2021 Tour de Ridges newsletter
Note: Entries have closed. No on the day entries accepted.
Canberra’s annual Tour de Ridges 21.6km, 15.6km and 10.6 km trail runs/walks are this Sunday, 12 December 2021.
1. Start/finish at the Mawson sports fields off Beasley St, Mawson (near junction with Lambrigg Street). Start times are:
6.30am 21.6 km run/walk.
7.15am 15.6 km run/walk.
7.45am 10.6 km out and back run/walk.
Compulsory pre-race briefing 10 minutes before each start.
Please arrive AT LEAST 30 to 40 MINUTES before your start time. On arrival for the 21k run/walk drive to the far end of the car park off Beasley St and park close together as we have 250 entries and the carpark will fill up.
Additional car parking nearby: There are large car parks off Heard Street and Mawson Place only 200 to 300 metres north of the start. If you are doing the 10k, please use these car parks to avoid arriving at the Beasley Street car park and finding it is full. If you park in one of the Mawson Place car parks, there are public toilets on the western side of the Woolworths supermarket building.
2. COVID safety compliance
• Please do not come if feeling at all unwell
• Please maintain social distancing as much as possible at the event
• No hand shakes, high fives, hugs etc
• Practise good hygeniene. Use hand sanitisers at the event and wash hands well if you visit the toilets
• Bring your own water/sports drink and food for after you finish (we are not allowed to provide these)
• We cannot have the usual large gatherings for barrel draw prizes at the finish. So each person finishing will be handed a Toblerone chocolate (sadly not one of the big ones) and place getters will be handed their awards as they finish. We also have many mini-massage devices to give out which have been donated by former R4YL magazine manager/editor Daniel Green
• Keep your permanent race bib for future AMRA events
3. No Australian Mountain Running race bib, no start. Make sure on Saturday night you pin your permanent bib to the front of your running vest and bring it on Sunday morning. If you have purchased a permanent bib for this race, you will need to collect it on Sunday morning.
We are very pleased to have Martin Fryer providing FlyerUltra Timing. You will have timing chip race bibs and your results will go live to the internet at https://my.raceresult.com/188091/results You can also scan this QR code to go to the results:
Check in and race number bib pick up (please queue up 1.5 metres apart)
If you have a permanent AMRA bib, please wear it and on race morning you will need to report in on arriving and get your name ticked off so we know you are starting.
If you don’t already have a permanent bib, you will need collect it on Sunday morning and then keep it permanently for further AMRA events next year.
Bib Mounting Instructions
Bibs for chip timing must be mounted on the front of the torso only, oriented correctly (landscape), and pinned securely. Bibs should not be covered by packs or belts and should be clearly visible at the finish for manual backup and confirmation of electronic chip reads.
Stay away from the timing mats during your pre-race warm up!
Briefing
A briefing will be given 10 minutes before each event is due to start.
Finish Protocol
After crossing the timing mat at the finish please do not stop but continue walking another 30m or so through to the Finish Table where you will be handed your Toblerone chocolate (and award if a place getter).
Live Results
Live results will be available on any device with Web access (smartphone, tablet, PC) via the following link https://my.raceresult.com/188091/results
Your finish time recorded will be the gun time- ie time when you crossed the finish mat minus the start time at the start cones.
Online Finisher’s Certificate
When you access the Web result if you click on your name in any Results List a pop up box with a downloadable/printable Finisher’s Certificate will be available for you.
4 Map and courses
The 15k and 21k courses are NOT the same as last year in order to avoid a very boggy trail coming down off Farrer Ridge. See the map in the event information at Next Event – Australian Mountain Running Association (mountainrunningaustralia.org)
80 metres past Drink Station 2 in Isaacs Ridge reserve, 15k participants turn left and start heading back via an underpass under Yamba Drive while 21k runners do a large figure 8 circuit in Isaacs ridge reserve before heading back.
The 10.6k course is a simple out and back run on the fire trail behind Farrer and Isaacs to Drink Station 3 in Isaacs Ridge reserve. This is the route of the final 5.3kms of the 21.6k course.
