Event Policies
Equity and Inclusion Policies
We truly believe that everyone belongs on the trails and hope to encourage as many folks out there to explore the outdoors - and our aim is to foster this sense of belonging by all. That being said, we acknowledge that this is an evolving process and we welcome open dialogue and feedback from folks regarding how we can improve the sense of belonging, or how we can take steps to support those who need supporting. We know it's not as easy as a statement, or the policies listed below...but we hope that these are at least a small step in the right direction.
Support for entry fees
One of the things we strive for is to create inclusion and equality in the running community. As much as we want to say that all you need to run is a pair of shoes, we know the reality is much more complex. To create intentional space for people, we have a number of free entries (or reduced fee entries) for our races that we would like to extend to any athlete who needs the support, however hoping to encourage BIPOC and LGBTQ+ athletes. We would like to emphasize that these are not need based scholarships. These entries are an affirmation of belonging in our community. We are not in any way publicly advertising who accepts an entry, and you do not have to be an out member of the LGBTQ+ community to receive one. We are not questioning or asking for additional information from anyone who asks for an entry code, they will be handed out to anyone who asks for it, and as long as we have funding to do so.
If you would like a code, please email us at racedirector_at_7sisterstrailrace_dot_com . We have earmarked funds for for this within every event we host. Please feel free to share this offer with friends. If you support this, please sign up to participate in our races, volunteer at the events, or donate funds to help us expand this program!
Transgender Athletes
We will accept each entrant’s declared gender at face value, and no additional supporting evidence is required. Athletes may register as the gender they identify with.
Non-Binary and Gender Non-Conforming Athletes
We welcome those whose gender is not male or female; including but not limited to: genderqueer, agender, bigender. We want to acknowledge, respect, and provide opportunity in the registration process to express your desired pronouns, and register as you identify. We use RunReg.com, which allows you the option to select 'Non-Binary' or 'Prefer Not to Answer'. While we recognize this may not be 100% the right fit, we appreciate that RunReg.com allows you to register closer to how you identify. Your results will reflect your registration.
We do allow those who register as Non-Binary to still compete against their hormonal peers for overall female category (estrogen-leaning athletes) and male category (testosterone-leaning athletes) awards and records. We will reach out to any athlete who registers as non-binary to let us know if they would like to compete for these awards, and if so which hormonal peer group is the best fit.
Athletes with Disabilities
We welcome (and encourage) all athletes to participate in our events, including mobility and visually impaired athletes. We maintain course records (and provide awards) for mobility and visually impaired athletes.
Further details regarding the applicable guidance for athletes with disabilities is here. If you have questions, have suggestions on how to modify the AWD guidance or need additional accommodations, please reach out.
Early Start Requests (for folks nervous about time cut-offs)
We want every athlete to have the opportunity to participate in the Beast Coast races, so we offer early starts for athletes who are nervous about making time cutoffs (as our finish line or published hard cut-offs aren’t negotiable). Please reach out if you would like to take advantage of an early start, and we are happy to accommodate when possible. At most of our events (except for the Race for DFL), we allow athletes to start 1 hour ahead of the published start time. At races with multiple distances (Mt. Toby, Mt. Tom, Chesterfield Gorge), athletes doing the shorter course can also start at the same time as the longer course start time (often 2 hours ahead).
Keep in mind that aid stations and on-course support is timed to support the traditional start time, so athletes who start early will need to be prepared with a bit of extra fluids/foods (as the first aid station may or may not be staffed by the time they get there), and they should be familiar with the course. Course markings will be in place already, but no course marshals will be on-trail yet. We do provide .gpx files and course maps on the website for anyone who wants to use them.
*Please note that our equity and inclusion policies are a work in progress, as we continue to learn, grow, and hear from athletes. Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions, suggestions, comments, or feedback on how we can continue to provide a more inclusive and welcoming community.
Deferral Policies
We understand that there are situations that come up between when you register and the race. However, each of our events are fundraising events for local nonprofits. We are also a small operation that aim to keep registration fees as reasonable as possible for each of you. Therefore, registration fees unfortunately are non-refundable and non-transferable due to registrants' inability to participate or in the event of cancellation due to circumstances beyond the control of race organizers. We thank you for your anticipated understanding and support. There are a few notable exceptions, listed below.
Seven Sisters Trail Race - Partial Refund policy
As long as there is a waitlist (i.e. someone to take your place if you withdraw), then you may be eligible for a partial refund in compliance with the partial refund policy posted on the Seven Sisters Trail Race website.
Pregnancy Deferral
If you or your partner become pregnant between your time of registration and the date of the race, we are able to offer you a race credit equal to your registration fee. This credit can be used anytime over a 2-year period from the date of the race you withdrew from, and can be used towards registration for any Beast Coast Trail Running event. (When you do eventually race, we do hope to meet your new #1 fan!)
Military Deferral
If you are in the military, and after you’ve registered learn that you will be deployed during the race, we are able to offer you a race credit equal to your registration fee. This credit can be used anytime over a 1-year period from the date of the race you withdrew from, and can be used towards registration for any Beast Coast Trail Running event. (And we thank you for your service!)
Environmental Policies
Cupless Races
All Beast Coast Trail Races are cupless. That means that we're cutting down on the amount of trash generated by not having single-use cups at aid stations or the finish. Each runner should carry a small portable/collapsible cup, or else plan to fill up a waterbottle at the aid stations. For the finish, we recommend folks bring along a travel mug, or steel pint, to enjoy post-race beverages.
Course Markings
Our events use a combination of pink pin flags and pink survey tape for course markings. If you look carefully, our pink survey tape is attached to a wooden clothes pin to allow us to reuse them race after race. If you happen to be running at any of our race locations and see a wooden clothes pin with pink survey tape tied to it (any time other than race weekend, of course!), please remove it and return it to us so we can use it again!
Compost & Recycling
All Beast Coast Trail Races offer compost and recycling at our events (including at aid stations) along with trash services. It’s our hope to reduce the amount of trash as much as possible. We ask that every participant and volunteer take the time to be thoughtful about where they dispose of any waste, to ensure it goes into the appropriate waste stream. We even offer a separate recycling of energy packaging (such as gel pouches, energy chew packets, etc.) - so look for the shoe boxes to collect that at aid stations and finish lines!
Paperless
We are proud to have worked towards a nearly-paperless operation. This means utilizing technology as much as possible in the race management, and reducing the stacks of paper (as comforting as that was). As a participant or volunteer, this includes doing day-of registration online, communication of emergency contact information for participants via google docs, and emailing participant instructions and volunteer manuals.
*Please note that our environmental policies are a work in progress, as we continue to learn, grow, and hear from athletes. Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions, suggestions, comments, or feedback on how we can continue to reduce the environmental impact of our events.