Highland Fling ultramarathon 2018 Race Handbook A huge thanks to our sponsors: Race Date: Saturday 28th April 2018 Start time: 06:00am Please note: Any changes to your race entry MUST be done online. If you want to book a coach seat, change the time of a coach booking, update your medical information or change your emergency contact details, you should log in to your Si Entries account, pick the Highland Fling from your list of races, then Edit and Save your Participant Details. All changes MUST be made by midnight on Sunday 22nd April. 5 3 M I L E U L T R A M A R A T H O N
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RaceDayMorningIf arriving by car, please DO NOT attempt to drive into the station car park. There will be traffic marshalscontrollingaccess to thecarparkandyouwillnotunderanycircumstancebeallowed tobringyour car in.Forshort-termparkingi.e.supportcrewcars,pleasefollowmarshals'directionsandusetheTescocarpark,postcodeG626NB,besidethestation. (Pleasenotethat runners’carsmustnotbe leftatTescoallday.) If registeringonSaturdaymorning,pleaseallowplentyoftimetoarriveandgetparked,asregistrationwillcloseat5:45amsharp.
MandatorykitThefollowingitemsmustbecarriedbyallrunnersatalltimes:1.Anemergencyfoilblanket(minimumsize200cmx100cm)2.AfullychargedandswitchedonmobilephoneDon’ttrytobesneakyaboutthis,pleasejustcarrywhatwetellyouto.KitchecksWILLbecarriedout.Pleasenotethatafoilblanketistheminimumsafetykitthatweinsiston.Ifyouwanttocarrysomethingmoresubstantiallikeabivvybagoranemergencyshelterinstead,thatisabsolutelyfinewithus.Andpleaseuseyourcommonsense.This is a long run inwild terrain. Check theweather forecast anddecide for yourselfwhatother kit youmightneed.Inbadorchangeableweather,wewouldsuggestcarryinganyorallofthefollowing:waterproofjacket,hat,gloves,sparebaselayers,waterprooftrousers,emergencysnacks,yourfavouriteteddybear,thekitchensink.
DropbagsRunnerscanhavedropbagsatBalmaha,Rowardennan,Inversnaid,andBeinglas.Dropbagsshouldbeclearlylabelledwithname, racenumberandcheckpoint.Wehave to transport 750+dropbags toeachcheckpoint, sopleaserememberthisis‘only’a53milerace,i.e.dropbagsshouldbesmall,andmustnotcontainspareshoesorfullchangesofclothing.PleasedonotbringyourdropbagstoFridayregistration,aswewon’tbeacceptingthemthen.PleasejustbringthemtotheracestartonSaturdaymorning.
EventMedicalCoverTheHighlandFlingMedicalTeamwillbecoveringtheentireevent.Racemedicswillbeatthefinishlinetoassistany runnerswho requiremedical attention.OutdoorFirstAiderswill bepresentatall checkpoints todealwithcutsandscrapes.However, in theeventofa life-threateningemergency,pleasecall999 first (ask forPOLICEthenMOUNTAINRESCUE),thencallRaceControl(thisphonenumberwillbeprintedonyourracenumber).
TheEarphoneRulesEarphonesmustbetakenoutofearscompletely:-whenyou’reapproachingaroadcrossing-whenyou’reapproachingacheckpoint-ifyouseeamarshalinhi-vizanywherealongtheraceroute-onanysectionoftrailnarrowenoughthatyou’rerunningsinglefileWethinktheserulesareveryclear.Hopefullyyoudotoo,becausewewillbeenforcingthemverystrictly.Ifyouforgetaboutyourearphones,andamarshalsignalsyoutoremovethem,youmustdosoimmediately.Ifyoutrytoarguethepointaboutyourmusicbeingturnedoff,yourearphonesmaybeconfiscatedfromyouuntiltheracefinish,andyoualsoriskbeingremovedfromtheraceforyourownsafety,i.e.disqualified.After the racewewill be looking throughphotos from checkpoints and road crossings. Ifwe identify you as arepeatoffender,wereservetherighttodisqualifyyouafterthefact.Wewillnottakethiscourseofactionwithoutspeaking toyou first,but ifwehavephotos fromseveral checkpointsor roadcrossings showingyouwithyourearphonesin,wewillmostlikelyremoveyoufromtheofficialraceresults.ThiswouldmeanyouwouldnotreceiveanyITRA/UTMBpoints,andyouwouldnotbeabletouseyourHighlandFlingracefinishasaqualifierforotherraces..Sopleasejusttakeyourearphonesoutwhereweaskyouto.
