Covid19 Guidelines & Operating Plan for 2020

2020 No Business 100 – Covid19 Guidelines & Operating Plan

This operations policy outlines the guidelines and steps to be taken by representatives of the No Business 100 Endurance Run being held on October 16-17, 2020. These guidelines takes into consideration recommendations provided by the CDC and operational guidance from the Tennessee Governor’s Economic Recovery Group for risk mitigation of COVID-19 transmission.

Persons should NOT attend the event if:

They have a fever of ≥100.4°F on the day of the event
They have had any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 in the past 14 days. Such as a new continuous cough, fever, change/loss of taste/smell.
They have been in contact with anyone who is sick (symptomatic) in the past 14 days.
They have travelled within the past 14 days to any international location with widespread ongoing local COVID- 19 transmission.

Runners should be asked to ensure that any crew, supporters or others that they intend to bring to the event are also subject to these criteria.

In the unlikely event that an individual should become sick, they will be immediately isolated from attendees who are not sick and asked to wear their facemask as they prepare to leave camp.

High risk individuals should be advised not to attend the event. High Risk individuals include:

Individuals with underlying medical conditions placing them at higher risk: moderate to severe asthmatics, diabetics, severe obesity (BMI > 40), any chronic liver, kidney or heart conditions and immunocompromised individuals or those who live with someone who is immunocompromised.
Individuals aged 60+ years or those with an underlying health condition like lung or heart disease, diabetes or immunocompromised.

Volunteer Training Briefing

A training session/briefing will be given for staff and volunteers covering the new COVID-19 protocol and how it impacts the event generally, and how it changes their specific role at the event. This will be done as an online training session in advance of the event. Date and Time to be determined.

No Group Camp Bunkhouse Lodging

We have made the decision to prohibit lodging at the Group Camp Bunkhouses at the start/finish area. We know many of you have reserved beds for yourself and maybe your crew in the bunkhouses but because of the layout of the bunkhouses, we didn’t feel we could meet CDC and Tennessee guidelines for social distancing inside these facilities. If you reserved a bed(s) we will work with you to get you a full refund for the cost of the bed(s) as well as help you with locating alternative lodging/camping/etc. Contact us at ultranautrunning@gmail.com if you have any questions about refunds and lodging.

Crew Limitations & Access Changes

Crew and spectators will be prohibited at the race start. Runners may be dropped off by crew prior to the race start at the Group Camp.
Limited Crew Accessible Aid Stations. Instead of eight locations for crew access, there will be only four locations. Those include Pickett State Park, Bandy Creek, Blue Heron, and Peter’s Mountain. The Blue Heron AS can be accessed twice.
Crew and Spectators WILL NOT BE PERMITTED at the pre race check-in table or in aid stations.
Crew and Spectators WILL NOT BE PERMITTED in the Aid Stations. They must stay at a minimum of 6’ outside of the Aid Station tents or Aid Station Pavilions.
Signs will be posted at aid stations to remind runners, volunteers, crew and spectators of everyday preventive actions they should take to reduce potential spread of COVID-19.

Pacers

Pacers will still be permitted during the race and runners are still limited to only one pacer at a time.
Pacers will be required to have their temperature checked. They can do this at the aid station they are meeting their runner at or in the morning at pre race check in. Anyone running a fever of ≥100.4°F on the day of the event will not be permitted to participate. No Discussions, No Exceptions, No Arguing. Failure to follow these rules will result in a ban from all Ultranaut Running events.
Pacers are required to adhere to the same rules and guidelines outlined in this document for COVID19 mitigation including the use of face coverings and sanitation before entering aid stations.
Pacers may be picked up starting at the Bandy Creek Aid Station.

Restrooms

Bath houses and restrooms at Group Camp will be professionally cleaned twice daily.
All attendees must practice social distancing.
All attendees (runners, staff, and volunteers) must thoroughly wash hands before leaving the restroom.
Hand sanitizer will be placed outside each restroom. We ask that you sanitize your hands BEFORE & AFTER LEAVING the restrooms.
Surface sanitizer will be placed inside the restroom in spray bottles. Please disinfect anything you touch inside the bathroom for the protection of the person who comes in after you.

Thursday Pre Race (Bib Collection, Packet Pickup, Registration)

Highly recommended that only runners attend pre race activities.
Weather permitting, all pre race activities will be conducted outdoors.
Floor markings will be provided to space out runners 6 feet to comply with  physical distance requirements and create a single file one way flow.
Hand Sanitizer stations at the entrance and exit.
Runners bib (packet, merchandise, etc.) will be prepared in advance and then isolated before bib collection begins. Packets will be visibly labeled and ordered by bib number to expedite the check-in process.
Runners are not permitted to pick up anything from any table during the event weekend. This includes bibs, shirts, swag, safety pins, etc. at packet pickup. If you need anything, ask a staff/volunteer member.
All event staff and volunteers will wear gloves and face coverings at all times while at the packet pickup tables.
Plexiglass barriers may be used.
Guests are asked not to congregate after receiving their bib and packet.

