To help insure your safety please review the course rules as stated in the race bible.

Safety is our number one priority. There are many potential hazards in an open road race of this type including, but not limited to: automobile traffic, road and trail conditions, and weather. We ask that all teams please take appropriate precautions to ensure a fun and safe event. Please help us keep the relay safe by focusing on being safe runners, safe support crews, and by helping us keep the relay as a whole safe.

Safety Rules

Rules and safety guidelines are listed in the race bible and they will also be available in the “Ragmag” at the event. Each van gets one copy of the Ragmag on race day.

Safety Briefing

There will be a mandatory Safety Briefing at the race start line for van 1 and at major exchange six for van 2. Each team is required to have all team members, who are present, attend the safety briefing. The Safety Training will last approximately 10-15 minutes. Please arrive at least 1 hour early to the Start Line and exchange six to give your team adequate time to go through the Safety Briefing and get checked-in.

Night Time Gear

Ragnar Relay requires every runner to have a reflective vest prior to getting on the course. In addition, each van must check-in with 2 headlamps and 2 blinking LED tail-lights (we recommend you bring extra batteries). Each runner starting a leg after nighttime hours (nighttime hours are designated before the race) must wear a reflective vest, a headlamp, and a blinking LED tail-light. Any participant (not just the runner) who is outside of their team van during nighttime hours (nighttime hours are designated before the race) must wear a reflective vest.

In street clothes at night, you are only visible to drivers up to 200 feet, in dark conditions. Most reflective vests make it so runners become visible to drivers up to 1200+ feet. Adding headlamps and flashing LED tail-lights provides increased visibility and safety.

Crossing Flags

Any participant (not the runner) who is outside of their team van and crossing a road, must do so with the aid of an orange crossing flag. Ragnar Events provides (2) orange crossing flags to each van before the race, free of charge.

No Van Support Legs

Certain legs of the race are designated as NO VAN SUPPORT legs. This means that participants (not the runners) are not allowed outside of the van to support their runners along this leg. Ragnar will provide a water station(s) on these legs if they are over 4 miles in length.

Safety Officer

Each Ragnar Relay van is required to have a safety officer/navigator that is awake at all times. The safety officer is responsible for making sure that the team always has safety on the brain.

Medic Stations

Ragnar provides a medic station at each of the five Major Exchanges (Ex6,12,18,24,20) and the Finish Line. The medics at these stations are equipped to deal with first aid issues, and minor medical issues. In the case of a medical emergency call 911 immediately and then let us know by sending a TEXT to 661-RAGNAR1. NOTE that we do not have enough band-aids, moleskin, and ice to give to every runner. Make sure your team vans are stocked with first aid supplies and ice.

Communication

Ragnar is capable of constant communication with teams, volunteers, and staff during the race. If there is an issue along the course that needs to be addressed please let us know by TEXTING to 661-RAGNAR1. If there is a medical emergency call 911 immediately. Each van provides a race day cell phone number that Ragnar can text during the race with emergency information, weather updates, and race day changes.

Running in the Heat

Running in hot, humid, and sunny conditions can be taxing on the body. Know your limits. Keep an eye on your active runners and the runners from other teams. Know the signs of dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Pre-hydrate – before your runs, hydrate – during your runs, and re-hydrate – after your runs. Electrolyte replacement is just as important as hydration. We recommend mixing down Gatorade with 50% water or a replacement capsule like SaltSticks. Consult your doctor if you have a pre-existing condition that may be exacerbated by running in hot conditions.

Other Safety Tips for Runners

We recommend that runners run against traffic. Running against traffic ensures better visibility for automobiles, cyclists, and runners. Whether they are training for a Ragnar or any other race, runners should wear a reflective vest, headlamp, and blinking LED tail-light if they are running at night. Listening to music with headphones while running can be dangerous. Runners need to be alert and aware of their surroundings at all times. We encourage runners who do run to music to listen without any headphones or just use one ear piece. It’s a good idea to carry a cell phone while running and runners should always carry their ID while running. This helps authorities respond quickly if there is an accident. An ID tag which states medical conditions/history is also extremely useful.