Here we are, finally, very close to the start. I'd like to thank you once again for your participation and for all the emails expressing support and appreciation for the Wild West Relay. We've had a great time organizing the relay and will be trying very hard to put on a good event you'll enjoy and remember.
This will be the last major communication before the start. If anything new comes up, I will send an email to the Captains and they can share the news with you. If you haven't already, please read the 60 Days to the WWR email as it has additional important information.
Captains, please make sure all of your team - runners and volunteers - receive this information. There is quite a bit of important information included here, so please read thoroughly. ALL PARTICIPANTS will be responsible for knowing this information - "I didn't know" will not be an excuse that will be accepted for the safety and Personal Responsibility issues.
The priorities - in this order - that I want everyone to keep in mind are:
- Safety First
- Being a Good Neighbor
- Having Fun
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND BEING GOOD NEIGHBORS
Unfortunately, there is no delicate way to talk about this, but the actions of some have threaten the existence of the Wild West Relay. This race is my livelihood and I enjoy making it a well respected and organized event. Please respect the financial investment and hard work that I have put into this event. My goal is to provide everyone with a memorable and well organized race that hopefully you will be able to participate in again and again. So if you are not willing to cooperate and respect and abide by these rules, then you and your entire team will not be able to participate. I need every participant to understand that each of the following rules has a purpose and if we catch any runner breaking any of these rules, the entire team will be disqualified. Teams - if you see someone violating any of the following rules, attempt to get them to mend their ways. If they give you an arrogant response, then by all means, let the race director know. By communicating this to me, you are showing your appreciation and enjoyment of the WWR by helping to protect it for future years.
Between runners and volunteers, there will be over 1600 people on the relay route this weekend. That is a major impact to the small, rural areas along the route. Unfortunately, there are individuals who feel compelled to behave and act in any way they want or see fit. The WWR is only possible with the cooperation of the many towns, businesses, and individual property owners. They have given us permission to use their property for the runner exchanges. As we are guests, it is critically important that participants act in an appropriate manner - no littering, no "calls of nature" anywhere except in the portable toilets, and running and driving in a safe, respectful manner. Any use of toilets other than portable toilets are off limits. In theserural areas, there is no sewer system but rather individual septic tanks . These systems just can't handle a large number of users in a short tim period.
The following rules, which have been in place since the first year of the WWR, are for safety, consideration for the property owners, and common courtesy and common sense, but it amazes me how often they are broken. We lost permission from one exchange we've used the last three years because of immature individuals last year, and there is another critical exchange (meaning if they don't allow us, there is no WWR) that had issues from last year. Thus, we are going to be more proactive in enforcing these rules with the the team being disqualified the result of breaking them.
What does a DQ mean? It means your team is out of the race - you are no longer welcomed to continue. There will be no warnings; there will be no discussion. You break the rules, and any of the WWR staff catch you, you are done - period. It's sad that I have to talk about this, but actions by some participants in the past make this necessary. Captains, by checking in at the start, you are agreeing that your team will abide by ALL these rules and if caught breaking them, your team agrees to abandon the race.
Calls of Nature - there will be potable toilets at every exchange. There is absolutely no excuse to be relieving oneself on the ground, and most especially, on private property. If you are at an exchange that is open and has toilets inside, you still need to use the portable toilets placed there for your use. Last year at one exchange, runners trespassed and used the toilets and showers that are for paying guests only. This overuse caused their septic system to back up and the owners had a real mess to clean up. There were seven portable toilets for race participants to use so there was no excuse for this. There have been complaints from people that they aren't using the portable toilets because "they are dark." There is a very simple solution to this - take your headlamp/flashlight with you! The ONLY exception to this rule is if the High School in Walden (Van Exch 24) opens their doors to us - this is still uncertain.
Litter - have you ever noticed in a race how runners think it is okay to throw their wrappers and gel packets on the ground as if they think that someone will be covering the whole course with a broom and dust pan picking up their trash? This is littering, plain and simple. This is another behavior that will cause a team to be immediately disqualified.
Leg 6 on US 287 - Leg 6 is on US 287 to get from Owl Canyon Rd to Red Feather Lakes Rd. There is a very nice shoulder for runners to be on. But due to the higher speed limit, RELAY VANS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO PULL OVER AND STOP ON US 287. Once you leave Exchange 5 (exit with caution), you need to proceed directly to Exchange 6 in Livermore. Runners - carry your own water as you can not be supported on this leg - the leg is only 3.8 miles.
