RACE RULES AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION. PLEASE READ. The Omaha Jackrabbit course is around 125 miles and will feature about 7,000 feet of elevation gain. The route consists mostly of gravel roads, with around 16 miles of dirt roads, or Minimum Maintenance Roads (MMR). There will be some connector segments on paved roads. In the event of extremely wet weather, we may provide an alternative route that reduces the amount of MMR. No matter the weather conditions, there will be at least one MMR segment. The race will occur despite rain or snow. About 25% of the course will be in a river bottom, with virtually no elevation gain. The Omaha Halfrabbit course is around 50 miles, and is 30% hillier per mile than the Jackrabbit course. The route consists mostly of gravel roads, with around one mile of dirt roads. An optional sign-in will be available from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Dundee Cycles & Provisions, 4910 Dodge Street, Omaha. Riders will be able to pre-register, complete their waiver, and sample beer from Scriptown Brewery while meeting other riders and race organizers. Both the Jackrabbit and Halfrabbit courses start and end at Prairie View Lake Park on 180th Street, between Highway 36 and Bennington Road in Bennington, Nebraska. Note that this differs from the previous North O! Rock Road Jackrabbit Hundy location at Bennington Lake in Newport Landing. There is limited parking available at the Prairie View Lake Park. Overflow parking is available at Bennington High School at 168th Street and Bennington Road. Please plan to arrive early enough to give yourself enough time to figure out where you will park your car. Carpooling is encouraged. The Omaha Jackrabbit 125 starts at 7:00 a.m. sharp. Check in begins at 6:00 a.m. Riders must attend a mandatory pre-race meeting at 6:45 a.m. Riders not checked in by 6:45 a.m. must wait until the race has started to check in, when they will then be allowed to start the course. Riders much check in, even if they signed-in at the optional Friday night sign-in event. The Omaha Halfrabbit 50 starts at 8:00 a.m. sharp. Check in begins at 6:00 a.m. Riders must attend a mandatory pre-race meeting at 7:45 a.m. Note that the Halfrabbit is not a timed race, but riders with GPS ride recorders may find a Halfrabbit Strava segment, by which they may be able to compare their efforts against those of other riders. Jackrabbit riders will elect one of the following competition categories: Open Women, Open Men, Single Speed Women, Single Speed Men, Fat Bike Women, Fat Bike Men. A fat bike is defined as having tires measuring 3.7 inches or more in width. Also permitted in the Fat Bike category is a tandem or a cargo bike. There are no categories for the Halfrabbit ride. The Number One rule of the Omaha Jackrabbit (and Halfrabbit) is to understand that you are on your own, and fully responsible for your safety and your property. Riders will be required to sign a waiver to this effect. While some measures will be taken to provide limited support, in the end, you are 100 percent responsible for yourself. If you don’t agree to this, or aren’t prepared to handle 125 miles of rough, remote roads, in varying weather conditions, then please do not enter this race. Riders should be prepared to ride in the dark. The Jackrabbit starts before sunrise, and depending on pace, you may be riding in the dark at the end of the day. Both rear and front lights are recommended. Helmets are required. Please note that the fall harvest season is underway. You will be sharing roads with farm equipment and farm-to-market trucks, some of which can be quite large. The course is not closed, and takes place on public roads. Be sure to watch out for this and other traffic on the course, and give them the room they need, stopping and pulling over when necessary. Giving a friendly wave is encouraged. Riders are expected to follow all traffic laws and ride safely at all times. Parts of the ride occur in public parks. Racing is not allowed in park areas. Please note your relative position with other riders and maintain that order while riding in a reasonable pace while on park grounds and roads. Yield to pedestrians and other park users when necessary. Riders are expected to be self-supported, and may not accept help, repairs, supplies, or provisions from a support crew or individual, or via pre-cached supplies. Riders may acquire supplies along the route via neutral sources (convenience store, bar, restaurant, good samaritans and race officials along the course, etc). Riders may provide support to one another. Anyone observed meeting with a support crew along the course will be disqualified. Jackrabbit riders will be permitted to send two drop bags containing supplies or equipment to be dispensed at two official checkpoint locations approximately 49 miles and 100 miles along the course. Drop bag size and weight limits may be imposed by race officials to ensure fairness among the participants. Race officials will attempt to return drop bags to riders after the event, but cannot be held responsible for any lost or misplaced items. Riders are required to stop at the checkpoints to have their progress recorded by race officials. Checkpoints will be found at 49 miles, 83 miles, and 100 miles. Riders may be required to carry checkpoint tokens given to them by race officials as proof of a stop at a checkpoint. Please keep in mind that checkpoints are staffed by volunteers who will be working as quickly as they can to get you back out on the course. Please be nice to them. Riders are expected to maintain an overall average speed of approximately 10 mph. This average speed includes any stopped time at checkpoints or anywhere along the course. The checkpoints and the course will close on a schedule based on this minimum speed. Note the following checkpoint operating times: CP1, 49 miles, 9:30 a.m. to noon CP2, 83 miles, 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CP3, 100 miles, Noon to 5:00 p.m. Finish line, 125 miles, 8:00 p.m. In the unlikely event that a rider reaches a checkpoint before the checkpoint open time, the rider must wait for the checkpoint official to open the checkpoint. Checkpoint and course close times may be modified by race officials, if deemed necessary due to weather or other conditions. The Halfrabbit course will feature one optional checkpoint around 25 miles. Water and restrooms will be available. There may or may not be race officials at this checkpoint. Other than the three official checkpoints, there will be no resupply options directly on the course. The course will pass within 2-3 miles of a few towns where riders may go off-course to obtain supplies. Riders leaving the course for any reason must reenter the course at the same location where they left the course. There may be secret or roving checkpoints to discourage cheating and ensure rider safety. Riders may advance on the course by riding or walking their bicycles. No other form of advancement is permitted. Riders will receive printed cue sheets on the morning of the event. Difficult intersections with missing or incorrect signage may be marked via marking tape, flags, or signs. You will need a cycle computer or odometer to know when and where to turn based on the cue sheet instructions. Riders may use GPS to navigate, and to record their rides, but riders must follow the course as directed on the cue sheets. No deviation from the course is allowed, for any reason, unless directed by a race official. In the event that a rider withdraws from the event before finishing, or outside of a checkpoint, he or she will notify a race official. There will be no transportation provided to riders who withdraw from the race. Riders will be expected to make their own arrangements for transportation. Top finishers may be required to show proof of mileage traveled on their cycle computer or odometer. For planning purposes, please note the following resupply opportunities: Mile 38: Town with gas station 2 miles off route. Mile 49: CP1. Drop bag location. Restrooms and tap water. Mile 83: CP2. Restrooms. Water jugs available. Mile 91: Town with gas station 2-3 miles off route Mile 100: CP3. Drop bag location. Restrooms and tap water. Town with bar ½ mile off route (bar closes at 4:00 p.m.) Mile 115: Town with bar ½ mile off route Riders must provide their own contact information, an emergency contact name, emergency contact telephone number and sign a waiver of liability, holding harmless anyone connected with the event, including the race officials, volunteers, sponsors, and other riders. Littering is not allowed. Anyone caught dropping bottles, wrappers, papers, foils, etc. will be disqualified and asked never to return. Fruit and vegetable rinds, tossed off the road way, will not be considered as litter. Keep Nebraska beautiful. Above all, have fun and don’t take things too seriously. Keep your head up and look around at the beauty of the terrain while enjoying the company of your fellow riders. Lets us know what you liked and what you didnt like. Keep supporting free racing, volunteer in your local races, and start your own races if you want to. The more, the better.
Posted on: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 14:53:27 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015