HOODOO 500 OFFICIAL RULES AND REGULATIONS
Attention Racers & Crew:
It is your responsibility to read these rules carefully before the Pre-Race Meeting.
These rules represent the minimum interference with rider strategy and performance, while effectively controlling the race and abiding by the rules and regulations required under the various permits granted by the States of Arizona and Utah. The Hoodoo 500 is an extraordinary personal challenge; and these rules are in place to ensure maximum safety and competitive fairness.
The result of any violation of these rules, by racer or crew, will be time penalties against the racer, or disqualification. Automatic DQ offenses are noted below.
GENERAL RULES
A. The Race Directors have the right and authority, at any time, to alter these rules and penalties, or to invent new ones, based on extenuating, unforeseen, and/or unusual circumstances and/or to maintain the integrity and fair play necessary for the successful completion, and continuation, of the race. The Race Director has ultimate authority in regards to all rules, their interpretation, and their enforcement.
B. All bicycles and support vehicles intended for use during the race must be presented at bicycle/vehicle inspection on Friday afternoon.
C. Attendance at the Pre-Race Meeting is mandatory. Solo entrants must be represented by the racer and at least one crew. Team entrants must be represented by at least two racers or one racer and one crew. –DQ
D. All racers and all crew must sign and turn in the Release of Liability / Agreement to Terms and Conditions prior to the race. -DQ
E. To be declared an Official Finisher, entrants in all divisions must complete the course by 7:00am (local time) on Monday following the race start.
F. All solo and tandem racers must be current members of the UltraMarathon Cycling Association (UMCA). Yearly membership fee is $35 or event membership is $10. Membership applications will be available at racer check-in; or you may contact the UMCA directly. Proof of membership will be required.
G. Divisional racers start simultaneously (Voyager at 5am; Solo and Tandem at 7am; 2-Person or 2-Tandem Teams at 9am; and 4-Person or 4-Tandem Teams at 11am). The first rider in each division across the finish line will be declared the winner of that division.
H. The race clock will not stop for any reason. However, the Race Directors may make time adjustments after the start of the race for extenuating circumstances. All race times are reported and recorded in Mountain Daylight Time.
I. A “contingency” is a conjunction of unplanned events, including, but not limited to, traffic lights, traffic jams, trains, detours, road construction, winds, storms, or other “acts of God.” The Race Directors are not responsible for contingencies and will not issue time bonuses, deduct time from a rider’s overall time, or move a rider up the course due to any contingency or unplanned events over which the Race Directors have no control. Routine inconveniences are all part of the challenge of a 500+ mile bicycle race.
J. Riders or crew may not be naked outside of their support vehicle for any reason without coverings or curtains. Please use discretion when urinating in public.
K. No racer or crew member may wear clothing that promotes hard liquor or tobacco products, or is otherwise in poor taste with respect to style, brevity or inappropriate graphic design.
L. Every crew must carry
at least one cell phone, and provide the number to Race Headquarters at rider
check-in.
M. Safety must be the single most important concern of everyone connected with
the race.
N. In an emergency condition where human life is in jeopardy, all concern
should be directed to the injured. If a rule is violated in an emergency
situation, the Race Director will make necessary allowances.
O. The racer is responsible for making sure that there are at least two wide
awake crew members at night. If no crew member is alert enough to drive safely,
the racer will be detained until the crew can safely support the racer again.
P. If a racer or crew observes another racer or crew behaving in an unsafe manner, please say something to that person or to a Race Official.
Q. IVs (intravenous fluids) are not permitted during the race. –DQ
R. Riders and crew may not use controlled drugs, stimulants, dope or alcohol. –DQ
S. All racers and crew
members must obey the vehicle code laws of Arizona and Utah, where applicable.
It is the responsibility of all drivers and racers to be familiar with the law.
–TP or DQ
BICYCLE REGULATIONS
A. Bicycles must be propelled solely by human force, with foot propulsion only,
and be no more than 2 meters (79 inches) long and 75 cm (30 inches) wide. A
standard racing bicycle is what all solo racers use. The general guide for
equipment approval is based on UCI specifications for time trial equipment. The
Trek Y-Foil, Softride and TitanFlex bicycles are allowed. Other deviations from
the UCI rules must be approved by the Race Directors, in writing, prior to the
race. If you have any doubts about a modified piece of equipment, contact the
Race Directors for a ruling.