Pre Race Meal

To mitigate the risks of transmission, there will be no large gathering pre race meal provided by the event. Instead we will be working with local food vendors to provide outdoor curb-side pick up onsite from Tennessee licensed mobile food establishments such as food trucks.

Pre Race Briefing

An online live-streamed briefing will be held one week prior to the race on Friday, October 9th, 2020 @ 7:30 PM EST. A question and answer session will follow the briefing. The briefing and Q&A will be recorded and made available to view online for those who can not attend. All runners, pacers, crew welcome to participate.
No onsite mass briefing of participants will be held.

Race Morning Check-in

All runners must first report to the check-in table for a required temperature check race morning. Anyone running a fever of ≥100.4°F on the day of the event will not be permitted to participate. No Discussions, No Exceptions, No Arguing. Failure to follow these rules will result in a ban from all Ultranaut Running events.
Pacers may check-in race morning for their required temperature check.
Bibs/Packets will be handed out race morning for those who did not check-in the day before.
We ask that crewed runners be dropped off at the Group Camp and their crew proceed to the first crewed Aid Station location at Pickett State Park. (Self supported runners may park at the Group Camp).

Race Start

The race will have a time-trial type set up or “hot start” which will allow runners to start individually or in small groups of associated participants (family members or participants that live together) at any time between 10:00AM – 12:00PM Central Time.
Runners are encouraged to proceed to the starting line after checking in rather than congregating in the Group Camp.
Masks are required at the start
Runners will maintain social distancing as they make their way to the starting line.
Runners will be sent out every 15 seconds and maximum 2 runners at a time.
Chip time rather than gun time will be used to determine results. Maintain physical distancing within the start area (See graphic below)

*Official race end time and aid station cutoff times will be based off the 12PM Central Time start and averages a 19:15 minute mile from that time.

Aid Stations

Hand sanitizer stations will be set up and positioned as runners enter the aid-station, and their use is MANDATORY.
Volunteers and Runners and Pacers are required to wear face covering (masks) when entering an aid station.
Crews and Spectators WILL NOT BE PERMITTED into the aid station areas and must practice social distancing (masks recommended if they can not meet social distancing requirements).
We are waiving the 400 yard radius rule for receiving aid at Crew Permitted Aid Stations. Runners will be permitted to leave these aid stations and meet with their crews where they are set up.
Signage will be posted to remind crews and spectators that they are not permitted to enter aid stations.

Aid Station Food & Hydration Handling

When applicable, single serving package food (bags of chips, bags of candy, etc.) will be used to remain sealed until opened by the runner.
Individual disposable cups selected by runners and filled by volunteers will be used for food and beverages such as fruit, soup, soda.
(i.e. no trays of orange segments, instead provide one segment at a time).
Volunteers will hand a portion of desired food to individual runners. Runners are NOT PERMITTED to pick through and select their own food off aid station tables.
Runners are NOT PERMITTED to fill their own water bottles. Runners will remove their bottle caps and open bladders. A volunteer will pour the fluids into the runner’s bottle, bladder, or cup; and the runner will then close their own container. Volunteers WILL NOT touch your fluid containers.
Runners will be responsible for filling their own water bottles, bladders, etc. In order to limit the interaction between runner and volunteer at close proximity, we will be asking that runners instead fill their own hydration. There will be alcohol swabs on the tables with the water and electrolyte drink mix coolers. After using the hand sanitizer to clean your hands, you can use an alcohol swab to sanitize the cooler spouts.

Drop Bags

There will be a total of four (4) aid stations on the 2020 course where runners can access a drop bag. These locations are Bandy Creek, Duncan Hollow, Blue Heron, and Peters Mountain. The Blue Heron drop bag can be accessed twice.
Aid station volunteers will assist runners by getting their drop bags from their designated drop area.
Used drop bags should not be placed back with unused drop bags. Instead, a separate designated area for used drop bags will be set up.
Signs will be posted for used and unused drop bags caches.

Race Finish

Participants are encouraged to move through the finish area quickly: no selfies/photos or waiting for others, and to maintain physical distancing.
Avoid handshakes, “high-fives”, and hugs unless with your party.
All food/water will be distributed using the Aid Station guidelines outlined above.
Face coverings should be kept on-site and worn at times when the recommended social distancing of 6 feet cannot be maintained.
Runners, crews and spectators are asked not to linger at the finish area after their runner has finished and received their finisher award.

If you have any questions or concerns about any of the guidelines and policies on this page, please feel free to contact us at ultranautrunning@gmail.com. Also don’t hesitate to contact us if you see a mistake or thought of something we might have overlooked.