Trailhead Running Presents

Women on the Trails Race Series 2015-2016

ATHLETE GUIDE Dirt Trails & Pony Tails 11.21.2015

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WELCOME!

Trailhead Running continues to grow and we are so happy to have you as part of our tribe! Whether youre new to trail running or a seasoned veteran, each of our races provides the opportunity for you to challenge yourself. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to do what we love share the trail running experience! And remember, youre not lost, youre with us!

Richelle Criswell and Susan Farago Race Directors and Coaches, Trailhead Running

For more info, please visit: www.trailheadrunning.com Comments and suggestions: info@trailheadrunning.com

Many photos throughout this athlete guide are courtesy of Jake North Photography.

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RACE DAY SCHEDULE 7:00 am - 8:45 am Registration & Packet Pickup

7:30 am Volunteers Arrive

8:50 am Welcome & Course Review

8:55 am National Anthem

9:00 am Race Start All Distances

9:30 am Post Race Activities

10:15 am Race Awards & Prize Drawings

11:00 am Course Closed

11:05 am Post Race Course Sweep &

Trash Cleanup

RACE DAY INFORMATION Start time is 9:00 am for all distances.

NO CUPS ON THE RACE COURSE*

Bring a water bottle or hand held. Water is

provided on the course.

Race day registration is available

(credit card or cash).

Race day packet pickup is available.

There is plenty of parking but give yourself

enough time to get there and get organized!

Event is not chip timed but awards go to the

top three finishers for each distance.

The course is challenging. Seriously.

Course and venue are spectator friendly so

bring your friends and family (no dogs please).

Post-race food is available for runners.

Any last minute urgent updates will be posted

on Facebook and e-mailed out to participants.

*See our Sustainability initiative for details.

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PACKET PICKUP Athletes can pick up their race number, shirt, and

other goodies at either of these times and

locations. Dont forget to bring your own goodie

bag and we will supply the goodies!

Thursday, November 19 10:00am - 2:00pm RunLab Downtown Austin 700B South Lamar - Austin, TX 78704

Friday, November 20 3:00pm - 6:00pm RunLab Lakeway 1700 RR 620 North #102 - Austin, TX 78734

Saturday, November 21 (Race Day) 7:00 AM - 8:45 AM Race Location - Austin Ridge

POST RACE ACTIVITIES Athletes will be treated to a fun post-race party

including refreshments and activities from

fantastic local businesses, including:

Big Mouth Announcing

Fruit and Freshly Made Pancakes

Fresh Coffee

Massages by Austin Massage Company

Awards Ceremony

Disc Golf at Austin Ridge Bible Church

RACE BIB SPONSOR: BEN PHILLIPS A big THANK YOU to Ben Phillips Real Estate for

sponsoring our fantastic race bibs!

Contact Ben for any real estate questions or if

you are thinking about buying or selling your

home. Hes Trailhead Runnings favorite agent!

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RACE LOCATION AND COURSE MAPS

Location for Dirt Trails and Pony Tails

Austin Ridge Bible Church

(Intersection of 2244 and Cuernavaca)

9300 Bee Cave Road Austin, TX 78733

Street Map

From downtown Austin: 10 miles (20 minutes)

Parking: Car and Bicycle

There is plenty of paved parking available and the

race start is just a very short walk from the race

area (less than 3 minutes at the farthest point).

Follow race signs and volunteers to help you get

parked quickly and safely on race morning!

Bicycles can be racked near the registration table

be sure to bring your own bike lock as bicycles will

not be supervised.

Race Course and Map (5K & 8K)

The course starts and finishes on pavement but

very quickly turns into a mix of dirt, rock, roots,

and mulch. It features twisting, turning rolling

terrain with the exception of what we are calling

"Holy Hill" (as in holy cow that's a BIG hill) at mile

2. The 8K course is two loops of the 5K course so

runners get to experience Holy Holy Hill! Most of

the race is on a disc golf course so bring your

Frisbee for a game after the race!

A slideshow of the run course, including terrain, is

available at:

www.trailheadrunning.com/trailseries.html.

MEDICAL ASSISTANCE Medicine in Motion will be at the start/finish line

and on course.