Youreallydon’tneedasupportcrewtorunthisrace(that’sthepointofdropbags!)butifyouwantone,youcanhaveone.Youmustpayforavehiclesupportpass(£11,allmoniespassedontolandownersforallowingaccess)andthepassmustbedisplayedinthevehicle’swindscreen.YoucanreceivesupportfromyourcrewatDrymen,Balmaha, Inversnaid*andBeinglas.Youcan receivesupport fromyourcrewONLYat these fourcheckpoints;youmustnotreceivesupportanywhereelsealongtheraceroute.ThismeansthattheBeechTreeInn,theroadthroughGartnessvillage,GaradhbanForestcarpark,thewholeroadbetween Balmaha and Rowardennan,Millarochy Bay and Sallochy Bay car parks, the Rowardennan Hotel carpark,Rowardennancheckpointitself,andtheA82roadcrossingat50milesarealloutofbounds.SupportcrewsMUSTNOTgotoanyoftheseplaces.Thisismainlyforsafetyreasons,tominimisetrafficcongestionontherouteaswellasdisruptiontolocalresidentsandbusinesses.SupportcrewsalsomustnotstopanywherealongtheA82betweenBeinglasandTyndrum.(SupportcrewscanparkinCrianlarichandwalkuptothebiggateatthestartofBogleGlentocheertheirrunneron,buttheymustNOTprovideanyfood/drinktorunnersthere,ortakeanyitemsofkitoranythingelsefromrunners.(Marshalswillbeinattendance.)It isYOURresponsibilitytomakesurethatyoursupportcrewunderstandtheseconditions.Ifyoursupportcrewtrytomeetyouandfeed/wateryouanywhereotherthanthefournamedcheckpoints,youwillbedisqualified.Pleasealsonotethatanysupportcrewyouhavecannotrunwithyouatanypointintherace.Supportcrewsmustremain intheclearlymarked ‘supportcrewarea’ateachcheckpointratherthanwaitingalongthetrail tomeetyouandrunningthroughthecheckpointwithyou.Herearethefourcheckpointswheresupportcrewsareallowed,withpostcodesfornavigation:Checkpoint Location Postcode Totaldistance(miles) Totaldistance(km)Drymen by‘TheOldSchool’B&B G630BW 12.6miles 20kmBalmaha Balmahacarpark G630JQ 19.8miles 32kmInversnaid* TheInversnaidHotel FK83TU 34.5miles 55kmBeinglas BeinglasFarmcampsite G837DX 40.9miles 66km*ItisnotadvisedforsupportcrewstogotoInversnaid.ItsremotelocationmeanscrewswouldbelikelytothenmisstheirrunneratBeinglas.
Pleaseremember:NOSUPPORTCREWSALLOWEDATROWARDENNANoranywhereatallalongtheroad/raceroutebetweenBalmahaandRowardennanAll runners canhavedropbagsatRowardennanand Inversnaid,even thosewith support crews. If youwant tohaveasupportcrewbuthaven'tyetpurchasedavehiclesupportpass,pleasedosoassoonaspossible,onlineviaSiEntries.ThedeadlineforpurchasingsupportpassesonlineismidnightonSunday22ndApril.
Sameaspreviousyears,therewillbeapartyinthemarqueesatthefinishlinefrom7:00pmuntilabout11:30pm.No tickets required - entry is free. Everyone is invited: runners, friends, families, supporters and of coursemarshals.TheRealFoodCaféBBQstallwillbeopenallevening.ThisyearthereWON’Tbeanofficialbarintheevening,sopleaseBYOB.Thisisaprivatefunctiononprivatepropertysochildrenareverywelcometoattend.