B. Any number of bicycles or replacement parts may be used during the race.
C. Devices attached to the bicycle or racer designed to reduce wind resistance or increase speed, e.g., air foils, windscreens, fairings or sails, are prohibited. –DQ
D. Each bicycle ridden by a racer must be presented for pre-race inspection with its designated number attached to the bike. The designated number must be attached to the bicycle for the duration of the race. -DQ
RACER RULES
A. Racers will wear a properly fastened ANSI-approved helmet at all times. -DQ
B. Riders must obey all traffic laws, including stopping for lights and stop signs.
C. At traffic lights or stop signs, or anywhere on the course where a rider is forced to stop, a rider may not hold onto or receive balance support from any crew vehicle or person. The rider must put their foot down.
D. A rider must not
attempt to avoid a red light by making a right turn, an immediate u-turn, and
another right turn to stay on course. -DQ
E. No racer will attempt to block or impede the progress of another racer.
F. A racer may not receive any type of push-off from a person or vehicle.
G. A racer may proceed on foot as long as they push, carry, or drag their bicycle with them.
H. Racers must not be driven up the course for any reason other than an emergency or to go to a motel to sleep. To resume riding, the racer must return to the exact location where they left the course. –DQ
I. Circling, which includes riding any portion of the course in the reverse direction, is prohibited. –DQ
J. A racer or crew member must notify Race Headquarters if they abandon the race.
K. Racers who drop out of competition may join another racer's crew after notifying a Race Official or Race HQ.
DRAFTING / SPACING RULES
A. Drafting is prohibited. Riders must maintain a distance of 10 yards from one another, except when passing, or riding alongside one another as described below.
B. Solo and/or Voyager riders may ride alongside one another for a maximum 15 minutes per 24 hour period, but may not draft each other at any time. Example: Rider A rides alongside Rider B for 15 minutes. Rider A and Rider B then cannot ride together until 24 hours pass. However, Rider A may ride with Rider C for 15 minutes, and so on.
C. The 15 minute rule does not apply to relay teams. Relay teams cannot ride together at any time.
D. Riders may not draft off any other vehicle and must try to maintain a distance of 15 yards from another rider’s support vehicle, unless passing.
SPYING
A. “Spying” is using a support vehicle (not a bicycle or other human powered vehicle or device) for the purpose of obtaining information about other competitors.
B. Spying vehicles must be driven with the normal flow of traffic.
C. Spying vehicles parked along the race route must have all four wheels off the road and must not interfere with the passage of any rider or their support vehicle.
D. Spies must not verbally annoy any rider or cause engine noise, wind gusts, road dust, or vehicle exhaust which would annoy or bother any rider.
E. Spying via interception of radio communications is not controlled. Crews should be advised to switch radio channels or have some other plan for communication if spying is suspected.
RIDING AT NIGHT
A. All bicycles ridden at night, accompanied by a Follow Vehicle, must be equipped with a headlight, attached to the bicycle, and at least one taillight (two are better), also attached to the bicycle, which must be ON at all times. Both front and rear lights must be visible from 500 feet. –DQ
B. All bicycles ridden at night, not accompanied by a Follow Vehicle, must be equipped with at least two independent lighting systems, at least one of which is attached to the bicycle, and at least two taillights, which must be ON at all times. All front and rear lights must be visible from 500 feet. -DQ
C. All bicycles must have either reflective material facing all four directions (meaning installing reflectors, or placing reflective tape on crank arms, seat stays and fork) or the rider must wear a reflective vest or sash. –DQ (Hint: When using reflective tape, to avoid damage to paint, put electrical tape on first, and place the reflective tape on top.)
D. Riders must wear both a left and right reflective ankle band, and must have reflective tape or dots on all four sides of their helmet. –DQ
SUPPORT CREW AND VEHICLES
A. A support crew member
is any person who actively assists a racer in any way on a continuing basis for
a given block of time.
B. One person shall be assigned the title of crew captain, and will act as the
spokesperson for the crew and racer.
C. There are no restrictions on the maximum number of support crew members, but
at least two are required for the duration of the race for all solo and two
rider relay divisions. Four rider relay teams are not required to have
designated crew members, as they may crew for themselves.
D. A racer may add crew members at any time during the race. The crew must
notify Race HQ immediately and the new crew member must sign the Release of
Liability / Agreement to Terms and Conditions prior to joining the crew.