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FACILITIES A big THANK YOU to Austin Ridge Bible Church for use of their facilities on race day! This includes indoor bathrooms, ice, tables, chairs, and a beautiful race course on The Back Yard disc golf course. Please help us keep ARBC clean by using provided trash cans and being respectful of their property. VOLUNTEERS Be sure to give a big THANK YOU to all our fantastic volunteers at packet pickup and during the race! If you would like to volunteer, please sign up on the race website OR go to the registration table on race day. SPECTATORS Spectators should plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before the race starts to ensure time for parking and to find a place out on the race course if desired*. The course is spectator-friendly with several places to cheer athletes on during the race and/or meet up with athletes at the post-race celebration. There are plenty of places for kids to run and play during the events; however, children under the age of 16 must have adult/guardian supervision at all times. Check the race course map for areas that are marked as spectator friendly. *Note: Spectators are not allowed on the actual race course during the event. WEATHER The race will take place rain or shine. The only exception will be in the case of lightening; the race will be postponed for 20 minutes after the last lightening/thunder strike. The race will be delayed up to 1 hour. If severe weather does not allow for safe racing conditions, the race will be cancelled and not rescheduled for a future date. Last minute updates will be posted on Trailhead Runnings website, Facebook page, and an e-mail will be sent out to all pre-registered participants.

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RUN GREEN! RESPORT CERTIFIED EVENT We care about the impact we make on the environment so we have partnered with the Council for Responsible Sport and are ReSport Certified for the entire Trail Race Series. What does this mean? With a few small changes, we are making a big impact. In the 2012/2013 three race series we achieved some amazing results Athlete involvement includes: 1. No Cups on the Course We saved over 300 cups and only used 6 gallons of water TOTAL for all three races 2. BYOB: Bring your own bag for Packet Pickup We saved over 300 plastic bags! 3. Take Only What You Want at Packet Pickup We saved over 40 pounds in paper and materials! 4. Carpool or Bike to the Event More and more athletes are ride sharing or cycling. 5. Opt In: Shirts and Finisher's Awards 1% of athletes took advantage of this option. Community involvement includes: 1. Limited Use of Bio Fuels 2. No Styrofoam/Polystyrene Packaging 3. Locally Sourced Food/Beverage 4. Eco-Friendly Porta-Potties 5. Give Back - Support Local Charities/Businesses For more information on our Go Green event, please visit our Sustainability page at: www.trailheadrunning.com/sustainability.html

2012-2013

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RACE INFORMATION: By Topic (In alphabetical order) Awards Awards will be given to the top three overall finishers. Everyone will receive a finishers gift unique to each race! Age Minimum Participants must be at least 14 years old. Bicycles We encourage participants to ride their bikes to the event! Check out

www.trailheadrunning.com/trailseries.html for interactive route maps, bicycle safety tips, and where you can park and lock your bike on race day (please bring your own lock). Carpool / Ride Share We encourage participants to carpool to the event! For more information, go to www.trailheadrunning.com/trailseries.html Course Marking The course will be very well marked. Orange flags will be used throughout the course to indicate correct course direction. Large "Wrong Way" signs and yellow/black "Caution" tape will be used to indicate areas that runners should not go. If you pass by one of these markers, turn around. Volunteers will be on the course to assist runners. The race venue will be well marked with signs so athletes and spectators know where to go for parking, race start/finish, packet pickup, etc. Volunteers will be at the race venue to assist runners and spectators. Cups There will be NO cups at the aid stations. Athletes are strongly encouraged to refill using their own water bottles. This is to support our certification by the Council for Responsible Sport. Dogs We love our four-legged furry friends but please keep them at home.

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Drop Bags No official drop bags or areas are available. Plan to keep any items (change of clothes, etc.) with family or friends or keep in your car. Trailhead Running is not responsible for lost or stolen items. Emergency For all life threatening emergencies, dial 911. Then contact the race organization at: 512.585.5034 or 512.636.4169. Medicine in Motion also will be on the course race day. First Aid - Medical First aid and medical assistance, provided by Medicine in Motion, is available for all athletes at the race venue. Additionally, EMS and local authorities will be notified of the race and will be available for any emergencies. Handicap Accessible Parking for all events is on paved road and the finishers area is handicap accessible at all locations. However, please keep in mind that each race venue is primarily on trail and most of the event course will be extremely difficult to access via wheelchair, crutches, or other limited mobility devices. Most of the festivities will be at the finishers area so everyone can participate in the post-race fun! Information / Registration An information and registration table will be on site to assist volunteers and spectators with any questions or concerns during the event. Littering No littering. There are garbage cans at water stops and at the start/finish line area. If you see trash, please pick it up. This earns you mega karma points with us AND Mother Nature. Lost and Found Lost and found will be located at the information table near the start/finish line. Please e-mail info@trailheadrunning.com for any unclaimed items left after the event. Maps See Maps and Location Info in this document for venue and course map information.

