Hellbender 100 Participant Guide

THEHELLBENDER 100 PARTICIPANT GUIDE APRIL 20, 2018 • OLD FORT, NC

TABLE OF 09 AID STATIONSCONTENTS CHART01 INTRODUCTION 10 CREW DIRECTIONS FROM AID STATION02 RACE INFORMATION TO AID STATION & SCHEDULE  14 CUTOFFS & RUNNER03 COURSE TRACKING DESCRIPTION 15 SPONSORS04 RULES & REGULATION08 COURSE MAP

INTRODUCTION THE HELLBENDER 100 IS THE MOST CHALLENGING HUNDRED MILER ON THE EAST COAST. BROUGHT TO YOU BY A CONGLOMERATE OF EXPERIENCED RACE DIRECTORS, THIS COURSE WILL TAKE YOU THROUGH A GRUELING TOUR OF THE MASSIVE BLACK MOUNTAINS, THE HIGHEST MOUNTAINS EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI, ON SOME OF THE MOST CHALLENGING TRAILS IN ALL OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.  WITH AN ELEVATION CHANGE OF 50,000+ FT ALONG THIS EXTREMELY BEAUTIFUL ROUTE, YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS THIS PREMIERE GRADUATE LEVEL HUNDRED THROUGH THE HEART OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIA. HELLBENDER 100 | PAGE 1

RACE INFORMATION & SCHEDULE DATE: APRIL 20-21ST LOCATION: CAMP GRIER. 985 CAMP GRIER RD, OLD FORT, NC 28762 START TIME: 5:00AM TIME LIMIT: 40 HOURS THURSDAY SCHEDULE: 3:00-8:00PM - PACKET PICK UP 3:00-8:00PM - CABIN CHECK IN 5:00-6:00PM - PRE RACE MEETING AT THE PAVILLION 6:00-7:00PM - PRE RACE MEAL AT HEMLOCK RACE DAY SCHEDULE 4:00AM - RUNNER CHECK IN 4:45AM - PRE-RACE TALK 5:00AM - START! HELLBENDER 100 | PAGE 2

ALONG THE RIDGELINEThe Hellbender Hundred begins at thepicturesque Camp Grier in Old Fort, NC.From there, the route will take you oversome of the highest mountains on the eastcoast and deep into the valleys below,passing by gorgeous vistas, thunderingcreeks, and majestic forests. The start andfinish of the course is at 1,500 ft and the highpoint of the course is 6,500 ft in thebeautiful Black Mountains!  The climbs arehuge with five ascents and descents of 3,000ft or more.  All together the course has25,000+ ft of elevation gainand 25,000+ ft of descent. The terrain is classic east coast,which is a mix of soft dirt andextremely technical rocks androots. The course consist of 62miles of trail, 28 miles ofgravel, and 10 miles ofpavement. Most of the gravel ison the back end of the course.  HELLBENDER 100 | PAGE 3

RULES & REGULATIONS RUNNERS / PACERS / CREW ALL RUNNERS, AS WELL AS THEIR PACERS AND CREWS, MUST ABIDE BY THE RULES AT ALL TIMES DURING THE EVENT. FAILURE TO ABIDE BY THE RULES WILL RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION. 1.  Runners must carry suggested gear at all times. This includes: a headlamp (with extra batteries), jacket, emergency blanket, a hydration carrier (minimum of40 oz+), and a RED blinking light. 2.  Poles are permissible 3.  Leave No Trace 4.  No cutting the course or switchbacks5.  Check into all aid stations6.  Obey any race officials request7.  No muling from pacers8.  Only one pacer at a time9.  Crews only allowed access at designated aid stations10. Be courteous to other trail users11.  Runners must have a red flashing light on their back during ALL non-daylighthours and especially on road sections of the course. 12. In case you need to drop, please turn in your bib to the nearest aid station. HELLBENDER 100 | PAGE 4