LostpropertyWewill doour best to reunite any lost propertywith its rightful owner, howeverwe can’t guarantee this. Anyitemsfoundatcheckpointswillbetakentothefinishafterthecheckpointshaveclosed.Forstuff leftbehindatBeinglas thiscouldbewellafter7:00pmsopleasedon'tpesterourmarshalsabout lostpropertybefore then. Ifyoucan'twaituntilthattimetogetitback,pleasejustmakesureyoudon'tleaveitbehindinthefirstplace.Attheracefinish,anylostpropertyitemswillbeputundera‘LOSTPROPERTY”signbesideallthekitbags.(HighvaluelostpropertyitemswillbelookedafterbyamemberoftheFlingRaceTeam-pleasecomeandaskatthebigbluemerchandisetent.)AnythingnotclaimedbytheendofracedaywillbetakenbacktoFlingHQsoemailteam@highlandflingrace.orgifyourealiselaterthatyoulostsomethingimportantattherace.Pleasenotethatwedonotclasspantsandsocksas‘somethingimportant’,especiallygrubbyonesleftbehindontheshowerfloor.Dittoanymankyshoesditchedatcheckpoints.
AndLastly...Accessibilityandinclusivity:Wewantasmanypeopleaspossibletobeabletotakepartinourraceandofcourseour afterparty, and to feel as welcome as possible. To that end, all event portaloos are gender neutral, thechangingandshoweringfacilitiesattheracefinishcaterforfemale,male,andnonbinaryrunners,andthereisaproperlywheelchair-accessible-with-enough-room-for-carers toiletandshowerat the finisharea too. If there isanything we can do to make you or any of your friends and family feel more welcome, or if you have anysuggestionsyouwould liketomakeinthisregard,please justemailusandwewilldoourabsolutebesttohelpyouout:team@highlandflingrace.org.WeareproudsignatoriesoftheScottishLGBTSportsCharterandarefullycommittedtoupholdingallofitsprinciples.
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FAQs
GeneralStuff:CanIhavesomebasicinformationabouttheraceplease?TheFlingstarted in2006asa lowkeytrainingrunfortheWestHighlandWayrace,withfewerthan20runnerstakingpart.Sincethenithasgrownandgrown,andthisyear,its13thanniversary,therewillbeapproximately800runners taking part. The race starts inMilngavie, on the outskirts ofGlasgow, then rapidly heads out into thecountryside.ItgoesthroughDrymenandoverConicHilltoBalmaha,thenfollowstheeastsideofLochLomondup past Rowardennan, skirting Ben Lomond, the most southerly of all Scotland's Munros. Further on up thelochsideistheremoteInversnaidHotel,thenthepathcarriesonpasttheheadofthelochandupwardsthroughthe'rollercoaster'forestaboveCrianlarichtofinishintheprettyHighlandvillageofTyndrum.Whoorganisestheevent?TheraceisorganisedbyJohnDuncan,betterknownasJohnnyFling(orFannyFlingtosome!)andisrunasanon-profitevent.Johngetsalotofhelpfromotherpeopletoo.Noonegetspaidanythingfortheirtimeorexpenses-notevenJohn-andeverypennyofentryfeesisputtowardseventexpenditurewiththeaimofgivingrunnersthebest race experience and best value for money possible. On race day, there will be around 200 Fling Teammemberswhohavevolunteered their time tohelpout.Manywill spendmoreof theirownmoneyon fuel andaccommodationthanrunnersspendontheirraceentryfeesopleaseremembertothankthemwhenyourunpast.Whoaretheracesponsors?TheHighlandFlingissponsoredandsupportedbyanumberoforganisationsandcompanieswhoallcontributetoandhelptheeventalot.RacesponsorsareRunandBecome,BetaRunning,LyonOutdoors,UltimateDirection,Injinji,LaSportiva,Petzl,and theRealFoodCafé.Supportersof the raceweekendareByTheWayHostelandCampsite, Albert Bartlett, Mackies, Innis and Gunn Brewery, MacSween, the Burnbrae Inn, StrathfillanCommunity Trust, Forestry Commission Scotland, Police Scotland, Loch Lomond and The Trossachs NationalPark,EastDunbartonshireCouncil,StirlingCouncil,andArgyll1st.Whatistheterrainlike?Theroute is90%off-roadwith justa