E. Each racer is responsible for the actions of their crew. A rider may be
penalized or disqualified as a result of crew member misconduct.
F. A support crew must
not hinder the progress of any racer or their crew. Actions that create a
disadvantage to another racer are prohibited.
H. In the spirit of sportsmanship, any support crew may offer assistance to any
racer or crew at any time. Caveat: A support crew member or any solo or relay
team racer, must report to a Race Official any assistance given to a
Voyager racer, regardless of the perceived significance. -TP or DQ
I. Support crew members may not run, walk or ride along with, next to, in front
of, or behind their racers for any reason (except during water bottle
hand-offs).
J. The support crew is responsible for locating gas stations, food stores, camp sites, medical facilities, motels, restaurants, etc.
K. Crew must notify a
Race Official or Race Headquarters if:
-A rider is, or plans to be, off the course for longer than 30 minutes.
-To obtain permission for crew additions.
-A rider is delayed, sent off course, made a wrong turn, or is detained by local
or state police for more than 30 minutes.
-A rider refuses to comply with the crew’s demand to rest and the crew feels the
rider is in danger.
L. Definitions:
”Support Vehicle” is a motorized vehicle with at least two wheels that is used to transport people and/or equipment necessary for use by a Hoodoo 500 competitor.
“Follow Vehicle” - A four-wheeled motorized vehicle, no greater than 80 inches wide, that will follow directly behind the rider at night.
M. There is no maximum number of crew members or vehicles that a racer may have on their crew; but every racer must have at least one four-wheeled vehicle equipped as a Follow Vehicle, and at least two licensed drivers.
N. All support vehicles
must be legally registered and meet the minimum requirements of property damage
and personal injury liability automobile insurance for the state of
registration. –DQ
O. The racer’s or team’s number or name must be visible and easily legible on all four sides of each support vehicle. Lettering should be at least 4-6 inches high. Do not block windows.
P. Follow Vehicles must be equipped with the following:
i) At least two amber (not red) flashing lights mounted on the far left and
right rear of the roof visible only from the rear. The support vehicle must use
the flashing roof lights at all times when following its racer. These flashing
lights must be powered by the electrical system of the vehicle, not by internal
batteries. -DQ
ii) A rear-facing sign that reads CAUTION BICYCLE AHEAD. This type of sign can be ordered
through a sign shop, pre-ordered from Planet Ultra (with entry form), or
homemade using white adhesive shelf paper or white heavy card stock with
reflective red or orange 4 to 6 inch lettering. -DQ
iii) A standard reflective equilateral "slow moving vehicle" triangle (minimum
height of 12" with a red or orange reflective border not less that 1.5" in
width) must be displayed at all times while following directly behind the rider.
The triangle must be removed when the vehicle is not directly following.
Q. Follow Vehicles may not pull a trailer of any kind.
R. Bike racks mounted on the rear of a Follow Vehicle must not obstruct the required signage.
S. Additional spotlights may not be mounted higher than the standard built-in headlights of the Follow Vehicle, except for a pass-off light mounted on the right side which may be used to temporarily light the road when driving next to a racer during a pass-off of supplies. Hand-held spotlights may not be used.
FOLLOWING YOUR RACER
A. Vehicles may not follow racers during daylight on Saturday, but may follow
racers during daylight on Sunday, except in “Special Ride Zones” noted in these
rules and/or in the Official Route Book. Vehicle-to-racer handoffs during
daylight on Saturday are prohibited. Only leapfrog support may be used on
Saturday. Always park in safe spots, with all four wheels completely off the
roadway. Crew
vehicles not following a racer must travel at or near the speed limit.
B. Support vehicles may not travel in front of a racer within 25 yards unless
traffic prohibits otherwise, day or night. If a racer is passing, the follow
vehicle of the racer being passed must pull over and make way for the racer to
safely pass in his own lane.
C. Under no circumstances may two or more support vehicles follow behind a
racer. Caravanning, or a procession of two or more support vehicles behind a
racer, is prohibited.
D. If two racers decide to ride together (for up to 15 minutes), only one racer’s crew may follow both riders. The other must pull off the road either behind or ahead of the riders. Under no circumstances may two or more vehicles of different racers caravan down the road or travel side-by-side at the speed of the racers. Both racers will be penalized.