Quiet Zones - I know you want to cheer on your team and other runners, listen to music in your van, and are excited when you arrive at an exchange. But it is critical that you are aware of your surroundings and to respect the QUIET ZONES as noted on the Leg Maps. Better yet, between 10 PM and 8:00 AM, be courteous and cognizant of any noise you are generating (cheering, closing van doors, music, talking). Many homes are not that far from the road and noise carries in our dry mountain air. The last thing we need are noise complaints. There are a limited number of possible exchange locations. There are many exchanges that if we lose permission to use them, there will be no Wild West Relay.
Headphones, Ear Buds, iPods - For safety purposes, and as it is the requirement of our insurance carrier, the wearing of headphones or earbuds (i.e. running with an iPod) is prohibited. The course is not closed - you will be running on the shoulders of the roads with traffic. In addition, there are wild animals in Colorado (black bear, moose, and mountain lions for example, not to mention dogs and idiot drivers). So running down the road with your ears shut off from reality is one of the most unsafe things you can do. So headphones/earbuds/iPods, even if in just one ear, are prohibited and violators will have their entire team disqualified. I know this policy is not popular, but races are going in this direction because of insurance liability concerns.
School Exchanges - several schools are serving as exchanges. In Colorado, ALL SCHOOLS are drug free zones. Alcohol and tobacco products are not permitted. Failure to follow this rule will result in immediate disqualification of the entire team.
Legs 6, 31, 33, AND 34
Each of these legs requires the runner to cross a highway. For safety purposes, each of these exchanges (and in the case of Leg 31, at the intersection of US 40 and Hwy 14), there is a volunteer who's sole responsibility is to tell runners when to cross. Therefore, at each of these exchanges and intersections, the active runner MUST proceed to the Runner Monitor BEFORE crossing the highway. The volunteer will tell you when it is appropriate to cross. It is not okay to proceed up the right shoulder of the road and cross on your own. Runners who cross the highway on their own will cause their team to disqualified.
WEATHER FORECAST
A typical summer weather pattern for the Front Range of Colorado is for isolated thunderstorms every afternoon. So if thunderstorms do occur, please be safe. Vans should make it a point to be reasonably accessible to pick up their active runner in case of lightening. If a thunderstorm does happen, pick up your runner (or any other runner that you come across) and try to wait out the storm in your current position, and then continue to run when it is safe. If the storm lasts too long and it puts you behind schedule for the closing times of the exchanges, then drive ahead and start running again when it is safe. Remember, this is an adventure race so we are all dealing with the elements, so the clock doesn't stop. But no race is worth getting struck by lightning, so please use common sense.
The Friday forecast (and it will probably change between now and then) for the Fort Collins area is currently for a high of 87 degrees and scattered thunderstorms. So remember to bring your sunscreen and take extra effort to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! The first 13 legs do not offer much if any shade. It will start cooling down as you gain elevation to go over Sand Creek Pass. Walden will have a drastic change in temperature as a low of 40 degrees and showers are forecasted for Friday, so don't forget warm clothes. Saturday's forecast for Steamboat Springs is for isolated thunderstorms, a high of 82 degrees and a nighttime low of 43 degrees. Expect a chill in the air if you are crossing Rabbit Ears pass early in the morning. I would be prepared for heat, cold, and rain as you can have any type of weather in the mountains.
NEED SUPPLIES?
The Fort Collins Runners Roost is stocked up on items runners will need for the WWR (reflective vests, blinking lights, etc.). All WWR team members can receive a 15% discount - this is only valid at the Fort Collins store. The Roost will also be at the start selling these items.
For those of you in the Fort Collins area, the Runners Roost will be relocating to the Front Range Village in October - check www.runnersroostftcollins.com for updates.
SUNSET/SUNRISE
The sun sets on Friday at 8:16 PM, and rises at 6:05 AM on Saturday. If you are starting your leg and you will not arrive at the next exchange before 8:16, you need to start your run with the required safety equipment of reflective vest, flashlight/headlamp, and flashing red blinking light. Same thing for sunrise - if you start your current leg before 6:05 AM, you need to start out with your safety gear.