fewshortsectionsontarmac.Theoff-roadsectionsareamixtureofwidelandrovertracks,flatrailwaylines,toughuphillslogs,manicuredpaths,shinglebeaches,roughstonesteps,prettyforesttrailsandfairlydemandingtechnicalscrambles.ThereisalsotheinfamousCowPooAlleyafewmilesnorthofBeinglascheckpointtobenegotiated.Theracerouteincludes2300metres(7500feet)ofascent.ShouldIbeplanningtowearroadshoesortrailshoes?Eitherwouldbeokay.Mostofthepathsareverygoodandunlessit'sbeenrainingforthewholeweekbeforetherace,it'snotlikelytobetoomuddyunderfoot.ApartfromCowPooAlley,whereyoucouldsinkkneedeepatanytime.Basically,whateveryounormallyrunoff-roadinwillbefine.DoestheFlinghaveUTMBpoints?Yes.TheHighlandFlinghasbeenclassedbyITRAasafourpointqualifierforthe2019-2020UTMB.
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PreRaceStuff:I'manewbietoultras,whatarethesedropbagsallabout?Dropbagsallowrunnerstotakepartinlongraceswithouttheneedforsupportcrewsandwithouthavingtocarrysuppliesthewholeway.AdropbagisaSMALLsecureparcelwithfood/drinkinitandawaterprooflabelwithyourname,racenumber,andthecheckpointthatyouwant it takentostuckontheoutside.Atthestartoftheracethere are vehicles with the names of each checkpoint on them that you put your drop bags in, and they aretransportedtothecheckpointsforyoutocollectwhenyouarrivethere.Aswellasfoodanddrink,youmightwantto have stuff like blister plasters, suncream (fingers crossed!), or fresh socks at halfway.Dropbags are not foranythingofvalueoranythingyoureallyneedtogetback,assometimes(veryrarely)theygomissing.DidIhearsomethingaboutadropbagcompetition?Ohyesyoucertainlydid!ThisisacompetitionheldatBalmahacheckpoint,forthemostfabulouslydesignedanddecorateddropbag.Youcanbeasinventiveasyoulike,butpleaseremembertoputyournameandracenumberonyourdropbag.Sizeguideline:yourdropbagshouldbenolargerthananaverageshoebox.TheprizeisaluxuryhamperofScottishgoodiesworthover£100:-)Isanythingsentouttomebypost?No.Allpre-racecommunicationsaresentviaemail.Racenumbersetcarecollectedatraceregistration.WhatshouldIdoifanyofmydetailshavechangedsinceIentered?Ifyouneedtochangeanydetails, thismustbedoneonline.Log intoSiEntries, select theHighlandFling fromyourlistofracesentered,thenEditandSaveyourParticipantDetails.ThiscanbedonerightupuntilmidnightonSunday22ndApril.Pleaseensurewehavecorrectmedical informationandemergencycontactdetails.Alsopleasemakesurethatthemobilephonenumberyouhavegivenusisdefinitelythatofthemobilephoneyouwillbecarryingduringtherace!Iwon’tbeabletotakepartnow,canIhavearefundofmyentryfee?Sorry,no,thefinaldateforobtainingarefundhasnowpassed.Similarly,nodeferralsarepossible.CanItransfermyraceplacetosomeoneelse?Sorry,no,this isn’tpossibleeither.Wedon’toperateawaiting listandyoucan’ttransferyourplacetoafriend.Andpleasedonotunofficiallypassyourracenumberontosomeoneelse-itisstrictlyagainstScottishAthleticsrulesandcouldseebothyouandtheotherrunnerbeingbarredfromfutureraces.IaskedaquestionontheFacebookgroup;whydidn'tIgetanansweryet?Sorryaboutthat!TheFacebookgroupisreallymostlyintendedforFlingrunnerstoshareinformationwitheachother.Importantquestionswilloftengetlostinamongstallthechit-chatandgossip.Ifyouwanttoaskanything'official',pleaseemailtheFlingteamdirectly:team@highlandflingrace.orgCanmyfriendsandfamilyfollowmyprogressonline?Yes. There will be live tracking available via the race website and runners can also choose to have Facebookupdatespostedontheirwall.Fulldetailswillbeavailableonthewebsiteandthe Facebookgroupsoonsopleasekeepaneyeoutfortheannouncement.Canafriendregisterforme?No.AllrunnersMUSTpickuptheirownracenumber.Noexceptions.PleasenotethatallrunnerswillberequiredtoshowphotographicIDtocollecttheirracenumber.
