What Is (and Isn’t) Planet Ultra?
We’re a grass-roots, non-corporate endurance event production company. We host niche, mostly super tough events; catering to the segment of the cycling community that loves a challenge and comes for the ride, not the hoopla. Planet Ultra ministers to those who come for the sheer delight of cycling. Please don’t expect a shopping expo, start/finish line hoopla, lots of giveaways/swag, a finisher award** or other things you might find at the giant events with thousands of riders and big money sponsors. We’re not that.  We exist simply for the joy and love of riding bicycles.

**We don’t subscribe to the idea of participation awards. We DO believe in supporting charities that provide opportunities for athletes with physical challenges; and supporting advocacy programs that promote and enable safer cycling environments/communities. Instead of spending money on finisher trinkets that ultimately collect dust or are relegated to a box in the garage, we donate that money to these inspiring organizations which inspire others to get outside and ride. ♥

How Planet Ultra Works
Our Mission is to create for you fun and challenging endurance cycling events in the Southwest (CA, NV, UT). We strive to challenge you physically, mentally and spiritually, in an environment of friendly camaraderie, personal connection and community among motivated and adventurous athletes. We encourage you to push farther and harder; to get stronger, fitter, faster, healthier. On Planet Ultra, your bodies and your bicycles are both a means of transportation and a tool for self-discovery while exploring the whole panorama of roads, places, sights and sounds that the great outdoors offers.

Planet Ultra events are destination events, usually in fairly remote locations far from our home base in Washington, Utah. We’re not a cycling club with members to draw upon for event staff. When we host an event, we do all the planning, permitting, shopping and packing in advance and then transport everything, and everyone who is helping, to the remote location where the event takes place. So please be patient and understanding with our staff. We’re really stoked when everybody has a good attitude and especially appreciate when people pitch in and help at the events.

In addition to the specific rules and policies for the specific event you’re attending, please be mindful of the following:

• Your event is a ride, not a race.
• Be safe and be courteous. We are stewards of our great sport of cycling.
• Wear your helmet.
• No headphones, ear buds, or other listening devices.
• Law enforcement in all towns along the route will be watching. Please obey all “Rules of the Road’ as required by the State Vehicle Code, and general safe riding practices. A bicycle is a vehicle and subject to the law.
• Obey all signal lights and stop signs. Do not follow another group of cyclists through a stop sign or traffic light. Decide for yourself when it’s safe to proceed.
• Share the road with cars and leave their share clear for safe driving.
• Ride as close to the right as is safe. If it’s not safe, take the lane.
• Ride single file as often as possible, particularly when traffic is present; but no more than 2 abreast EVER.
• Signal or call out your turns and point out hazards to other cyclists.
• Pass other cyclists on the left only; and call out “passing left.” NEVER pass on the right.
• Carry an extra tube, patch kit, tools, identification and your cell phone.
• Enjoy the scenery. Take photos and share them on social media.
• HAVE FUN and BE JOYFUL!

The Purpose of These Events
We, the people of Planet Ultra, do declare that the point in participating in an organized century, double century, tour or ultramarathon race is to have as much fun and adventure as possible!

With the exception of the Hoodoo 500/300, the King of the Mountains Century Challenge and our Gravel Grinder Cycling events, Planet Ultra events are intended to be non-competitive. Fun-rides will not be timed. If you wish to compare your effort with others’ Strava is a great way to do that.

Registration and Entry Fees
Be sure and read all the information on our Registration Page and understand our cancellation policy.

Event Staff / Volunteers
Planet Ultra is recruiting enthusiastic volunteers to make it a spectacular day for the riders. No experience necessary! Volunteer positions include registration, food prep, aid stations along the route, roving SAG and finish line. We offer a registration discount if you’re bringing a friend who will help while you’re riding.

On Course Support Provided
Aid Stations are located along the route (about 25-30 miles apart, depending on terrain) and clearly marked on the route sheet. Riders can expect to find a nice variety of pre-packaged nutritious and caloric foods and beverages. Our typical fare includes bananas, PB&J sandwiches, energy bars, granola bars, fruit bars and various other treats, plus soda at the last Aid Station.**  No one will go hungry on Planet Ultra; but please remember that it’s impossible to guarantee you’ll get exactly what you want. If you have specific needs/desires, please carry it with you.

**Our food choices are intended to be portable, so you can eat on the bike. Generally speaking, all of our food is pre-packaged for sanitary and other health reasons. We avoid serving anything that would cause the Health Department to raise an eyebrow. Speaking of being sanitary, we ask that riders not handle powdered products. Our friendly volunteers will serve it with their clean hands.

Several SAG vehicles will be out roaming the course. Please note that tech service along the course is complimentary; parts are not. Please bring some extra cash for a tire, tubes or CO2 cartridges just in case.

Usually SAG vehicles will have a floor pump and basic tools. However the SAG drivers will likely not be expert mechanics – so please do your best to bring a properly tuned, fully functional bicycle, as well as your own supplies, ability, and desire to happily make any repairs needed along the way. Please don’t bring fancy racing wheels to Planet Ultra events. No carbon rims or tubulars: We can’t fix ’em. We’ve had so many riders DNF because of wheel problems. We sincerely do not want you to be another statistic.

Disclaimer: SAG means “support and gear” – not immediate transport. If a rider is injured, sick, or some other emergency comes up, we’ll do our best to quickly get the rider to the finish line; but we can’t guarantee how long it will take. If the rider is just tired, came to the event unprepared, or just doesn’t want to continue, the rider should plan on having to wait a long while or spend the better part of the day in a SAG vehicle. Our SAG drivers need to be on the road helping people who are riding. It’s much more fun to get there under pedal power! Riders should be tired during and after these events. Tired as a rider may be, he/she will feel better the next day if they don’t quit.

Finally, please remember that over a 50-100 mile course, it’s impossible for drivers to be everywhere at all times. The SAG vehicles may not be anywhere near where you are if you have a bike problem or decide you need a lift.  Please try to ride to the nearest Aid Station, where help is always available.

Routing and Navigation
Planet Ultra route sheets include lots of information to help riders navigate . For example, we’ll let you know if a turn is at a stop sign (SS), traffic light (TL) or T-intersection (T-int). We know riders prefer course markings, and we’ll do our best to course mark; but please understand that many of the towns/cities/counties specifically forbid it, and in some areas traffic makes it unsafe.

Over the past few years we’ve sadly experienced locals or random drivers removing the arrows or pointing them in the wrong direction after we’ve placed them. So please don’t rely on arrows – always be mindful of where you are on the route sheet.

Please take responsibility for navigation and make it part of your experience. We highly recommend you invest in a GPS unit and/or use a smart phone navigation app. We provide maps and download-able files via RideWithGPS.com. Each event page will have a link.

Route sheets will be available as an excel file to registered riders if so requested via email between two weeks and five days before the event. However, we can’t guarantee that the route sheet will be 100% accurate. Though not anticipated, last-minute routing changes may be required.

Personal SAG Vehicles
Not allowed without prior approval! If you bring one, you will be disqualified from the event without a warning. The definition of a personal SAG is any vehicle (motor or otherwise), anywhere on the route, operated by someone other than Planet Ultra staff, that is providing any type of aid, assistance, or motivation to any rider, or taking photographs, or simply out cheering. Please understand that our permits simply don’t allow dozens of extra vehicles on the roads or at the checkpoint locations. Imagine the traffic from all those cars! If you’re bringing someone with you who wants to be out on the course helping, please have them contact us and join the event staff.

Wow! That was a LOT! Thanks for reading! We look forward to hosting you!