LEAVING CARS AT THE START AND FINISH
Due to limited parking at the Budweiser Tour Center, only relay vans will be permitted to enter the paved parking lot. All individual vehicles need to pull into the grass field directly south of the Tour Center entrance. If you need to transfer gear into your race van, please do so AT the grass field parking area. If you want to leave your car at the tour center during the relay, Budweiser requires a parking pass to be placed on your dashboard - this pass needs to be requested in advance. Any cars left in the paved Tour Center parking lot WILL BE TOWED. Violators will be responsible for the towing and impoundment fee. The Tour Center is open to visitors during the relay and we can not impact their operations as they get busy on Friday afternoon and on Saturdays. Please contact us to receive a pass and one will be emailed to you. Please try to make arrangements to carpool to minimize the number of vehicles to be left at the start. Spots are limited and are on a first-come, first-serve basis.
If you are rendezvousing with others in Steamboat, you can leave cars at the Finish at the Steamboat Springs High School.
THE START
The start is at the Budweiser Tour Center off the Mountain Vista exit of I-25 - it is NOT at the Budweiser Event Center. Directions to the start are here. Teams need to show an one hour before your assigned start time to begin the check-in process. The entire team (or your volunteers) is NOT required to be at the start.
There are 5 parts to the check-in process:
Step 1 - Waivers & Team Runner roster order - waivers for ALL runners AND your volunteers, as well as your Team Roster/Running Order will need to be turned in. If you have a non-running driver, they will also need to hand in a waiver. A volunteer will be checking off each waiver that you turn in against the roster of your teams as of the day the database closed. If there are any changes to your team, a substitution form along with a $10 fee (cash or checks made out to Timberline Events) will be required. To speed up the process, have all waivers and substitution forms filled out before you show up. These forms can be downloaded from the Captains Resources page. To minimize waste, we will not have extra forms at the start.
Step 2 - Safety Equipment check - the following are required to be shown to the volunteer:
- 2 flashlights or headlamps, extra batteries; from sunset to sunrise, runners must carry a lighted flashlight
- 2 reflective vests, required from sunset to sunrise and recommended at all times
- 2 flashing red LED lights - one is required to be worn on the runner's back from sunset to sunrise (these will be available for sale at the start for a nominal fee if you need them)
- 2 vehicle signs "CAUTION-RUNNER ON ROAD" (minimum 17 x 22 inches) to be attached to the rear of each teams two vehicles. These can be hand made but they must be legible) - one sign for Ultra Teams. If you hold one up and from 30 feet away it can't be read, it will not be accepted.
- 2 First Aid kits for blisters, abrasions, etc. - one kit for Ultra Teams
- 2 Trash bags - one bag for Ultra Teams
- One copy of both the Relay Handbook and the Leg Maps per van
Step 3 - pickup your Tech Shirts and the Team goodie bag. To eliminate the accuracies of a team saying they are missing a shirt, the team representative will be asked to review the shirts for correct amount and will sign for them verifying that all shirts were received. Trading sizes will be very limited! See below.
***As the tech shirts I ordered this year, and the unique printing process used, are much more expensive, only shirts for those in the database were ordered. Shirts for all substitution runners will be ordered after the relay and mailed to that individual. There is an updated Substitution Form now available on the Captain's Resources page that has shirt ordering information on it, so please download and use the new form for any runner changes/additions. All information (mailing address and email) must be filled out and legible please.
Step 4 - Once Steps 1 through 3 are completed, you can continue to the Packet Pickup table and pick up your bib numbers and wristband.
You will need to hand in all your waivers (runners and volunteers) and pass the equipment safety equipment inspection before you’ll receive your shirts and team packet. If your team elects not to have everyone at the start, please be aware that if you are missing any of the required safety equipment or are missing any waivers, your team will not receive the race packet and will not be able to start - no excuses, no exceptions.
Don’t forget that there is a minimum size to the CAUTION – RUNNER ON ROAD signs. If your vans do not have a large enough sign, or if it is not legible (stand 20 - 30 feet from you sign and try to read it - if you can't, it won't pass inspection), you will not pass the safety inspection or be permitted to start.
***Please bring your own tape to attach the CAUTION signs to you van.
If your category has changed – please alert the staff person checking you in so your results in your category will be correct.
LATE TO THE START?
Each wave will start ON TIME. If you are late to the start, you will not be permitted to start in a later wave. However, you will be permitted to drive ahead to an exchange (which one depends on how late you are) and start from there. To make up for missing those first legs, more than one person may run at a time. You will be reclassified as a Helter Skelter team.