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ParkingandTransportStuff:Wheredothecoachestotheracestartleavefrom?The3:45amTyndrumcoachleavesfromtheTyndrumVisitorCentrecarpark:FK208RYThe4:30amGlasgowcoachleavesfromthefrontofKelvingroveMuseumandArtGallery,onArgyleSt:G38AGWhereaboutsinMilngaviecanIparkmycaronraceday?For free long term parking on raceweekend please use theWest of Scotland Rugby Football Club’s car park:GlasgowRd,Milngavie,G626AQ.It'saboutatenminutewalkfromheretotheracestart.Pleasenotethatcarsparkedherearenot the responsibilityof theWestofScotlandRugbyFootballClubandare left entirely at theowner’srisk.Ifyoudonotacceptthisdisclaimer,pleasearrangetoparkelsewhere.PleaseDONOTplantoleaveyourcarinMilngavietrainstationcarpark.Therewillbetrafficmarshalscontrollingaccesstothecarparkandyouwillnotunderanycircumstancebeallowedtobringyourcarin.Fordroppingoffattheracestartandshorttermparking(i.e.supportcrews),pleaseusetheTescocarparkrightbesideMilngavietrainstation.Pleasenotethatanycarslefthereafter7:30amwillbefined/clampedbyTesco.CanIhaveabagtransportedfromthestarttothefinish?Yes.Inthecarparkatthestartoftheracetherewillbealargetrucktakingkitbagstothefinish.Pleaseattachtheprovidedtearoffbaggagelabel(onthebottomofyourracenumber)toyourbag.Reasonablesizerucksacksorkitbagsonlyplease;nohugesuitcases.Ifyouwithdrawfromtheraceforanyreason,wewillgetyourfinishlinekitbagreturnedtoyou,butthiswill likelytakeat leastaweek. Ifyourcar isparked inMilngavie,youshouldcarryyourkeyswithyouratherthanputtheminyourbagfortheracefinish.Ifyouwithdrawfromtheraceearlyon,youdon'twantyourcarkeystobeinTyndrumwhileyouareheadingbacktoMilngavie!WherecansupportcrewsparkinTyndrum?Supportcrews(andrunnerscatchingtheearlymorningcoach,andallothervehicles)shouldtrytousethevisitorcentrecarparkinthecentreofthevillage.AvehiclesupportpassdoesNOTgrantvehicleaccesstothefinisharea,toByTheWayHostelandCampsite,ortoLowerStationRd.WehavesecuredalimitednumberofparkingspacesattheRoyalHotelonLowerStationRd.Ifthereisspacethere,trafficmarshalswillletyouin.Ifthereisn’t,theywon’t.VehicleaccesstothewholeofLowerStationRdwillbecontrolledbyracemarshalsthroughouttheday.Pleasefollowracesignageandobeymarshals’instructionsatalltimes.IfyouareparkinginTyndrumfortheafternoon,pleaseDONOTleaveyourcarintheRealFoodCafécarpark,theTyndrumInncarpark,Brodie’sStorecarpark,orinthecarparksofanyotherlocalbusinessesorcampsites.Thisisveryimportant,ascomplaintsfromlocalbusinessownersandresidentswillcauseusmajorhassle.Wherewillthecoachesleavefromatthefinish?AllcoacheswillleavefromtheendofLowerStationRoad(walkoutofByTheWaycampsiteandheadfortheA82mainroad).Marshalswithlistsofnameswillbecheckingrunnersontoeachcoach.CanIcatchadifferentcoachontheday?Ifyoufinishearlierorlaterthanyouexpectedandyouwouldliketotravelonadifferentcoachthantheoneyouhavebooked,thismaybepossiblebutcannotbeguaranteed.Forenquiriesaboutchangingyourcoachbooking,pleasecometothebigbluemerchandisetentattheracefinishandaskoneofthemarshalsondutythere.Ifwecanconfirmachangeforyou,wewill.Ifwecan't,wewillaskyoutogoandspeaknicelytothemarshalswhoarecheckingrunnersontothecoaches.Chancesaretherewillbeaspareseatandwe’llbeabletosqueezeyouon,butyou’llbeaskedtowaituntilalltherunnerswithconfirmedbookingshaveboarded.
