These are the rules and regulations for the Ultra Tour Monte Rosa (“the event”). By registering for the event, each participant confirms that he/she has sufficient experience to participate and he/she has read and understood the event rules and regulations.
Please note that due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic there may be additional precautions in place to comply with local and regional regulations. These will be made clear in advance before the event. Participation in the races will assume acceptance of any protocols in place and disregard will result in disqualification. Thank you for your understanding in order to protect the health of all our runners, volunteers and the local communities.
The event is organised by KORA Explore GmbH (“the organisation”), in collaboration with local authorities, offices and volunteers.
The event is a 170km and 100km running race on high, alpine trails, run as either a stage race or an ultramarathon. Each stage is to be completed in semi-autonomy, respecting any given time limits.
Semi-autonomy means that participants must have the capacity to be autonomous between refreshment points – regarding food, water, clothing and security. Participants must be able to adapt to problems encountered or envisaged including bad weather, physical problems, injury etc.
By registering for the event, participants confirm that they:
The event is open to anyone, male or female, aged 20 or over on the date of the event.
By completing their registration, each participant declares their knowledge of and unreserved acceptance of these Rules and Regulations.
Any cancellation of registration must be made in writing and submitted by email to the organisation.
UTMR cancellation policyThe event is a tough and challenging long-distance race on high, alpine trails. We want participants to be safe, we want participants to be prepared for the conditions that they could face; and we want participants to enjoy their race experience. Participants must carry the following obligatory equipment. Failure to do so could result in time penalty or disqualification.
Please respect this – it is for your safety and enjoyment. If you are sufficiently prepared you will be able to have some fun whatever the conditions.
The obligatory equipment will be checked at race registration, and can be checked at any time during the event.
Obligatory equipmentRace numbers, timing chips & GPS will be distributed at the pre-race registration upon:
The race number must be permanently and fully visible throughout the event.
The timing chip and GPS unit are to be returned to the organisation at the finish line, and in case of early withdrawal from the event.
The use of headphones is not permitted during any part of the race for reasons of safety. Use will result in disqualification.
Stage races: There will be a daily briefing given by the race director (or race coordinator) approximately 15 minutes before the start of each day’s stage. It is mandatory for all participants to be present for this.
Ultramarathons: There will be a briefing given by the race director approximately 15 minutes before the start. It is mandatory for all participants to be present for this.
The route of the event will be well-marked with biodegradable chalk spray, signposts, barrier tape and flags. This, however, does not guarantee a continuously marked course and it does not free the participants from their obligation to keep their bearings in alpine territory. Especially at nightfall, after heavy rain, in case of snow, or other adverse weather conditions, markings can disappear, be covered up, or not be visible in time. We recommend that participants carry with them the map and altitude profiles that will be available on www.ultratourmonterosa.com. It is also possible that route markings might sometimes be removed by third parties. Since the route of the event primarily follows in the route of the signposted Tour de Monte Rosa, if in doubt please follow the signage for TdM. The sweeper will remove all route markings. After this time the route will no longer be marked and will be closed. Any participants still on the course will then be responsible for themselves.
A race doctor will be present for the duration of the event. First aid assistance will be available at checkpoints.
Each participant has the responsibility to offer help to other participants in difficulty or who are seriously injured.
Do not forget that due to problems related to the environment and type of event, there may be a longer than anticipated wait for assistance. Your security will depend upon the quality of the equipment that you carry during the event.
Any participant calling on assistance from a first-aider, race doctor or rescuer submits him/herself to their authority and undertakes to accept their decisions.
The first-aiders and race doctors are authorised to
Expenses resulting from rescue or evacuation will be borne by the rescued person, to be covered by their obligatory personal accident insurance.
The organisation reserves the right to put time barriers in place for intermediate checkpoints as well as a maximum time for each stage. Any time limits will be available in the route information before the event.
Any participant excluded from the event who continues of his/her own will does so at his/her own responsibility and in complete autonomy.
Except for injury, a participant must not withdraw from the event anywhere other than a checkpoint. He/she must inform the person in charge of the checkpoint, who will remove the timing chip and notify the organisation of that participant’s withdrawal.
If a participant withdraws at any point other than a designated checkpoint, it is their responsibility to notify the organisation. Failure to do this will result in a search and rescue operation (including official mountain rescue teams and the use of helicopters) and will be initiated at the expense of the participant in question.