FOOD - RESTAURANTS
There are several restaurants that are preparing for you. Please remember, these are all small businesses with limited kitchens and staff. They can only prepare and serve so much food at one time, so be prepared to be patient.
Near Exchange 6, a van exchange, at the intersection of Hwy 287 and Red Feather Lakes Rd, is The Forks. They have been alerted that 1400 runners will be passing through on Friday. They have a deli, home-bake goods, plus other snacks and cold drinks.
At Exchange 9 is the Western Ridge Restaurant & Resort. They are preparing a "Runners Special." You are also welcome to refresh yourselves in their pool for $5 or use their showers for $3/person. It is very logistically placed for Van 1 to eat after completing their first leg, or you can proceed to -
The Pot Belly Deli & Restaurant which is just .5 miles past Exchange 12. This is a great place for Van 2 to eat after completing their first leg before making the two-hour drive to Exchange 18.
In the town of Red Feather Lakes, there are other options for cafes.
Alternate Van Route - there are several cafes in Poudre Canyon along the route for the inactive van to Exchange 18.
Exchange 18, a van exchange, is the Woods Landing Restaurant. They will be preparing a spaghetti dinner with sauce (with meat and without), garlic bread, and salad for the first 500 runners for $10. This is the only practical place to eat after Van One's second leg, as everything in Walden will be closed by the time you get there. 500 meals is all they can handle at one time.
Near Exchange 20 is the small town of Wycolo and the Wycolo Lodge. Their restaurant is only open until 9:00 PM, but the bar is open until midnight and they do have microwavable food available.
GASOLINE
If you have filled up in Fort Collins, you should be fine. But there is gas available at The Forks (Exchange 6), Exchange 9 by the Western Ridge Restaurant, in Red Feather Lakes (Exchange 12), along the Poudre Canyon for the Inactive Vans on the alternate route, at Woods Landing (Exchange 18), Walden (Exchange 24), and in Steamboat Springs.
OPEN RANGE
"Open Range" is a cattle term. This means cattle are roaming freely and are not penned in by fences. You will encounter this situation on the Wyoming section of the relay route. There's nothing quite as scary as coming around a bend in the dark and finding black cows standing in the middle of the road. So please exercise caution - and keep it slow - while driving in Wyoming.
CATTLE GUARDS
In the cattle country sections of the route, there are many cattle guards. The purpose of a cattle guard is to keep cattle on their owner's property. Placing a piece of plywood on the guard to make it easier for runners defeats the purpose of the cattle guard. DO NOT RUN OVER THE GUARD - slow down and cross carefully - prevent getting a sprained ankle or worse.
In addition, any road hazards have not been marked! Keep your eyes open and run within your self.
TRUCKS IN NORTH PARK
Trucks can make heavy use along the WRR route during the night on the same road we'll be on from Woods Landing (Leg 19) to the intersection of Hwy 14 and US 40 (Legs 31), so please keep alert. Trucks are also using US 40 over Rabbit Ears Pass (Legs 31 through 35) - the shoulders are very wide, but caution should still be observed. MAKE SURE YOU ARE VISIBLE TO MOTORIZED TRAFFICE!
LARIMER COUNTY SHERIFF AND COLORADO STATE PATROL
There will be two officers patrolling Red Feather Lakes Road (Legs 6 - 12) on motorcycles, and two Colorado State Patrolmen will be monitoring the route from the Wyoming Border to the finish. So be sure you are following all Colorado traffic laws and not hindering other traffic. Officers will be looking for speeding traffic (including Relay Vans), and vans that are impeding traffic by driving too slow or not pulling completely off the road. All officers have been asked to report to WWR staff any Relay Vehicles that are issued traffic citations as that team will be disqualified.
CAMPING
Exchange 18 - Runners are welcome to set up tents or throw out sleeping bags in the grass areas PROVIDED you aren't blocking the road, taking up parking spaces, or are on the spaces around the rental cabins. Please be considerate of the folks who have rented cabins as they were not planning on 1300 runners descending on them
Exchange 24 – Walden High School – there is no camping on the school’s football or baseball fields. The area for camping is across the street from the front of the high school and the exchange in Hanson’s Park.
Exchange 30 – Just before the runner exchange is a field where we have received permission from a private landowner to allow participants to camp on. It is strongly suggested that you bring some sort of ground cloth and pad to throw down on the ground. This is NOT a soft, manicured lawn but rather a sage filled range land. The entrance to this camping area is .2 miles before Exchange 30 on the right hand side.
