Have a look at our FAQs. If you do not see what you are looking for, drop us a line. Note that most of these answers are specific to Sinister 7 and may not pertain to other ultras.
"How tight are the stage time cutoffs? Other races have liberal time lines to allow for a variety of competitors and fitness."
The cutoff times are strict. If it is a couple of minutes, the race director may allow some leeway under extreme circumstances.We have cutoffs in order to keep the race running smoothly. Part of the challenge is that it is a 30 hour race.
If a team is going to miss a cutoff, we allow a forced start so that the team can keep running but they are unranked.
"How do we register - by phone or on website?"
We only do registrations online. Check out the Registration page.
"Are there shower and bathroom facilities near by the camp ground and RV lots? where are they Located? When should you book the RV sites to guarantee a spot?"
There are showers at the Registration/Finish area. The facilities at the Finish are open all day Saturday, and Sunday until 2pm. You need to book RV camping ahead of time on the
"Can I buy pre and post meals for my support team? What do the meals consist of?"
There will be a limited number of tickets for purchase at the race site. The pre-race meal is pasta, salads, and dessert. The post-race meal is both tacos and breakfast.
"Any plans for a training camp?"
We usually do a training run at the end of May or beginning of June. Stay tuned to the Training Page.
"Which legs are poles most used on? I am assuming the most difficult (leg3 for example). I have heard that some don't use polls, while running up hill instead of taking long strides with polls, they take quick little steps without. "
Everyone is different. If you haven't been training with poles, it may not be a good idea to start during the race. Look at our race maps and you can see the elevation. If you want to use poles, probably the steeper legs are the best. They also help going downhill, not just up!
"Is this rain or shine?"
We usually hope for some rain but if it's sunny we will go ahead anyway.
"If I'm unable to be there before the 6:30am registration cutoff on Saturday can I give my signed waiver to a friend and have them register for me? thank you"
Yes - you can send your waiver ahead and a friend can pick up your kit for you.
"My team mates are from "all over". Is it possible for them to sign and scan their waivers back to me then I provide scanned copies of the waivers at check in...or do you required original signatures?"
We can only take the signed and witnessed waivers. As long as we have them by Friday night, you are good to go. No waivers, no racing.
"Where can I get copies of the photos that were being taken during the race? "
You can talk to the folks at Raven Eye Photography.
"If I volunteered last year what is the date that I can register my team before the actual registration date?"
Anyone who volunteered and wants early entry into the race should receive an email with instructions at the beginning of November. If you don't hear from us, make sure to ask!
"Will I get my feet wet? What are the conditions out there? "
You are 100% likely to get your feet wet on Legs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (give or take). You may get away with dry feet on Legs 1 and 7 but not likely. The conditions are rocky and mountainous (as in the Rocky Mountains).
"What about animals? I'm really nervous about bear encounters. If I have to run at night can someone run with me?"
There are bears, cougars, and wolves out there - that's a reality. Every year someone sees something during the race. Most of the time the animals will just run off because they don't want to see you any more than you want to see them. We will provide a brief overview about animal encounters at the pre-race meeting. Being alert is important.
We cannot allow non-registered runners on the course. This poses a risk to them and other racers. As per the race rules, you can run with another registered runners. With a few hundred people on a stage at any given time, you don't have to be alone if you want to stick with someone.
"Is there a minimum age for entry?"
Not really, but we do require parental/guardian consent for anyone under the age of 18.
"Are there showers available for people who are camping? "
Yes! Showers are available all weekend at the Sports Complex (Race HQ). There are also showers at the swimming pool on 20th Ave in Blairmore ($3 entry).
"Does this race fill up quickly for solo runners? Should I Register ASAP? Can I see how my training is doing and register by the end of May? "
There are 250 spots reserved for solo runners. If we don't fill them by January 1 we will open them to teams. So don't wait to register.
"Are all staging areas easily accessible by my support crew?"
TA1 is the hardest to get to but it really isn't that bad. Parking tends to be an issue. TA5/6 has a bumpy road as well. Other than that there is paved access to TA2/3 and TA4. We don't recommend bringing a large vehicle (like an RV) to the staging areas as parking is tight. We have several designated sites for RVs but not at staging areas
"What are the prerequisites to enter the solo 100 miler?"
The prerequisites are 1 part training, 1 part determination, and 1 part crazy. If you have that, you are good to go.