5 Weather
The weather forecast for Sunday morning is very good. Partly cloudy with a minimum of 8 degrees and a maximum of 23. Sun protection is recommended from 8.40am.
http://www.bom.gov.au/act/forecasts/canberra.shtml
https://www.weatherzone.com.au/act/act/canberra
6 Drink stations (covid compliance)
If you are doing the 21k or 15k, please wear a hydration vest, or Camelback, or carry a plastic water bottle. These are also recommended for the 10.6km. At the drink stations there will be water containers with taps that you can use as required to refill. You will be running in Canberra nature park. Please leave any rubbish such as Gel wrappers in the rubbish bag at each drink station.
7 Toilets
There are toilets in the toilet block on your right as you drive in. However, arrive in plenty of time to avoid a long toilet queue just before the start, to get your race bib and to be at the start line 10 minutes before the start for a briefing. There are 250 competitors and limited public toilets (2 toilets in the ladies loo, and a single toilet and urinal in the men’s loo). There are also public toilets outside Woolworths at the Mawson shopping centre only 400m away.
8 Shoes and hazards
A couple of sections of the course (off Farrer hill and Wanniassa Hills ridge) have steep downhills on rough or loose surfaces. After all the recent record rain, some sections of the 15k/21k course are very muddy and slippery.
Please take particular care on these; above all ensure you are wearing trail running shoes or other running with good grip. There will be a Sports Trainer from Sports Medicine Australia in attendance.
9 Wildlife
A. There is a very slight chance of seeing a snake from mid-morning onwards as the day gets warmer. If you see one on the trail, stop and let it slither off into the grass.
Please read the section on first aid for snake bite in the following: http://www.anaes.med.usyd.edu.au/venom/snakebite.html In summary, if bitten, stop still, firmly bandage the affected area (use your running singlet) and get the next runner on the course to seek urgent assistance for you.
B. There are many kangaroos in the reserves. Rangers are concerned that runners may disturb the kangaroos and lead to them hopping on to road ways and causing traffic accidents and fatalities to the roos themselves. Please minimise disturbance to the kangaroos.
10 Horses
The 21k and 15k courses follow the Centennial Trail between the Fadden drink station and the Isaacs pines drink station. This is also an equestrian trail which passes close to the Macarthur horse paddocks. Some other parts of the courses are also equestrian trails. The ACT Equestrian Association advice is: “If competitors do meet any horses, walking past is the safest approach. However, because you might be sharing the Long Gully and Farrer underpasses with horses I highly recommend that competitors wait until any horses have exited the before proceeding. Echoing in underpasses can disorient horses and they may overreact especially to a runner.”
11 Time limits
Time limits are necessary for personal safety, for consideration to event helpers who volunteer lengthy periods of time from very early in the morning to help on the day.
The following time limits shall apply and persons not achieving the time limits will be disqualified.
21.2 km run/walk: 3 hours 30 mins
15.3 km run/walk: 3 hours
10.6 km run and walk: 2 hours
As a guide, in 2013 the slowest person took 2:26 for the 21.2 km run, 1:59 for the 15.3 km run, 2:51 for the 15.3 km walk, and 1:49 for the 10.6 km run and walk
12 Running/walking with your dog
You may run/walk with your dog providing YOU:
1. Start at the back of the field and run using a short lead so you are not a trip hazard for other runners
2. Carry dog poo collection bags and use them if your dog does its stuff on any of the trails
3. Either carry water for your dog or allow it to drink from puddles along the course
4. Socially distance from others in the start/finish area.
13 Have a good time
The Tour de Mountain was first held over 20 years ago as a scenic, social pre-Christmas 20km trail run over Isaacs Ridge, Mt Wanniassa, Farrer Ridge and Mt Taylor. Usually there are some finishers each year who comment that it is one of the best runs they have ever done. So please enjoy yourself.
The course changed 10 years ago from a start/finish at Mawson shops when the shopping centre and the roads became too busy and courses re-routed to use under-passes . However, the shopping centre, with several coffee shops, is close by if you want to get together with friends post run.
John Harding
Race Director
Australian Mountain Running Association