Social Saturday Run

The SportUNE Social Saturday Runs 2021 will be held during a time of changed conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To minimise contact with and between all runners, we have introduced an online race briefing. This document will take the place of a detailed, verbal run briefing for all runners. Please take the time to read this document.

If you do not understand anything or need further information, please send the Run Director an email at pbcbillings@gmail.com

There are several changes to how we will deliver the event in 2021 due to COVID-19. The health and safety of participants, spectators and volunteers is the number one priority for all concerned. Included below are relevant sections from the SportUNE Social Saturday Run 2021 COVID-19 Safety Plan.

Please read all the information. All participants, spectators and volunteers MUST adhere to them. Parents/guardians of registered participants under the age of 18 MUST ensure they abide by these conditions.

If you do not agree with any of it, please do not attend the event. Runners will be required to sign in by a COVID-19 QR Code which also confirms their Double Vaccination or Exemption status on Saturday morning.

EVENT OVERVIEW

The SportUNE Social Saturday Run (SportUNE SSR) consists of two cross country running events within the surrounds of SportUNE. The event is organised and hosted by SportUNE. There will be two distances:  5km and 2km.

COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

On 18^th October 2021, the NSW Government announced that Community Sport would be allowed to recommence, after a period of lockdown imposed as a safety measure during the COVID-19 pandemic. Event organisers must comply with requirements set out for a return to racing and events.

SportUNE expects all participants, volunteers, and spectators to:

• Comply with the health directions of Government and public health authorities as issued from time to time, including Double Vaccination, Social Distancing and Hand Hygiene.
• Understand and act in accordance with the COVID-19 Safety Plan as amended from time to time so you can participate in a safe environment. Relevant sections are included in this document.
• Always comply with the health directions from Government and Public Health authorities, and any testing and precautionary measures implemented.
• Act with honesty and integrity regarding the state of your personal health and any potential symptoms.
• Monitor your health and take a cautious approach to self-isolation and reporting of potential symptoms.
• Monitor your health and take all precautions required by law with regards to the reporting of potential symptoms and self-isolation.
• Agree that if you have been sick in the 14 days prior to the event or are unwell at the time of the event with a cough, runny nose, cold or flu-like symptoms or if you have been in contact with a COVID patient with the last month that you not attend the event.
• Agree that you must not attend if in the last 14 days you have been unwell or had close contact with a known or suspected case of COVID-19 (cough, sore throat, fever or shortness of breath), or have been in a known hotspot.

NSW residents should check the website:  NSW UPDATES. You will not be permitted to attend if your town or suburb is listed as a hotspot.

Restrictions on the size of community sporting activities ensures that a gathering for the activity involves no more than 1,000 participants which includes spectators and volunteers.

This restriction is current at the time of writing. With the spread of start and finish times, this would ensure that 1,000 people are not co-located at one site at one time.

All participants must be off the course and completed by 9:15am. Runners are requested to ‘turn up, participate and leave’ at the completion of their event and not linger at the run hub.

Runners are responsible for advising their crew/spectators of any requirements within this race briefing that affects them.

Spectators are discouraged from attending and those that are in attendance will be requested to not ‘hang around’ at the start/finish area and to be safe, respectful and courteous to allow others access without crowding.

Spectators will be restricted to any authorised area as specified by signage and/or race management, and not within the finish chute where runners will be completing their course.

Spectators are to maintain a ‘no contact’ form of celebration and congratulations. There will be no presentation for placegetters.

SOCIAL DISTANCING

All attendees including participants, volunteers and spectators are required to keep a 1.5m distance between themselves and other attendees unless they are from the same household.

Physical distancing throughout the race is required, even out on course and at Marshall points, and especially when passing others, including volunteers, spectators and any members of the public.