"Are soloists allowed to use pacers? "
You are meant to be independent out there. The race rules say that you can pace off of someone who is a registered runner. The intention behind that is to allow you to run with someone who is running that particular leg of the race, not to have extra people on the course. We cannot allow non-registered pacers because they put themselves and the race in general in a risky situation. We have had several issues with spectators getting lost on the course, which means we are out looking for someone who isn't really prepared for the wilderness or even really supposed to be there. So feel free to run with the others who are on your leg - they will help you through it. No outside pacers are allowed.
"It appears that we only have to submit information for the first two runners for the application. Is this true or do we need to submit all seven runners for the initial application. If we cannot get through the first few minutes it says we can drop an email with the application form. Is this true?"
You only need to fill out the required information at registration. You do not have to submit all team details at registration as long as you edit them by May 31.
"We are doing Sinister as a team of 2 and I am wondering if there will be any issues getting from the TA to the next TA in time if we alternate legs. Also, are we both aloud to run leg 7 together? Thanks so much."
We have never heard of any issues of people struggling to beat their teammate to the end of a leg using a car. We prefer you don't run any stages together because it can mess up the timing and results. If you do, only one person should go through the chute.
"Is my registration on my team transferable? I am unable to run my leg due to an unexpected scheduling conflict, can I find someone else and register them on the team to run my portion of the race?"
You can edit your team up until the end of May. That includes the names of the runners. We may not be able to get them the right shirt size after April 30th though.
"Do all team members need to be present for registration on Friday evening or Saturday morning or can the team captain register for a member running a leg on Saturday evening?"
We need the waivers before the race starts. We prefer Friday at registration but you can do a last minute sign-in on Saturday before 6:30am. No waiver, no racing. One teammate can sign in for everyone as long as they have all of the waivers. Coming back to registration multiple times just slows everything down so please try and have all of the paperwork together.
"I'd like to change the name & contact info one of our runners. Can you do this for me?"
You can edit most of your team details on your own up until the end of May. Just go to the Edit Registration page. You just can't add other members.
"I'm currently registered in a team of 2 - is it too late to add a 3rd or 4th runner?"
If the race is full, unfortunately we cannot continue to add more members to teams. We get dozens of similar requests each year and we just do not have the capacity to continually add runners.
"Once the system is closed for team editing, if we've had a runner drop from our team can we use a replacement. Can I do the edit when I get to registration on Friday?"
As long as the person has a waiver and is on our list as of Friday night, you can write someone in. You can also change the leg assignments on Friday at registration but PLEASE DON'T DO ANY OF THIS UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY! It takes up a lot of time and we just want everything to flow smoothly.
"We have a last minute substitution that will make our team a mixed team vs. all male. Can we do this at registration tonight?"
We try to be accommodating. You can change your category at registration if necessary.
"When registration opens, do all racers on a team have to acquire a spot for registration? Can registration start with a team of 2 and other registrants be added later on? If a person registers on December 1st, can their registration be transferred to another person later on if needed?"
One person must register the whole team. You then sort of payment amongst yourselves afterward. If you do not have all of the info, don't worry. You have a few months to edit the team information. You can only add members to your team if there is room in the race so register for what you think you will need. You can get a refund with a small service charge if you need to drop people from the team. We handle transfers on a case by case basis.
"Can we run with our teammates on their leg?"
You are meant to be independent out there. The race rules say that you can pace off of someone who is a registered runner. The intention behind that is to allow you to run with someone who is running that particular leg of the race, not to have extra people on the course. We keep tabs on the hundreds of people who are supposed to be on course. If we don't know someone is out there, they are putting themselves, and the race, at risk. We have had several issues with spectators getting lost on the course, which means we are out looking for someone who isn't really prepared for the wilderness or even really supposed to be there. So feel free to run with the others who are on your leg - they will help you through it. Other than that, you need to run on your own.
"We are currently registered as a team of 7, can we change that to a team of 6 and get refunded the money for the runner that is unable to do the race? "
Any changes to your team will be done according to our Terms and Conditions.
"Our team is on the waiting list. What are the chances we will be able to race?"
We start going through the waiting list in late January if there are any spots still available. So it completely depends on how many solos sign up.
"We have registered a team and it looks like we are not able to add another member at this point? Is that correct?"
Once the race is full, it's full. So choose wisely on registration day.
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