   PACERS All pacers must abide by the rules set forth below: 1.   One pacer per runner at a time. 2.  Each pacer must sign a release form before participating. 3.  Pacers must be 18 years of age or older. 4.  Each pacer must wear a bib that corresponds to their runner's bib number. 5.  Pacers must check into and out of aid stations. 6.  Pacers must stay with their runner at all times. In case of an emergency, pacer may go ahead to the next aid station for help. 7.  Changing of pacers can only happen at crew accessible locations. 8.  Pacers cannot \"mule\" any items for their runner. 9.  Pacers must enter and exit aid stations at the same time as their runner. 10. Pacers must follow any and all rules that are set forth for runners, including mandatory gear requirements. CREW All crew members must abide by the rules set forth below: 1.  A crew member is defined as a person who provides material support to a runner. 2. Crews can only meet and assist their runners at designated points on the course. 3.  Crews must adhere to instructions of all aid stational personnel or race officials. 4.  Crew must stay within a 200 yard radius of the aid station while attending to their runner. 5.  Crew will be limited to one vehicle. Please display your crew vehicle card on the dashboard in plain view. 6.  Crews must obey ALL speed limits. 7.  Crews must never park in a way to block traffic, trailheads, or other cars. All    four wheels must be completely off the roadway.  8.  Littering is STRICTLY prohibited! 9.  Failure to follow rules will result in the disqualification of your runner. HELLBENDER 100 | PAGE 5

DROP BAGSAll drop bags must be brought to the start of the race.  Close your bag securely andlabel it with Runner Name and Runner Bib #. Bags may not be larger than the size ofa small backpack. If you show up with a big plastic bin, duffle bag, or overly large bag,then we will not take it to the drop off point. You should have a bag that has room forone (1) pair of shoes, a couple layers of clothing and some nutrition.We will do our best to get these items back to the start as soon as possible after thelas runner passes the aid station. We cannot mail drop bags post-race. We will leaveall drop bags outside the start/finish. All unclaimed drop bags will either be donatedor disposed. WEATHERSpring weather in Western North Carolina can be very unpredictable. It could be verywarm but snow has been recorded every month of the year in the Black Mountains.Also with the large elevation changes, temperature swings are often 15-20 degreesfrom the valleys to the top of the mountains.Fogged in conditions are common in the early mornings and you can experience popup thunderstorms in the afternoon. Be prepared with an extra layer of clothing and awaterproof jacket. Trail conditions will vary as well. With the leaves down on the trailbed, wet conditions can make it unusually slick, especially on the rocks and roots. Butthe views through the trees will be breathtaking!COURSE MARKINGSThe course will be marked with blue arrows along with blue and white checkeredribbons. Please DO NOT tamper with or remove course markings! HELLBENDER 100 | PAGE 6

ENTER THEBEAST OF THE EAST HELLBENDER 100 | PAGE 7

COURSE MAP*Turn-by-turn directions can be found on the website at hellbender100.com/courseNational Geographic maps of the Linville/Mt.Mitchell (770) can be purchased at your local runningor outdoor store. HELLBENDER 100 | PAGE 8

HELLBENDER 100 | PAGE 9SNOITATS DIA :001 REDNEBLLEH

CREW DIRECTIONS FROM AID STATION TO AID STATION There are a total of 5 crew / pacer accessible aid stations along the course. Two of the aid stations, Curtis Creek and Briar Bottom, you will visit twice. Start Finish   985 Camp Grier Rd, Old Fort, NC 28762    campgrier.org Crew Access - Yes GPS Coordinates  35.64308, -82.19450 To Aid Station # 3 @ 23.6 miles (Driving 9.1 Miles / 24 Minutes from Start) Curtis Creek Campground Parking Area The is a full service aid station with medical Crew Access - Yes Drop Bag - Yes Head southwest on Camp Grier Rd .9 miles Turn left onto State Rd 1400 .9 miles Turn left onto US 70E/Main Street 2.1 miles Turn left onto Curtis Creek Rd 5.0 miles GPS Coordinates 35.69117, -82.19653 HELLBENDER 100 | PAGE 10

