Event Rules

Capital to Coast is owned, organised, and delivered by Canberra Runners.

All attendees (including participants, support crew, and spectators) should read and understand the event rules thoroughly prior to registration and event commencement. Anyone found in breach of the event rules, or otherwise deemed to be behaving inappropriately, may result in the disqualification of the associated runner or team at the discretion of the Race Director.

Registration changes

Solo entries may be exchanged and teams may change membership prior to the close of entries.  An administration fee of $20 applies to all changes.  No changes will be permitted following the close of entries.

Refunds

Withdrawals prior to early bird closing (date to be confirmed for 2025) will receive a refund of 50% of their entry fee.  Subsequent withdrawals will forfeit 100% of their entry fee.

Cancellation

In the event of cancellation of Capital to Coast, partial refunds will be provided minus sunk costs.  Due to the complex approval and logistics, if the event is unable to take place on the scheduled weekend, there is no provision for the event to be postponed.

Check-in at the start of each stage

Each runner participating in a stage must check-in at the registration table before commencing each leg.  Each runner must also ensure they have been recorded as finishing the stage.

Race BIB and Timing Chip

“No BIB = No Chip = No Time” is the policy.

Each runner will receive their own personal Race BIB with integrated timing chip.  All of the timing chips for each individual in a team will be assigned to the same team number.  The Race BIB must be worn throughout the stage from Start to Finish.  Failure to wear your Race BIB will be treated as a DNS for that stage, so please double check you have one before the start of every stage.

Course

The staged race will consist of a prologue on Friday afternoon, four stages on Saturday and four stages on Sunday.  Solo participants must complete all nine stages to qualify for a finish; teams must have a runner complete the prologue and each of the eight stages.

Multiple members of a team may participate in the prologue (only applicable to the prologue), but the team must nominate the team member whose time will count prior to the start of the prologue.

Course changes

The Race Director reserves the right to alter or cancel a stage of the event for any reason including extreme weather, fire danger, and authority advice.

Age limits

All solo entrants must be a minimum of 18 years of age by the day the event starts. All participants in teams must be a minimum of 15 years of age by the day the event starts.  All teams must include at least one adult (18+).  Runners under the age of 18 must have the written and signed consent of a parent or guardian in order to participate.

Prizes

Solo and team placement will be determined by total elapsed time across all nine stages.  Prizes will be awarded in the following categories: solo female, solo male, female pair, male pair, mixed pair, female team (3 or 4 members), male team, and mixed team.

Runner Safety

Runners are responsible for their own safety, and to care for the safety of others when out on the course.  Seek assistance from first aid and medical crew, event organisers, volunteers, and fellow runners if you need help.  Help other runners in distress where required.

Runners to provide assistance

If a runner is in serious difficulty on the course, the next runner is to stop and provide assistance.  The following runner is to proceed to the nearest race official to alert the race team that assistance is required.  Runners providing assistance to a runner in distress will have their time adjusted to reflect lost time.

First Aid and medical assistance

The event has qualified First Aid and medical assistance at the start and finish area of every stage.  There will also be medical assistance out on the course roaming each stage.  For emergencies, please call triple zero 000 in the first instance, and alert the Race Director where possible.

Time limits (Cutoffs)

Time limits at the end of each stage will be strictly enforced to allow race infrastructure to be moved to the next stage.  Runners (or relay teams) who do not meet time limits can continue to participate (and be timed) in subsequent stages but will not receive a time for the stage, and will be unranked for the overall competition.  Runners are responsible for ensuring that they are present at the start line (and have signed in) at the advertised start time for each stage – late starts will not be permitted.

Run on Left

The event is mostly on dirt roads, firetrails, and single tracks.  While efforts are made with course signage and marshals to ensure that drivers are aware of runners ahead, entrants are responsible for their own safety.  Runners are to run on the left-hand side of the trail whenever possible and to give way to all traffic.

Audio devices

The use of audio/music players with headphones is at participants discretion.  They should be used in a sensible and safe manner so that you remain aware of your surroundings at all times.

Outside assistance

Runners are to remain on the designated course – if a runner accidentally leaves the course they must re-enter the course at the same point as where they left the course.  Runners may not receive external assistance between the start and finish of a stage except at designated aid stations, from first aid officers, or in emergency situations.  Only one runner from a team is permitted to be on course during any stage (except the prologue – see ‘Course’ above) – no pacing / muling and no changing team runners during a stage.

Health and safety

The Race Director (and delegates) have the authority to remove any runner from the race if they feel that the continued participation of the runner presents a significant risk to the health and safety of the runner, other participants, event staff, other members of the event support or entourage, or the general public.

Vehicles

No runner support or entourage vehicles are permitted on course during the staging of a leg unless at the instruction of the Race Director.  All vehicles are to obey applicable road laws.

Environmental Policy

No cups

Water will be provided at aid stations.  Aid stations will be present at the midway point of all stages longer than 8 kilometres and at the finish line of all stages.  A “no cup” policy applies and runners are expected to carry their own drink containers for use at aid stations.  There are no provisions for individual drop bags at the aid stations.

No litter

The event is conducted on private property, forestry roads, in national parks, and on council land.  There is a strict “no litter” policy.  There are litter receptacles provided at the start, finish and aid stations (where applicable) for use.