E. Support crews shall
not in any way impede the progress of one another or any cyclist.
F. Support vehicles may not travel alongside a racer, except when passing off
food, beverage, or information. Under no circumstances should a support vehicle
disregard traffic to the rear when traveling alongside their racer.
G. A support vehicle may not create any advantages for a racer by means of
breaking the force of the wind to the front or side.
H. Communication with a racer may be accomplished with a two-way radio, but not
by a public address system or other loudspeaker. No sound amplification is
allowed.
I. If traffic cannot pass the racer and support vehicle safely, the support
vehicle must pull over to the right as quickly as possible, and allow traffic to
pass. If there is nowhere to pull over and the support vehicle is causing a
significant traffic problem, the driver should drive on ahead of the racer and
find a spot to pull over to let the traffic pass. Signal the racer of the
situation because he/she might want to momentarily pull over also.
J. Support vehicles must dim their front headlights when any oncoming traffic
approaches within 500 feet. Lights must also be dimmed when following within 300
feet of the rear of another vehicle, or when another vehicle passes.
K. Racers may be directly
followed by a Follow Vehicle at night. Using St. George as a reference,
Civil Twilight begins at 6:50am ends at 8:08pm. As such, "night" is defined as
the time between 8:00pm and 7:00am. Racers must have full lights and reflectors
on between those hours.
ROUTING / DIRECTIONS
A. Each racer or relay team must ride every inch of the prescribed course. In
the event of a routing error, e.g., wrong turn, the racer may be driven back to
the exact original spot where he/she left the course and continue riding from
that location.
B. If a relay team racer makes a wrong turn, another team racer may begin riding at the point where the wrong turn was made. This is the only time team members do not have to overlap wheels during an exchange.
SPECIAL RIDE ZONES
A. Riders begin under neutral conditions, escorted by a pace rider or vehicle that may not be passed. The race begins when the escort pulls off and announces the start of racing.
B. All support vehicles must enter the course by driving north on Interstate 15. Vehicles exit on Hwy 9 towards Zion. All support vehicles must wait at the designated first support zone for their riders to pass, then begin leapfrog support. –DQ
C. Support vehicles must not stop, and no rider exchanges are allowed on the course between mile 20.5 and 23.0 (from the left turn onto SR-59 until beyond the top of the climb). - DQ
D. All riders must ride on the 5-mile bicycle trail which parallels Hwy 12 beginning at Red Canyon, until the trail ends. Support vehicles must proceed straight on Hwy 12 at the normal speed of traffic and locate a pull-out off the highway to stop and wait for their rider to pass. –DQ
E. All rider support ends when the racer makes the right turn from Hwy 18 onto Snow Canyon Parkway. Support vehicles must proceed straight on Hwy 18, which becomes Bluff Street, and return directly to the finish line to wait for their racer. –DQ
F. There will be no relay
team rider exchanges or additions after the right turn from Hwy 18 onto Snow
Canyon Parkway. All team members who wish to race to the finish together must be
on the course at this intersection. -DQ
RACE OFFICIALS AND TIME STATIONS
A. Race Officials will be stationed along the route at Time Stations, and will
also travel the course in marked or covert race vehicles.
B. Any Race Official may
give a time penalty or DQ a rider on the spot; or may report the violation to
the Race Directors who may assess the penalty or DQ the rider at a later time.
C. Race Officials are instructed to keep interaction with crew and riders to a
minimum. They will be friendly, but cannot give aid or favor to any rider. Race
Officials will only reveal racers' positions and arrival times at Time Stations,
if known. The race organizers will not be held responsible for the reporting of
inaccurate positions and times, regardless of the source.
D. Time Stations are located in designated places along the race route, as
noted in the Official Race Route. Some Time Stations will be manned and some
will not be manned. All racers, or their crews, are required to check in at
every Time Station.
E. At manned Time Stations, the racer or a member of the crew must report to the Race Official. At unmanned Time Stations, a member of the crew must call Race Headquarters and report the rider or relay team name, the Time Station number, and the time the rider arrived at the Time Station (not the time when the crew member made the call). Race Headquarters must be called within 15 minutes of a rider passing a Time Station. Exception: A crew member must immediately call Race Headquarters when their racer(s) turn onto Snow Canyon near the end of the race.
F. Crews will be given any messages, including notification of time penalties or disqualification, either from Race Officials at Time Stations or when they call Race Headquarters.