To Aid Station # 4 @ 31.6 miles (Driving 14.7 Miles / 46 Minutes from Aid Station #3) Briar Bottom Campground - 501 Briar Bottom Rd Burnsville, NC 28714 This is a full service aid station with medical Crew Access - Yes   Drop Bag - Yes Head north on Curtis Creek Rd 5.5 miles Turn right on Blue Ridge Parkway  3.4 miles Turn left onto NC 80N  2.3 miles Turn left onto South Toe River Rd 3.4 miles GPS Coordinates 35.74709, -82.22533 Aid Station # 6 @ 44.6 miles (Driving 7.2 Miles / 18 Minutes from Aid Station #4) Colberts Creek Trailhead 296 Colbert's Creek Rd Burnsville, NC 28714 This is a full service aid station with medical Crew Access - Yes Pacer Yes - Due to limited parking, a crew member can only drop off a pacer at this location. Drop Bag - Yes Head back out of Briar Bottom Campground Turn left onto South Toe River Rd 3.4 miles Turn left onto NC 80N 3.4 miles Turn left onto Colberts Creek Rd .3 miles GPS Coordinates 35.80654, -82.20559   HELLBENDER 100 | PAGE 11

Aid Station # 9 @ 65.3 miles (Driving 7.2 Miles / 18 Minutes from Aid Station #6)Briar Bottom Campground - 501 Briar Bottom Rd Burnsville, NC 28714This is a full service aid station with medicalCrew Access - Yes  Drop Bag - YesPacer - YesTurn left onto Colbert Creek Rd .3Turn right onto NC 80N  3.4 milesTurn right onto South Toe River Rd 3.4 milesGPS Coordinates 35.74709, -82.22533Aid Station # 10 @74.0 miles (Driving 14.7 Miles / 46 Minutes from Aid Station #9)Curtis Creek Campground Parking AreaThis is a full service aid station with medicalCrew Access - Yes  Drop Bag - YesPacer - YesTurn right onto South Toe River Rd 3.4 milesTurn right onto NC 80N  2.3 milesTurn right onto Blue Ridge Parkway  3.4 milesTurn left onto Curtis Creek Rd 5.5 milesGPS Coordinates 35.69117, -82.19653  HELLBENDER 100 | PAGE 12

Blue Ridge Parkway Crossings (National Park)There will be six (6) Blue Ridge Parkway Crossings at four crossing points. See mapsection below. There is no crew or pacer access allowed at any BRP crossing point.The GPS Coordinates are as follows:1.  35.71210, -82.274792.  35.71028, -82.243343.  35.71810, -82.222604.  35.73652, -82.192795.  35.71028, -82.24334 Same as #26.  35.71210, -82.27479 Same as #1There will be crossing marshals assigned to each location and fluids will beavailable for self-service by the runners at crossing #1, #4, #6Crews will be accessing aid stations on both sides of the Parkway and will bedriving on sections of the Parkway. Please be advised that National Park Servicerangers frequently patrol the Parkway. Adhere to all speed limits and park only indesignated pull off areas. HELLBENDER 100 | PAGE 13

  CUTOFFS All runners must leave each aid station below before the posted cutoff time to continue in the race. If you reach or leave the aid stations below after the posted cutoff times, you will be pulled from the course and you will receive a DNF.  The course has a 40 hour time limit. RUNNER NAVIGATION & COURSE TRACKING We are please to announce that the Hellbender One Hundred, in conjunction with a company called RaceJoy, will be providing participants with the opportunity to use a new mobile phone app for navigation and runner tracking during the race. As we all know, cell service is often weak or non-existent, for remote races such as the Hellbender. RaceJoy, which currently provides races timing services for hundreds of running, cycling, and triathlon events, has developed an application that will keep track of runner location, store that information on the phone, and then update runner status to the cloud when cell phone coverage is restored. The application also provides on course alerts to participants, such as upcoming turns or course direction changes even when there is no cell coverage. The mobile app is free to download and comes in Apple and Android formats. Race Joy will be providing coverage as complimentary service during the Hellbender One Hundred. Use of the app is totally voluntary and will not be used by race organizers for any official tracking or timing results for this race. For participants that elect to use the service we will appreciate your feedback on how the application works and any suggestions or comments you may have. Specific instructions on how to download, install, and activate the RaceJoy app will be communicated nearer to race day.  HELLBENDER 100 | PAGE 14

2018 SPONSORS HELLBENDER 100 | PAGE 15

NC MOUNTAIN TRAIL RUNNERS The North Carolina Mountain Trail Runners (NCMTR) is dedicated to advocating for our trails, maintaining our trails, and bringing together our trail running community through club events. NCMTR is supported by the RUN828 Foundation. FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER, VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.run828foundation.com/ncmtr