Can you believe our race is just two weeks away? WOW-how the heck did that happen. Wondering what’s up on Race Weekend… this week we’ll cover what to expect on Saturday from 12 noon-7 PM.
Bib/Bike Plaques-Racers will pick up their bibs or bike plaques and t-shirts at the bib pick-up area (BIG TENT.) Please have your ID ready.
Relay Teams –The Team Captain will pick up the Team Packet. ONLY ONE BIB will given out and will be passed among the team members. ONLY one team member on course at any given time and ONLY one vehicle can be registered per team. Please look over our Relay Team Info Page before the race. The other two team members may pick up their commemorative bibs for their meal ticket at the BIG TENT on Sunday or use their wristband.
Drop Bag Drop Off At The Big Tent On Saturday before 7 PM Your Drop Bags must be checked at the Drop Bag Table in the BIG TENT no later than 7 p.m. Saturday evening. Drop bags will be tagged with colored tape Biker-Lime Green Tape Runner-Yellow Tape If you come with a crew-you can have them carry and pick up your Drop Bags for the crew aid stations Skunk Hollow, Greenall’s, and Johnson (no waiting for your drop bags to return from on course) Drop bags will be returned to the BIG TENT ONLY after each aid station closes (+30 minutes for transport), not before!
All crew vehicles MUST have and display a Crew Aid Station Car Access Hang Tag in order to access the aid stations. Crew Aid Station Car Access Hang Tags must be picked up Saturday at the Crew table.
Participants may register ONE vehicle at the Crew Table to “crew” them on course.This vehicle MUST display the “Crew Aid Station Car Access Hang Tag” to allow them to park at the designated aid stations. Relay Teams-one vehicle per team. Please stay off the actual race course as much as possible. You will be given Crew directions to these designated aid stations at the Information Table.
Remember-Spectators ARE NOT CREW. Spectators hangout at the finish line; crew meet you at one or all three of the designated Aid Stations.
And there is NO CONTACT with a race participant by ANYONE ANYWHERE outside of the three designated Aid Stations for CREW ACCESS. Failure to comply with this rule will result in disqualification (DQ)
During Saturday’s race check-in, we host a vendor fair for our race participants. We like to highlight, in addition to sporting goods and race related merchandise, products made in Vermont and New Hampshire. Be sure to check out all the vendor tents!
Kids FREE Fun Racesgive the kids a chance to feel like they’re part of the Vermont 50 and are held during Vermont 50 race check-in and bib pick up Saturday 12 noon-4 PM. These races are FREE, however we will gladly accept donations for Vermont Adaptiveor look for the donation jar at the Kid’s Race Table on Saturday. Free for children 14 and under.
Kid’s Schedule Race Day-Saturday, September 28, 2024 Location: BIG TENT Kid’s Table Walk Up Registration and Check-In/Bib Pick Up: Saturday in the BIG TENT from 12 noon-1:45 PM. Bike Rides meet at 2 PM Fun Runs meet at 2:30 PM
Hay Bale Treasure Hunt for Toddlers to 10 year olds, about 3 PM. Bring bags or baskets for all their found Treasures!
On Sunday 9/8, we wrote about “What Crews Can Do for YOU“. If you missed it you can read all about CREWS on our Race News Page: 9/8 BLOG
So what is the difference between Spectators and Crews.
Spectators are NOT crew Spectators DO NOT follow the racers around the course and meet them at the three designated Aid Stations.
Spectators DO NOT register their vehicles at the CREW TABLE and pick up a Crew Aid Station Car Access Hang Tag that allows them to park at the designated Aid Station and meet with their runner or mountain biker.
Spectators DO wait for their racers at the FINISH LINE. They cheer, they yell, they HUG. And if you are a spectating fur baby you give lots of wet kisses!
FYI-You could be disqualified if…you receive contact with a Spectator or Crew member… NO CONTACT with a race participant is ALLOWED anywhere by a Spectator except at the FINISH LINE.
NO CONTACT with a race participant is ALLOWED anywhere by a CREW MEMBER except at the three designated Aid Stationsor at the FINISH LINE.