TEAM DIVISION RULES
The Hoodoo 500 Rules for solo racers apply to team racers, in addition to the
following:
A. Each team must enter
with two or four racers (or eight for the eight-racer tandem category). If one
or more of the team members gets hurt or cannot start, substitutions are allowed
to the team roster up until the time of racer check-in on Friday.
B. At least one racer must finish. This means that the rest of the racers may
abandon the race.
C. There are no requirements as to how much time or how many miles each team member may ride.
D. One, and up to all, of a team’s registered riders may cycle at any time. Drafting is permitted within the same team, but not between rival teams. Exception: Only one rider may start the race. There are no exchanges or additions until riders join their support vehicles at the first support zone.
E. If two or more relay teammates are on the course together, they must ride single file and stay within three feet of one another. In other words, they must be in a paceline. The only exception to this rule is for those brief moments when the leader of the paceline is pulling off and rotating to the back of the line.
F. If local police or highway patrol prohibit drafting, the team must abide by the command. –DQ (The Hoodoo 500 has no control over the authority of the police.)
G. A temporary ban on drafting may be imposed if the team creates undue traffic problems that would be remedied by having only one rider on the road.
H. Penalties for rule violations will be imposed on the entire team. All team members must stop at the final time station to serve any time penalties.
I. When performing racer exchanges, the new racer must overlap wheels with the racer they are replacing. Exception: If a team racer makes a wrong turn, another team racer may begin riding at the point where the wrong turn was made. This is the only time team members do not have to overlap wheels during an exchange.
J. If traffic conditions safely permit, racers may make a rolling exchange at cycling speed and ride side by side. The new rider then accelerates away while the retiring racer stops. The retiring rider must pull off the road and wait to be picked up. The retiring racer must not make a u-turn and ride back to a waiting vehicle. –DQ
K. Circling, which includes riding any portion of the course in the reverse direction, is prohibited, day or night. –DQ
L. If one team is about to pass another, the team being passed must yield right of way and both teams must resume 10 yard splits.
VOYAGER DIVISION RULES
A total of fifteen (15) entries will be accepted in the Voyager Division. The
Hoodoo 500 Rules for solo racers apply to Voyagers, except for those related to
support crews and vehicles, in addition to the following:
A. To gain entry to the Voyager Division, potential racers must submit a detailed resume (via email or snail mail) to the Race Directors which should include ride/race/life experience over the past three years evidencing the racer's ability to be self-sufficient in this 500+ mile event; explaining why the racer desires to compete without a crew; and briefly outlining their specific plans for successful completion of the Hoodoo 500.
B. Racers must be prepared to be completely self-sufficient. Absent an emergency situation, racers may not ask for or accept assistance from a solo or team racer crew. Penalties for violation of this rule: 1st offense - ½ hour; 2nd offense - 1 hour; 3rd offense – DQ.
C. At each time station, or
at the Finish Line, racers must report to a Race Official any acceptance of
assistance from a solo racer or team racer. Failure to do so will result in an
automatic DQ.
D. Racers must carry with them at all times the following items: Photo
identification, jacket, leg coverings, cell phone (although there is no service
in many areas), space blanket or bivvy sack.
E.. Racers may use our drop bag service to deliver bags up the course to each of the three manned time stations: Kanab, Escalante and Panguitch. Racers must take all gear/food from bags delivered to Kanab, as bags will not be returned to Race HQ (anything left will be discarded). Bag size is limited to 10” x 20”. Drop bag service is $50, payable with the entry fee or at racer check-in.
TIME PENALTIES
Non-DQ rule violations will result in the following time penalties for solo and
relay racers, which will be served at TS#5:
1st offense: 30 minutes total
2nd offense: 1 hour total
3rd offense: DISQUALIFIED
Ignorance of these rules is never an excuse.
Any time penalty received
between TS#5 and the finish will be added to the racer or team’s total time.
Upon observing a racer or crew's violation of a traffic law or race rule, a Race
Official may either issue a time penalty or a disqualification to the crew,
whose responsibility it is to inform the racer, or report the penalty or
disqualification to the next Time Station or to the Race Directors, where the
penalty will be posted.
CONCLUSION
If you have any questions, please contact us. If you don’t ask, we assume that
the rules are clear and you will be held accountable in accordance with them.