Waterisavailableatmanyotherpointsalongtheraceroute-thereareavarietyofhonestyshops,outsidetaps,andwildwatersourcesthataresafetodrinkfrom(withtheusualprovisoofcheckingimmediatelyupstreamforrottingsheepcarcasses…)WillIgetbackanyofthestufffrommydropbags?No.Whenyou leavea checkpoint,anyunused itemsof foodanddrinkwillbeputout for later runners tohelpthemselvesto.Ifyouwanttoputfreshsocksintoadropbagthat'sfine,butifyouleaveyoursweatyonesbehindthey'llbebinned.Basically,ifyouleaveitatacheckpoint,youwon’tgetitback.Soifyouwanttochangeshoesmid-race,getyourselfasupportcrew.WewillNOTtransportgrubbyshoestotheracefinishforyou!
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Willtherebeanymassageservicesavailableatcheckpoints?Yes.TherewillbetwosportsmassagetherapistsatRowardennancheckpoint(27miles/44km)whowilldotheirbesttohelpyouwithanymid-raceniggles.Aretheretoiletsalongtheroute?Yes.ThereareeitherportaloosorpublictoiletsatallcheckpointsandtherearealsopublictoiletsatMilarrochyBaycarpark(22miles)andSallochyBaycarpark(25miles).Ifyoureallyneedtogotothetoiletbetweentheselocations,pleasemovewelloffthetrailanddoyourbesttomakesurenoonecanseeyou-especiallythegeneralpublicandlocalresidents.WhatshouldIdowithmylitter?Carry itwith you till you reach a bin! You absolutelyMUSTNOTdrop any litter on the trail!Please use theofficialbigredFLINGDUSTBINSwhichwillbelocatedahundredyardsorsobeforeandaftereachcheckpoint.Ifyou see a runner dropping litter please ask them to pick it up. If you see any race litter on the trail, e.g. gelwrappers,pleasepickitupandbinitatthenextcheckpoint.What'sthenicestwaytogetpastslowerrunners?Ifyouwanttoovertakeaslowerrunneronanarrowsectionoftrail,askpolitely!Saypleaseandthankyou.Offersomeencouragementtothem.Don’tjustshout"Comingthrough!"andhammerpast.That’sextremelyarsey.Istherouteopentothegeneralpublic?Yes,sopleasebepolitetoeveryoneyoupass,notjustotherrunners.Sayhello,anddon'tgetannoyedifyouhavetoslowdownforsmallchildrenordogs.Theyhaveabsolutelyasmuchrightasyoudotobethere.Ifyou'retryingto passwalkers on narrow sections of trail, a friendly "Excuseme please"will work a lot better than shouting"Runnercomingthrough,"whichisaswejustsaidextremelyarsey.Whataretherulesaboutgates?Ifyoupassthroughanopengate,leaveitopen.Ifthegateisclosed,pleasecloseitbehindyou.Ifanotherrunneriscomingupbehindyou,it’spolitetowaitasecondandholdthegateopenforthemtoo.