PERSONAL HYGIENE AND CLEANING 

Good personal hygiene can help stop the spread of COVID-19 and is paramount to a successful and safe event. Recommendations from NSW Health, include:

• Clean your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand rub/sanitiser
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing and sneezing or use your flexed elbow, not your hands
• Avoid touching your face and avoid shaking hands with others

The organisers also request that attendees do not spit or blow your nose into the air/ground (ie. no ‘snot rockets’), either at the event hub or out on course whilst running. Please use a tissue. The organisers will provide hand sanitiser near the start and finish area and anywhere close physical proximity or contact is likely between people, or between people and hard surfaces at the event.

TRACK CONDITIONS

There are a number of hazards that you will find on course and there are rough sections of track. Please be alert and careful. There are rocks, branches, sand/gravel and uneven sections on parts of the track.

Full description and map of the courses:

5km (1 x lap)

2km (2 x lap)

SNAKES

Snake season has started. Although there have been no sightings on the course recently, as the weather warms up, there are likely to be snakes around. If you see one on the track, give it a wide berth, walk around the snake (off-track if you need to) and re-join the track if it is safe to do so.

FIRST AID

If you are injured on course and need assistance, please advise the next runner and ask them to inform the marshal.

If you come across an injured runner, help, wait with the injured runner until the next runner arrives and decide between you that one will inform the next marshal while one person stays with the injured runner.

SNAKE BITE: If you are bitten by a snake – stay still, inform the next runner to notify a marshal. It is recommended that you have ICE (In Case of Emergency) details recorded on your phone if a marshal needs to get in touch with your emergency contact if you are unconscious or uncommunicative.

START LINE

We recommend that all participants (runners, volunteers and spectators) wear a face mask or doubled-up buff over mouth/nose whilst at the event hub/marshalling area.

Runners can remove their mask once they have commenced, and to place it back onto your face at completion of the run. Spread out!

Please adhere to the 1.5m social distancing rule while waiting at the start line to commence your event. There is no official timing, so time yourself using a rolling start, which means your time doesn’t start until you pass the SportUNE flags. It is therefore not necessary to crowd the start line.

PASSING ON COURSE 

Where possible, please keep to your left. You will be required to keep moving and call out ‘Passing on your Right” if you are going to overtake. Runners are advised to only pass when you can safely keep 1.5m between you and another runner. Please be courteous and considerate of each other.

TIMING

No Official Timing. Feel free to time yourself using any of the timing apps for bragging rights after the event.

FINISH LINE

The finish chute will be extended to ensure participants can disperse into the open area and maintain a 1.5m distance from other runners and spectators.

KEEPING RECORDS AND SPECTATOR SIGN-IN

The organisers will collect and keep records of each participant, volunteer and spectator, to facilitate contact tracing, should it be required. SportUNE is a Covid Safe business and uses the Services NSW QR Code Check in.

All Participants and Spectators must scan in using this online facility to record their details.  If an attendee does not have a smart phone, a manual form will be available for people to sign. Pens will be regularly cleaned and disinfected. The records will include the date of the event, each attendee’s name and a contact email address or phone number.

The records will be kept for at least 28 days and stored confidentially and securely. The event organiser will cooperate with NSW Health if contacted in relation to a positive case of COVID-19 at the event.

BYO DRINKING BOTTLE/DRINKS/NUTRITION

You will need to bring your own drink bottle. This applies to runners, volunteers and spectators. You will need to carry your own food and be self-sufficient, ready to race.

RESOURCES 

Rules and regulations about COVID-19 change frequently. For the latest COVID-19 information, please see the current Public Health Orders.

For resources and information that can provide guidance about sport generally (e.g., hygiene guidance, advice for COVID-19 Safety Coordinators, etc), visit Sport Australia’s Return to Sport.

Please note, however, that restrictions and advice in NSW may differ from the general national-level guidance provided by Sport Australia.

This document considers the changes to how our trail running event is managed and offers guidelines towards best practices for the future. Nevertheless, we recognise we cannot eliminate the risk of runners, support crew, and spectators leaving their homes to attend a running event. The organisers will make every effort to reduce any risk posed by this type of outdoor activity.