ROAG Sports Events Administration

HOW RACE THE TRAILS WORKS

The quick version:
Enter the Virginia Race the Trails, save your virtual bib to your phone (or print it out), book your ride at [email protected] go to Virginia Trails, sign in and go to the demarcated start area.
1) Ensure your GPS device has signal
2) Take photo / selfie at the selfie bike or with the start line showing
3) Save photo and / or post to social media with #VirginiaRTT and #Momentum
4) Start GPS device while standing still and then start riding / running
5) Complete the course following the GPS route
6) Cross the finish line
7) Stop GPS device
8) Save your ride
9) Enter your race time, and upload the GPX of your ride and photo to Your ROAG profile on www.roag.org and upload to Strava if you have an account.

The less quick version:
Firstly, you need to enter the Virginia Race the Trails event (click "REGISTER FOR EVENT" button above to go to the entry page and then follow the instructions). Once you have entered you should receive your virtual running bib/mountain bike board via email (if you do not get the mail, first please check spam and junk folders and then check your email address is correct on your ROAG profile before contacting us and we will help your). You can either print out the mail or save the bib/board image to your phone to show at the bike park entrance gate. You then need to book your ride at Virginia Farm by mailing [email protected] Pete will let you know if the trails are unrideable (waterlogged / storm damage etc) and / or if you need to watch for any farming operations.

Once inside the bike park you'll need to take a photo/selfie at the start (we need to be able to see the start banners to make sure that you were physically there). Start your GPS unit once you are ready and ride the correct course using the GPX route. There may be some basic markings at some parks but it is up to you to follow the correct route. We understand GPS racing has its challenges and following the route is not always easy, but that is part of the challenge.

Finish the route and stop recording your ride.

Now some important stuff:
Within 24 hours of starting you must input your race time on your ROAG profile on www.roag.org. If you want to be in contention for a prize you must upload your GPX file; AND post your start photo to Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #VirginiaRTT and # Momentum (and why not show some love to the sponsors who make this possible by including #Quattro and #ROAG).

We will also accept emailed photos to [email protected] with the relevant subject of "Virginia Race the Trails". Keep an eye out on the live leaderboards as your position will be ever changing as other competitors insert their results over the full race period. If you want another chance to beat your time you are welcome to re-ride/re-run the course and re-upload a time. There is no need to re-enter the event, but you do have to pay the day fees to enter the bike park.

If you cannot record your time on a GPS unit you can time yourself using a watch and enter your time manually but are NOT eligible for podium prizes.

Please note that the race entry fee includes only (1) entry into the race park where the race will be taking place. If you would like to better your time another day during the time available, you will need to pay to enter the race park again unless you have an annual membership with the park. 

IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY:
083 781 1042 (Pete Stainbank - Virginia Trails)

IN CASE YOU NEED HELP:
072 12 52 382 (Tim Whitfield - ROAG)

VIDEO RACE BRIEFING

Please take note of this important information

RACE THE TRAILS RULES

1. All timekeeping is done via GPS tracking submitted by competitors to the respective race results site.

2. There are no permanent rescue and medical services at Virginia Trails. If you have an emergency please phone Pete Stainbank (083 781 1042) but do not phone him if it is not an emergency (serious and potentially life threatening injuries are an emergency, but a broken chain or puncture is not).

3. For a race time to be accepted competitors must be entered and must submit their unaltered GPS file to the results site within 24 hours of starting their ride;

4. Competitors are asked to turn off auto-pause when recording the ride on GPS. We will use start and finish time from GPX metadata to determine the race results (ie: NOT moving time), but auto pause may cause inconsistencies with the leaderboard;

5. Competitors can use any GPS unit or a GPS app on a smartphone to record their ride (we suggest the Strava app as it contains all the details we need and we know it works well, but any app that can save a GPX file is acceptable).

6. ROAG reserves the right to request original GPX files up to two weeks after the event in case we want to check metadata. For this reason, please do not delete your original GPS file before two weeks after the race finishes.

7. If you are in the top 3 in your age category you will need to submit photographic proof with an unaltered photo taken just before the start of your ride / run. These must be posted on an Instagram, Facebook or Twitter platform with the hashtag #VirginiaRTT and #Momentum. If you do not have an Instagram, Facebook or Twitter account, photos can be mailed to [email protected]

8. The onus on submitting correct results and the start photo lies solely with the entrant;

9. Any person found to be altering GPS files will immediately be disqualified from all 2021 ROAG Series events;

10. Any person found to be altering their start photo’s metadata will immediately be disqualified from all 2021 ROAG Series events;

11. Competitors must obey all bike park rules in force at the time;

12. Competitors must obey all regulations currently in place, these include all government gazetted Covid-19 rules.

13. Any ride that starts before 12.01 am on July 24th is not eligible to be submitted. Any files submitted after 11.59pm on August 31st will not be accepted.

14. We understand parents will want to accompany their children with this format of racing and nervous riders / runners may want to be accompanied, but we remind supporters they are not permitted to provide any assistance outside of an emergency. Illegal assistance includes drafting, pushing and carrying of bikes. Navigation help may only be given after an incorrect turn (in other words you cannot tell your child to turn or follow a route until after they have made the mistake - obviously unless there is an element of immediate danger involved in making the incorrect turn). 

15. For obvious reasons there are no marshalls on the course, so the onus is on riders and runners to follow all personal safety protocols. This includes ensuring somebody knows when and where you are riding or running, and the onus is on you to adhere to all road rules, particularly at any road crossings.

16. ROAG, the sponsors or the venues take no responsibility for any personal injury, or damage or loss to equipment.

17. Any decision by the ROAG Race the Trails race jury is final and binding;

18. This is 2021 so we must expect the unexpected, and while we hope we have improved the concept from 2020, this is a new form or racing and we may not have found the perfect formula. In other words, we may not have thought of everything. For this reason we reserve the right to amend the rules as we see fit in the best interests of the sport, the series, the sponsors and the competitors.

RACE THE TRAILS TIPS

1. Before starting your semi-virtual race you will need to download the race's GPX file (or .FIT or .TCX) and transfer to your GPS unit. You can download the race files from the respective race information panels above. For more info on how to tranfer the file to a Garmin Garmin read here
   
   and to transfer to a Wahoo Element
   
   Wahoo read here

2. For other units please read your instruction manual.

3. Remember, GPS recording drain phone batteries quickly so if you are using a phone app we suggest you make sure your phone is 100% charged, turn off all other apps and ensure your screen goes into “sleep” mode while you are riding and recording your ride.

4. Competitors are encouraged to enter separate photos for the selfie competitions (these can be manipulated for photographic effect in which case they cannot be used to verify your ride).

5. Do not forget to start your GPS recording BEFORE crossing the start line and check it is running. Starting recording after crossing the line will mean you have not completed the course.

6. Make sure you stop it AFTER crossing the line – any delay stopping your unit will be included in your race time.

7. If you think you can improve your time, you can ride the course again and update your result within 24 hours of starting your “extra” ride, but your race entry only includes one entry to the bike park and any further entries are for your account. Any rider not paying the appropriate full park fees will be disqualified.

8. You may be racing and think that is the most important thing in the world, but we remind you that you are sharing the trails with people who may be going about their day-to-day lives and we urge you to show respect to anybody you meet on or off the trails.

9. The first 100 riders or runners to start the Virginia Race the Trails will receive a free stylish Race the Trails buff (Note: this is for the first 100 competitors to arrive at the venue, not the first 100 entrants). Strictly one buff per entrant.