SafetyStuff:DoIreallyhavetocarryafoilblanketandmobilephone?Yes.Yes,youreallydo.Pleasejustmakethingseasyforusandcomplywiththekitrules.Afoilblanketandmobilephonecouldsaveyour-orsomeoneelse’s-lifeinanemergency.Youmaybekitcheckedatanypointintherace.WhyistheRaceControlphonenumberprintedonmyracenumber?This issoyoucancontactus intheeventofaseriousaccidentorasituationthatrequiresoururgentattention.Pleasethinkofitastheequivalentof999,andonlycallitinanemergency.Notbecauseyou’verunoutofgummybearsandhavewetsocks.WhatshouldIdoifIcomeacrossaninjuredrunner?YouabsolutelyMUSTstopand try tohelp. It is very important thatweall lookaftereachotherout there! If arunnerisseriouslyinjuredthenpleasecall999first(askforPOLICEthenMOUNTAINRESCUE),thencallRaceControl (this phonenumberwill be on your race number.) If youhave no phone signal pleasewait till anotherrunnerarrivestoassistthenrunonuntilyougetasignal.Iftherunnercan’tmoveandisgettingcoldpleaseuseyourownandotherrunners’emergencyfoilblanketstokeeptheinjuredrunnerwarm.
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WhatshouldIdoifIgetlost?Ifyourealiseyouhavegonewrongsomewhere,youshouldturnaroundandretraceyourstepsuntilyougetbackontotheraceroute.Onceyou’rebackatthepointwhereyouwentwrong,you’llprobablybeabletoseewhatthecorrectwayactuallyis.Ifyou’reseriouslylost,phoneRaceControlandwe’lldoourbesttohelpyouout.WhathappensifI’mtimedout,orifIdecidetowithdrawfromtherace?Ifyouwithdrawfromtheraceatoneofthecheckpoints,pleaseletamarshalknowyouarestopping,andmakesureyougivethemyourname,yourracenumber,andalsoyourtimingchip.Ifyoudecidetowithdrawfromtherace inbetweencheckpoints,pleasetry togetyourself to thenextcheckpointalongthe route. (Thinkcarefullybeforeturningroundandheadingbacktheway-ifyoureturntoapreviouscheckpointafterithasclosed,therewillbenoonethere!) Ifyouare injuredandcan’twalk,phoneRaceControl. Ifyoudecidetowithdrawfromtheracebetween checkpoints andhave your support crewpick youup somewhere, please phone (don’t text!) thenumberforDNFrunners(thisphonenumberwillbeonyourracenumber)andletusknowyou'reokay.PleaseDONOTsimplyexittheraceandgohomewithouttellinganyone.Ifyouwithdrawfromthe race,andyoudon'thaveasupportcrew,sweepervehiclesateachcheckpointwillbeabletodriveyouontothefinishatTyndrum,orbacktothestartatMilngavie.Thismaybesometimeafterthecheckpointfinallycloseshowever,soyoucouldhaveawaitofseveralhours.PleaserememberthatmarshalsareNOTtaxidrivers,sodon'tpesterthemabouthowlongyou'vebeenwaiting.TherewillbeOutdoorFirstAidersateverycheckpoint,somakeyourselfknowntothemandthey'lltakecareofyouuntilthecheckpointcloses.Makesureyoudon’tgetcoldwhileyou’rewaiting-putonanyextraclothesyou’recarryinginyourpack,asknicely ifyoucansitinsideamarshal’scaranduseyourfoilblankettokeepwarmifyouhaveto.WhyareyousayingsupportcrewsareallowedatInversnaid,thenadvisingthemnottogothere?Sorryifthisisabitconfusing!SupportcrewsareallowedatInversnaidandwe’rehappyforthemtogothere,it’sjustthatforallbuttheslowestrunners,itwon’tbephysicallypossibleforasupportcrewtodrivefromInversnaidtoBeinglasintimetomeettheirrunner.It’s6.5milesbytrailbut60+milesbyroad.Andastrafficcongestionontherouteisarealissuefortheevent,wehavetoinsistthatrunnersDONOTaskasecondsupportcartojoininthesupportcrewduties.Avehiclesupportpassisforonevehicleonly,andyoucan’tbuytwoofthem.Runnerscannothave two support vehicles.So for runnersexpecting to finishunder 14hours, youhave to choosewhetheryouwantyoursupportcrewtogotoInversnaidortoBeinglas,astheyalmostcertainlywon’tbeabletodoboth.