Contact outside of the Finish Line for Spectators or Aid Stations for Crew Members will get you Disqualified (DQ’d). Course Marshals will be watching.
Every September Ascutney trails has a Trail Day dedicated to making the Vermont 50-Mile mountain bike and ultra-run race course “ready for prime time.” (THANK YOU ASCUTNEY TRAILS!!) Some sections grow over each year and need trimming, andnew sections (due to necessary reroutes) need to be brought “up to snuff.” This year, one of those will need a bunch of wheelbarrow loads of gravel to be spread.
An array of tools will be on hand, but feel free to bring your own string-trimmer, leaf blower, loppers, rake, shovel or saw (and, of course, water, gloves and snack).
They’ll organize volunteers into small crews and fan out from that central location, working until about noon.
Thank you for any time you can give to this Trail Day!
Crew and Our Race Course Our race allows Crews but we “regulate” them. Our race is SUPER special because you will be traveling on terrain that almost NO ONE sees. Our race course is hosted by over 60 private landowners in our race community! How cool is that! That said, we need to respect their property.
Rules and Regulations for Your Crew Info for you and your crew can be found on our web page: Crew Vehicles And also in our Crew Handbook (download this and share it with them BEFORE race weekend)
How and Where do they CREW They drive around our race communities and meet up with you at three designated Aid Stations. And ONLY these three aid stations
NO contact with you is ALLOWED anywhere else on course; contact outside of our three Aid Stations will cause you to be DQ’d.(Course marshals will be watching)
Aid Stations for Crews with Crew Aid Station Car Access Hang Tag #3 Skunk Hollow, 50 mile ONLY, 12.0 miles #7 Greenall’s , BOTH 50K-13.4 miles, 50M-30.5 miles #10 Johnson’s, BOTH 50K-29.4 miles, 50M-46.5 miles
These Aid Stations are beautiful fields that our landowners let us use on race day, so we need to keep race associated vehicles to a minimum.
In order to enter one of these Aid Stations, your crew’s vehicle HAS TO BE registered with our race and has to display a Crew Aid Station Car Access Hang Tag.
How do I get a Hang Tag On Saturday, in the BIG TENT, you will register your crew’s vehicle at the Crew Table. There, they will be given a Crew Aid Station Car Access Hang Tag and directions to the three (3) aid stations. This tag MUST BE displayed in their vehicle ALL DAY Sunday.
How will I meet with my crew at the three Aid Stations Your crews will be meeting you at the three Aid Stations during the day on Sunday. To help them out, calculate when you think you will hit mile 12, 30 and 46 of the 50 miler, or 13 and 29 of the 50 K-that way they will be there when you are.
And you can have them bring your YOUR DROP BAGS , changes of clothes and fresh water bottles for you.
Drop bags Drop bags are allowed at the following Aid Stations with crew access: #3 Skunk Hollow, 50 mile ONLY, 12.0 miles #7 Greenall’s , BOTH 50K-13.4 miles, 50M-30.5 miles #10 Johnson’s, BOTH 50K-29.4 miles, 50M-46.5 miles (And 2K Ralph’s-but NO CREW ACCESS, 50 K ONLY, 7.1 miles)
If your crew will be at the crew access stations anyway-have them bring your drop bags and take your dropped clothes. This way you won’t have to wait for an aid station to close (plus 30 minutes!) to get your stuff back before you head home. They can also carry water bottles for you, which will cut down on our waste.
And speaking of WASTE Please, Please, Please DO NOT LITTER! Remember you are guests on our landowners’ property and on our race communities’ roads. Deposit any litter (gel packs, tire tubes, cups, etc.) at the next Aid Station on course.
PLEASE, don’t make our volunteer course sweepers (Hal’s Crew!) clean up after YOU. They volunteer to take down the course markers, not to be trash collectors!
NO PRE-RACE Running or Mountain Bike riding ON ANY PART OF OUR RACE COURSE!
Our generous landowners grant permission to use their land FOR RACE DAY ONLY! Using these TRAILS outside of race day jeopardizes the future of our race.