In case of withdrawal from the event, cancellation of the event, or a route change the organiser has no duty to provide alternative transportation to participants. The organiser will do its best, however, to transport participants of the stage race to the location of that day’s stage finish, and then to give advice on how to follow the route to the next day’s stage finish, or to the event finish. Likewise the organiser will do its best to transport participants of the ultramarathon to the event finish once the checkpoint is closed.
Any race participant who withdraws from the event, for whatever reason, must return their timing chip to the organisation.
Event officials on the trail and those in charge of checkpoints are authorised to impose time penalties for any failure to respect the regulations, as follows:
| BREACH OF RULES | PENALTY / DISQUALIFICATION |
| Taking a serious short cut | Disqualification |
| Taking a small short cut away from the path | Penalty ¼ hour |
| Lacking obligatory equipment (no mobile phone, no waterproof jacket with hood, no torch, no survival blanket) | Disqualification |
| Lacking other obligatory equipment | Penalty 1 hour |
| Refusal to have obligatory equipment checked | Disqualification |
| Littering | Penalty 1 hour |
| Disrespect towards organisation or other participants | Penalty 2 hours |
| Not helping a participant in difficulty | Disqualification |
| Receiving help outside the checkpoints | Penalty 2 hours |
| Being accompanied along the event route | Disqualification |
| Cheating (eg. using transport, sharing race number etc.) | Disqualification |
| Race number not visible | Penalty ¼ hour |
| Lacking timing chip | At discretion of the organisation |
| Not passing through a checkpoint | Disqualification |
| Refusal to comply with an order from the organisation, a race official, checkpoint staff, race doctor, or a rescue worker | Disqualification |
| Refusal to accept an anti-drug test | Disqualification |
| Departure from a checkpoint after the time limit | Disqualification |
Additionally the use of headphones will result in disqualification.
Penalties and any other breach of rules will be subjected to sanction as decided by the organisation.
Any participant may be asked to submit to an anti-drug control before, during, or at the end of the event. If he/she refuses or abstains, he/she will be treated as if guilty of doping. The sanctions imposed will be at the full discretion of the organisation and includes, without limitation, disqualification and/or a ban from all future events run by the organiser.
Any objections must be made in writing to the race director, within two hours of the arrival of the participant at the finish line. This must be accompanied by a fee of 50 euros, which is non-returnable if the objection is not valid.
The race organisation will consider all objections and give a decision within a reasonable time, depending on the demands of the event itself. The decision of the organisation is without appeal.
The organisation reserves the right to modify at any moment the route and positioning of checkpoints, without warning.
In adverse weather conditions, (e.g. strong storms, significant amounts of rain or snow at altitude) the event start might be delayed by up to two hours, after which, the event will be cancelled if the organiser determines that the conditions have not improved.
In case of poor meteorological conditions and/or for reasons of safety, the organisation reserves the right to modify the time barriers, or to stop the event if already underway.
In case of cancellation of the event, for whatever reason, decided more than 15 days before the date of the start of the event, a partial refund of the registration fee will be made. The amount of this refund will be fixed so as to allow the organisation to cover all irredeemable expenses committed, up to the date of the cancellation. In case of a cancellation decided less than 15 days before the event, or in case of interruption of the event, for whatever reason, no refund of the registration fee will be made.
The organiser has taken out civil responsibility insurance for the duration of the event. This civil responsibility insurance guarantees the financial consequences of its responsibility, of that of its officials and of the participants.
Participants take part in the event under their own responsibility, thereby relieving the organisers of all responsibility in the event of damage or other consequences that arise from the event.
Each race participant must be in the possession of individual accident insurance, covering possible costs for search and evacuation in Italy and Switzerland. The insurance must be valid for the duration of the event.
N.B. Helicopter evacuations in Switzerland and Italy are not free of charge. The choice of evacuation depends exclusively on the organisation, which will prioritise the participant’s security.
Each participant foregoes his/her image rights for the duration of the event, and undertakes not to take any action against the organisers and their authorised partners for use of his/her image.
Appropriate environmental etiquette will be under rigorous scrutiny at all times. Littering outside of designated refreshment points or deliberate damage to the environment will carry severe time penalties or lead to disqualification.