(ThevastmajorityofrunnerschooseBeinglas...)Marshals at Inversnaidwill be checking support vehicle passes and looking out for runners and support crewsdisobeyingraceinstructions.SpectatorswithoutsupportvehiclepassesareallowedatInversnaid,buttheymustnot be there for the purpose of providing race support to individual runners.We think the difference is prettyclear,butifyoudon’tunderstandit,pleaseemailusandaskandwe’llbehappytosortoutanyconfusion.Whyisthereabanonrace-dayuseofibuprofenandotherNSAIDs?Thisrulehasbeenbroughtinattheinsistenceofourmedicalteam.IbuprofenandotherNSAIDsareknowntoputstressonthekidneysandoccasionallythiscancauselife-threateningproblemsforultrarunners.Ourmedicalteamare highly experienced andhighly competent ultra-medics, they knowwhat they’re talking about andwe fullysupportthemonthisrule.Ifyouarescepticalaboutthisinformation,pleasegoogle'ibuprofenandultrarunning'andreadabouttherisksyourself.
AnotefromtheEventMedicalTeam:The Highland FlingMedical Team do not sanction anyone as ‘fit to run’; insteadwewant to be aware of ourrunners'historyinordertobeaswellpreparedforemergenciesaspossible.Weprovidefirstaidfacilitiesonly,inaremote environment, and we cannot cover all eventualities. All runners should consider their own fitness toparticipate and should, if they have any concerns, discuss with their GP or specialist before participating.Wewouldlikeyoutosharethosediscussionswithuspriortotheevent,sothatwearebestprepared.Anyinformationprovidedtous is treatedwith theutmostconfidentiality, isnotsharedoutsideof themedical teamandwillbedestroyedsecurelyaftertheevent.Itisveryimportantthatallrunnersprovideuswithuptodatemedicalinformation.Ifyouhaveasthma,highbloodpressure,diabetes,epilepsy,anyformofheartcondition,anyotherconditionyouhavebeendiagnosedwiththatmightaffectyourabilitytosafelyparticipate intherace,anyconditionyouarecurrentlytakingmedicationfor,thenWENEEDTOKNOWABOUT IT! To update yourmedical information, log into your Si Entries account,selecttheHighlandFlingfromyourlistofraces,thenEditandSaveyourParticipantDetails.FullmedicalinformationmustbesubmittedonlinebymidnightonSunday22ndApril.Ifyouexperiencelastminutechangestoanymedicalconditionsorprescribedmedicationsafter22ndApril,youmustletusknowviaemail.Any runner who would like to discuss anything with our medical team before the event should [email protected].
Andpleaseremember:The casual race-day use of ibuprofen, diclofenac, naproxen, or any other non-steroidal anti-inflammatorydrug(NSAID)isforbidden.Youmustnotuseanyofthesedrugsasarace-daypainkiller.Ifwebecomeawarethatyouaredoingso,youwillbedisqualified.Pleasenotethatifyouhaveanongoingprescriptionforanyofthesemedications,youshouldcontinuetotakeyourusualdosebutyoumustinformusaboutitinadvanceviaemailandyoumustbeabletoproduceanin-dateprescriptionpacketifrequested.Thankyou.YoumustalsobeawarethatNSAIDuseduringenduranceeventsALWAYScarriesarisk.Havinganofficialprescriptiondoesnotremove,alter,orminimisethatriskinanyway.