What is the protocol if we do ending up getting thunderstorms mid saturday halfway through the race. Would the runners be paused at the aid stations? Would the race get canceled midway through? Would we just keep trucking?
Hey Damian, I’m going to send out an update now to the runners, but yeah ultimately as long as it’s “safe” we’d keep moving . It’s a little tricky because with ultrarunning specifically being one of those things we’re people are “toughing it” they have a sense of pushthroughit-ity … so it’s a fine line.
As you both note, it’s tricky because lightning isn’t likely early in the morning when the races start, and it’s hard to predict accurately enough into the future to cancel a race. I did a little research and came up with two useful resources for staying safe when it’s impossible to get under cover or in a car. First, there’s this section from the Hardrock 100 Manual:
Lightning
Several runners in past years have had direct contact with lightning and there have been several more near misses. If caught in lightning, head to lower terrain as fast as you can. If you cannot, find a low point or shelter away from conductors (poles, trees).
If your hair begins to stand on end and/or your skin starts to tingle, a lightning strike is imminent. Assume the lightning position to wait out the storm:
- If you are with a group of runners, spread out by at least 50’ Very important
- Put your feet together
- Crouch slightly
- Minimize contact with the ground and other conductors (stay on the balls of your feet)
- Cover your ears
- Touch your elbows to your knees to give current a path to flow other than through your torso
Second, this article sounded sensible:
Pausing runners at aid stations doesn’t seem advisable since that just causes people to group up and increase the likelihood that multiple people would get hit. The instances I’ve seen that discussed is when there was flash flooding and being on the course was unsafe.
had to do this at Vermont one year! mile 86 I was riding a tree line to stay away from being in a big open field. #funtimes