Safety & Kit

Race to the Castle is fully licensed, insured and permitted event. We continue to work alongside all local authorities (Canal and River Trust & Local Councils) to ensure we host a safe, fun and inclusive event for all.

What are we doing to keep you safe

The route is very familiar to us. It’s our home waters. We have paddled this route many many times and clocked up the km’s in a variety of conditions. We have the skills and experience to let you know what to expect out on the route regarding weather and conditions and will share this information with you 1 week before, 1 day before and at briefing on the day of.

Everyone will also have access to our online maps highlighting check points, locks, first aid points and any hazards to be aware of. All participants will follow the navigational rules of the waterway. (River Right) event signage and updates on event day from the Race Director.

Pre regestration

1. Event open to paddlers 18yrs old and over.

2.A.All paddlers must register for the event and attend the safety briefing on the day of the event.

2.B All paddlers must have familiarised themself with the published route, points and hazards ahead of event day.

3.A. You have the necessary experience, skill and stamina to take part in the event.

3.B. You have the ability to paddle unaided for 40km in a varied (possibly choppy) conditions.

3.C. You have experience paddling on a river.

4. You have understood the pacing, timings for your specific category.

5. You understand and acknowledge that SUP can be potentially dangerous and that there are inherent risks, which may result in serious injury to yourself. You also understand that water and general weather can act in a sudden, unpredictable and changeable way. You declare that you can confidently swim a minimum of 100 meters unaided in a PFD and can self rescue and have the ability to repeatedly remount your SUP Board without external assistance as a result from a fall.

6. You agree to the following Mandatory Kit List.

Mandatory Kit List

This will be checked on registration, Gunthorpe CP and at the end (not because we are dictators and rules for rules sake….but because if sh*t goes down, we want you to have access to some basic stuff that will help you) You can of course add more items, that suits your needs and strategy.

Emergency Kit

The following 4 items below MUST be carried on your person, in your PFD pocket or bum bag.

* Fully charged mobile phone, with access to the internet and in a dry bag. You will have the Race Director, Deputy and Head of participants welfare telephone number pre programmed in your phone. You will have joined the event day WhatsApp group and have notifications on loud. This information will also be on a sticker that you have attached to your board. Your event tracker is via the webscorer app that you will have downloaded, opted in on that will be running in the background on your phone.

* Foil Blanket - The Marathon style one.

* Sugary snack & spare hydration.

* Cash / Bank card.

2. Equipment

* Inflatable Board, fin, paddle, leash, personal flotation device (PFD). Your PFD must be body worn. Not an inflatable waist pfd.

3. Clothing

* Suitable clothing that is reactive to the weather.

* Footwear must be worn at the locks. No barefoot portaging/walking.

* Consider sun protection, rain, cold temperature.

* Full change of clothing available at the end of the race. We will transport this for you.

* Access to change / spares during the event (spares on board?)

Dedicated First Aid Provision

We have a dedication team of professional first aiders at Gunthorpe CP & at the end at Newark Castle. Their sole focus will be welfare checking on all participants and be ready able to provide any necessary care required.

Additional to this, supporting along the route, we will have our team of RLSS Open Water Lifeguard Instructors who also hold their Emergency First Aid Certification and be able to provide any necessary care required.

There will be a physiotherapist at the Castle, available to provide any necessary care required.

Hydration & Nutrition

Paddlers are required to begin the race carrying their own water. We highly recommend using a hydration bladder in your PFD or wear the rucksack type on top of your PFD rather than relying on a water bottle on your board. At all locks and at the finish there will be access to free drinking water and snacks to help re-supply paddlers with water.

We ask you to consider and plan your fuel needs ahead of event day. Our coaches will be providing a free online zoom training session mid March to support you in your fuel needs.

For the safety of all participants there will be a mandatory 10min break for all racers at Gunthorpe Lock. You’ll arrive at this checkpoint/cut off point and then your 10min will begin. Here, our team of volunteers and first aid support will welfare check you and get you ready for your next stage. You can of course have a longer break, but you need to manage your timings to meet the next cut off check point.

How will I know where I am? How will you know where I am?

* Tracker. You are tracked. We can see you. Not in a weird stalker way though. Our Race Director, Head of First Aid and Head of Participant Welfare will all be able to see you and track your progress. On event day, behind the scenes there is a military operation happening. We have eyes on you in person at the CPs and virtually via the tracker app. Your tracker is included in your entry fee. All participants will download the webscorer app, log into the race and Voila you will be visible.

* Map. You can also print, laminate and wack it on your board your R2TC map and for those who like tech, there will be a gpx. file available that you can program into your watch.

*Everyone will also have access to our online maps highlighting check points, locks, first aid points and any hazards to be aware of. All participants will follow the navigational rules of the waterway, event signage and updates on event day from the Race Director.

Communication on event day

You will have preprogrammed the Race Directors & Head of Participant Welfare contact details into your phone and have their numbers on a sicker attached to your board and they will be available to take your call. There will also be an event day WhatsApp group that all communication will be shared in. Your event tracker is via the webscorer app that you will have downloaded, opted in on that will be running in the background on your phone.

Retirement from the event

1. I have had fun day, but I want to retire from the race

Our aim is to see and cheer you all in at The Castle in Newark, but we aren’t the boss of you. If on event day you decide you have had enough fun and you want to retire from the race early, that is Aokay. Gunthopre Lock CP (16.4km) is the easiest and preferred place for you to retire from.

Here you must phone and inform the Head of Participant Welfare and inform them of your retirement. This number will be stored in your mobile phone. Once contacted, feel free to make your way to the castle or back to Nottingham for the celebrations.

2. Cut Off Times & Welfare Checks.

These are designed to keep you paddling at a pace and to ensure everyone participating has the skills, stamina and strength to complete the event. For your safety and your wellbeing if you are unable to meet the required cut off times you will be asked to retire from the event, return your bib and disable your tracker. If our safety team at Gunthorpe have concerns over your health and well-being, they have the full authority to revoke the option to continue paddling past the checkpoints, and they can insist that a paddler retires from the event if they deem the paddler unfit to continue. This may be due to extreme fatigue, poor nutrition, injury etc. If the paddler does not appear coherent/appears confused/losing coordination/motor skills/etc., our team has the authority to insist the paddler stop paddling. Please accept this with grace. These cut-off times are for your safety. 

Paddler etiquette

* We ask the full R2TC24 community to be respectful and supportive of all paddlers. If you see a paddler in distress, you must stop and offer support. We will make any necessary time adjustments.

* At the locks. The wave start time will help ease congestion at the locks, but we do ask of the support of the full R2TC Community of all paddlers to ensure the smooth and respectful exit & re - entries onto the River. Use these known points in your event strategy, take a rest, stretch, take something to eat.

*All paddlers must portage all locks. Going through the locks is not permitted.

* A reminder that we will be sharing the waterway and tow path at the start, finish and locks with members of the public and to follow all event directional signage. All portages will be keep right on the tow path and no running with boards. This will allow a safe shared space.

Weather

Our prayers to the weather gods have all ready begun, we ask you to pray for a sunny spring day with cloud cover, tailwind and a lovely flowing river ;)

It is your responsibility to ensure you have the skills, stamina and experience to paddle in the conditions on race day. We will brief you 1 week before, 1 day before and at briefing on event day on what the weather and conditions are predicting and what to expect out on the route.

Our dynamic risk assessment includes reacting to weather and river conditions. In the unlikely event of adverse, unsafe weather with a weather warning in place on race day, the event will be postponed. All participants entries will be rolled over.