • Pacers are responsible for their own transport, but must use an event bus if accessing Okataina
  • There are no Pacers for T21, T50 or T102 athletes.
  • Pacers may not carry extra water, food or equipment for athletes.
  • With the exception of an emergency or medical situation, Pacers cannot provide any material or physical assistance to their athletes.
  • Pacers may not carry extra water, food or equipment for runners.
  • With the exception of an emergency or medical situation, Pacers cannot provide any material or physical assistance to their athletes.

SPECTATORS

The T21 does not allow full service support crewing, meaning you cannot provide material assistance to your athlete. The only support you can provide them is moral, so make sure you've got your signs, cowbells and cheering voices ready!

A great tool is the Spectators page - packed full of useful information for your spectators.

To keep the event manageable as well as fair and safe for all athletes, and to make sure spectators do not get lost, there is some information that spectators need to know.

Spectators may not provide any material or physical assistance to T21 athletes. Moral support only allowed.

Spectators cannot run alongside their athletes at any point on the course outside of the aid stations (except from Redwoods aid station to the finish line - see the Spectators page for details).

SPECTATORS
Rotorua