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Pacers No pacers are allowed for this event. Only registered runners and official race personnel can be on the run course during the event. Packet Pickup Athletes are strongly encouraged to pick up their packets before race day; however, race day packet pickup is available. Go to www.trailheadrunning.com for packet pickup times and locations. BYOB In an effort to reduce event waste, please bring your own bag for packet pickup. Our motto, We provide the goodies, you provide the bag. Parking: Car and Bicycle There is plenty of parking for cars and bicycles close to the race start for each venue. We encourage carpooling whenever possible. Follow volunteers and parking signs. ALWAYS lock your car and take your keys. For more information on ridesharing or bicycle maps, check out the Carpool or Ride Your Bike section of www.trailheadrunning.com/trailseries.html. Photography We will do our best to capture the excitement of race day! Photos will be posted after the race and links available on our website. Port-A-Potties Port-a-potties will be available for all participants and spectators throughout the event. And we will have PLENTY of toilet paper too! Pre-Race Meeting There will be a brief pre-race meeting 10 minutes before the race starts at the start line followed by the Star Spangled Banner. Then the race will begin promptly on time. Race Day Registration Race day registration will be available. PAYMENT VIA CREDIT CARD OR CASH ONLY. Note that each race is capped at 100 runners so register early to ensure your event reservation.

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Race Distance Each of the race distances have been measured using Garmin technology and Google Earth maps. Race Size Number of Runners Each race will be capped at 100 runners total. Race Timing This event is not chip timed. Please wear a watch to track your run time. Refund, Race Entry Refunds are not available a week before the race. Race registration transfers are on a case by case basis. See also cancellations due to inclement weather (Weather). Results Only the top three overall finishers for each race distance will be announced. This is an untimed event. Schwag All registered participants will receive a high quality womens cut shirt with the race logo on the front. Finishers will receive a unique finishers gift at the finish line. There will be a different finishers gift for each of the races. Shoes and Clothing Trail-specific apparel (shoes, clothing) is not necessary for the event. However, the course is off-road so there are plenty of opportunities to encounter rocks, trees, cactus, brush, and other things that scrape, sting, or bite. Please take any precaution necessary to ensure a fun and safe event. Spectators & Kids Each course is spectator-friendly with several places to cheer athletes on during the race and/or meet up with athletes at the post-race celebration. There are plenty of places for kids to run and play during the events. Children under the age of 16 must have adult/guardian supervision at all times. Check the race course map for areas that are marked as spectator friendly. Note: Spectators are not allowed on the actual race course during the event.

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Star Spangled Banner This is America. Darn right we will have the Star Spangled Banner! Start Waves This is a mass start event where all runners start at the same time. Wave starts will not be used. Start/Finish Line The start and finish lines are in the same location and marked with appropriate signage. Time Cutoff There is a two (2) hour time cutoff for the 5K and 8K distance events, and a three (3) hour time cutoff for the 13.1 mile distance event. Race director(s) have the right to pull anyone off the course at any time for safety reasons. Updates and Information Any major changes or updates to the race or related events will be e-mailed to the participants, posted on Facebook, and updated on the trailheadrunning.com website. Please check these areas a few days before the event so you have the latest information. Volunteers We love our volunteers! Volunteers can register to help with an event by going to www.trailheadrunning.com/trailseries.html and clicking the Volunteer link under the specific race. All volunteers will receive a race-specific t-shirt, post-race food, and our undying gratitude! Waivers All runners and volunteers must sign a waiver as part of their race entry/volunteer process. Water Stop(s) There will be at least one water stop on the 5K, 8K, and 10K courses (depending on the venue), and at least two water stops on the 13.1 mile course where water will be provided. There will be NO cups at the water stops. Athletes are strongly encouraged to refill using their own water bottles. This supports Trailhead Runnings certification by the Council for Responsible Sport.

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Weather The races will take place rain or shine. The only exception will be in the case of lightening the race will be postponed for 20 minutes after the last lightening/thunder strike. The race will be delayed up to 1 hour. If severe weather does not allow for safe racing conditions, the race will be cancelled and not rescheduled for a future date. Refunds will not be issued because almost all of the supplies and services for the event must be purchased well in advance of the actual event date. Last minute updates will be posted on Trailhead Runnings website, Facebook page, and an e-mail will be sent out to all pre-registered participants.

Thank you for joining us and have a great race!