MAPS AND SIGNS
The Wild West Relay is known for having excellent route signage. In addition to directional arrows, there are “One Mile to Go” signs placed before the exchange. Please understand these signs could be off by a couple of tenths of a mile. This is a rural remote route and as such, there is not a landmark exactly one mile from each exchange. To assist the people putting out all the signs, landmarks were used to assist them in placing the signs rather than some indistinguishable point that is exactly one mile from the exchange.
At night, blinking lights are used to identify the signs. Red is used for directional arrows, yellow for the “One Mile to Go” signs, and green for the exchanges.
A common comment after a relay is how someone found themselves off the course. The signs are put in place many hours before runners appear. Therefore, anything can happen to them – the wind could blow them down or some idiot could move or steal them. It is impossible for a WWR staff person to know the condition of every sign at all times. Relay Races are adventure races. We paid a mapmaker over $1000 to design the maps that are online and available for download. Therefore, if you get off the route, especially if you were not carrying a map, you will receive no sympathy.
On Leg 25 just out of Walden, there is a critical right turn 1.8 miles into the leg to follow Hwy 14. The sign at this location has been stolen by vandals several times, so this runner should study their map and know where they are in case the sign disappears again.
CYTOMAX
We will have water coolers with Cytomax Energy Drink available at all of the Van Exchanges.
GARBAGE & RECYCLING
Each exchange will have a garbage can. If the can is getting full, mention it to the volunteers so they can replace the bag - don't continue to add to overflow so the trash could be blown all over the place.
Help make the WWR green. Backpackers have a motto - "Pack it In, Carry it Out." With your vans, you can practice the same behavior. Bring an extra garbage bag for recyclables and take them home with you. Better yet, rather than purchasing cases of individual plastic water bottles, have every member of your team bring a water bottle and purchase gallon or 2.5 gallon jugs of water. We WILL NOT have paper cups for the Cytomax, you will need to fill up your own water bottle.
We will have recycle bins (plastic bottles and aluminum cans only) at the van exchanges but please help us out and do as much recycling on your own as you can. And please don't put garbage in the recycling bins! Garbage goes in the trash cans - the Recycle Bins will have RECYCLE signs.
EMERGENCIES
Teams are self supporting - there are no aid stations or paramedics stationed on the course. As explained in the Relay Handbook, if you encounter a medical emergency, decide the best course of action. Are you near a phone or do you have cell coverage? If so, dialing 9-1-1 may be your best option. If not, strongly consider loading the person in your van and transporting them to the nearest medical facility (see the Relay Handbook for maps). Due to the remote nature of the relay route, the injured person could receive faster care if you transport them to the hospital rather than waiting for an ambulance.
NOTES ON LEGS
Legs 7 - 9
These three legs are on Red Feather Lakes Rd - the shoulder is very narrow, so please be alert. There isn't much traffic and two Larimer County Sheriffs will be patrolling this section on their motorcycles.
Legs 13 – 16
These legs are on Deadmans Road. This road is dirt and unless there has been a very recent rain, it gets very dusty. It is recommended runners on these legs wear a bandana over their mouth and nose. Inactive Vans will not be permitted on this section but must take the Inactive Van route. Be conscious of all the runners on this dusty road and keep your speed down to minimize the amount of dust you kick up.
Over Rabbit Ears Pass – Legs 31 – 35
For those running Legs 31 – 35, US 40 is the road going over Rabbit Ears Pass. This has a 55 MPH speed limit. Even though the shoulders are wide, eastbound motorists will have the rising sun in their eyes. Therefore, exercise extreme caution. The shoulders are wide so you will have plenty of room. Even so, it is STRONGLY suggested that runners on these legs wear bright colored clothing AND it will be REQUIRED that you wear your reflective vests on these 5 legs even though it is after sunrise.
Leg 35
Leg 35 is on the Core Trail entering Steamboat Springs. The trail is NOT closed - there will be walkers, cyclists, and other users on the trail
Leg 36
Leg 36 starts on the Core Trail and goes through downtown and residential Steamboat. Study the route map carefully before you run this leg!!! The leg also crosses Lincoln Ave (the main drag through Steamboat). There is a stop light at this intersection. You are required to wait for a green light to cross. Steamboat will ticket jaywalkers.
PACE CALC SPREADSHEET
There are leg calculation Excel spreadsheets for both 6 and 12-person teams now available on the Captain's Resources page.
