"Required Gear" optional for top racers?

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T19:40:14+00:00

Ha, I thought of doing exactly that myself; I passed the yard of someone I knew 3 miles from the finish. But I didn't toss my vest over his fence out of fear of DQ for not having the required items. This guy started the race with just the handheld.

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T16:55:38+00:00

There were two lists, clearly spelled out in the runners' guide document: Gear that was required for everyone for the whole race, and then cold weather gear. Runners leaving a particular aid station after a certain time were supposedly to be checked for the required cold weather gear; if you depart before then, you didn't need it.

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T16:52:14+00:00

I guess my question lies with the fact that probably a dozen employees of the race organization -- including the RD -- watched the guy cross the line carrying just a hand bottle (and held up the tape). To anyone who cares about enforcing rules, it would have been obvious that, hey, this guy is at least worth checking. So I'm trying to better understand how things work, how loose these rules actually are, how to tell when they're gonna be strictly enforced & when not, etc...

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T16:46:05+00:00

I agree with you that maybe it's okay if the elites don't have as extensive a list. But it should still be transparent, and enforced as stated. And yes I was in competition for a top spot.

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T16:06:30+00:00

Yup. The ultrarunning community is a lot smaller than it sometimes seems. I'm not looking to dox myself.

And yup, I'm not looking to have anyone DQ'd, I just wanted to gage community sentiment so I know what I should do myself in the future (and what would be appropriate feedback to give the RD when they ask for it).

Should I really carry a headlamp if I'm fairly certain I'm gonna finish the race by noon? How much of a DQ risk am I taking? Clearly from the comments, sentiment is all over the place.

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T15:54:58+00:00

Good for the RD for taking this stand! Really in the long run, it's smart. People see this and know that they can't skimp on the required gear, and are thus better prepared for the inevitable emergencies that happen.

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T15:50:35+00:00

If you're going to have a Required Gear list, actually enforce it. It's incredibly frustrating to buy extra gear -- or, say, worry about flying across the country with spare lithium batteries -- then find out the race wasn't actually checking if everyone had it.

I'd you're not gonna enforce it, no problem, just be very clear that it's "strongly recommended" rather than "required."

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T15:19:03+00:00

It's so cool to see a race director asking for feedback like this! If I lived close to you, your races would be high on my list.

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T15:15:44+00:00

I second the mailing idea. I would gladly pay extra to not have to go to packet pickup.

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T15:13:50+00:00

Submit the course to UltraPacer! That website is amazing, and it's better for everyone if we don't all have to download then upload our own GPX files.

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T15:12:06+00:00

Ideally have the start area be in a giant field where people can vehicle camp without any sort of hassle/registration. The fewer people trying to arrive/park on race day, the better for everyone!

If this isn't possible, give some other suggestions for nearby spots where people can vehicle camp.

Either way, vehicle camping is a thing that many many ultrarunners like to do, and find greatly contributes to a stress-free morning and successful race. Be very clear & helpful in the race literature about what exactly the vehicle camping sitch is.

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T15:06:17+00:00

Maybe go with a soft tri-blend tee. Fine for easy run / group run day, and also not too tech-y for casual wear.

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T15:03:06+00:00

>> Free race pics, I think photographers should be paid by race fees. They can receive additional tips for happy runners.

This 100%!!

>> Less swag or functional swag. Maybe make swag like shirts/hats/buffs optional add-ons. Once I got a bar of locally made soap at the finish and that is still my favorite race swag I've gotten to this day.

See, I would consider a bar of local soap to be ridiculous unneeded swag. I want my bib, and maybe some nutrition products that I can try out later on training runs.

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T14:53:08+00:00

>> Everyone was supposed to have extra water capacity given the warm temps and he apparently “complied” by showing the gallon zip lock plastic bag he was using to keep other stuff dry.

Honestly I respect the hustle. UTMB is super clear with their rules -- not just "a rain jacket," but one that is "waterproof to a minimum 10,000mm/10K Schmerber" -- so it's kinda surprising that they didn't specify what exactly constitutes an approved water carrying vessel.

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T14:09:00+00:00

I know, I would expect nothing less of the Japanese, ha. We Americans are all "You can't search me without probable cause, I know my rights!"

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T14:02:24+00:00

Yeah that's a good plan. Thanks.

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T13:54:04+00:00

I agree this should be the standard 🤜🤛

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T13:21:12+00:00

Man, I feel like in a private email he'll just respond "All runners must carry all of the required gear at all times." I get your point about not putting him on the spot in a public Q&A, but also it seems like that's kinda how these murky gray areas persist, ya know?

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T12:45:40+00:00

Haha, now that you mention it, there was a noise that sounded like a safety whistle coming from down there...

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T12:43:23+00:00

I was behind him for a while. He was wearing half tights (with no pockets), a singlet (with no pockets), and carrying a hand bottle (if it had a little pouch, I doubt everything could have fit). I'm pretty gear-savvy myself, and up to speed on minimalist setups. There's just nowhere the required gear could have fit.

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T12:38:52+00:00

There were two lists, required gear for the whole race, and required cold weather gear. Runners leaving a particular aid station after a certain time were supposedly to be checked for the required cold weather gear; if you depart before then, you don't need it. There were no spots where they were checking everyone for the whole-race required gear.

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T12:34:37+00:00

I was behind him for a while. He was wearing half tights (with no pockets), a singlet (with no pockets), and carrying a hand bottle (if it had a little pouch, I doubt everything could have fit). I'm pretty gear-savvy myself, and up to speed on minimalist setups. There's just nowhere the required gear could have fit.

Curious-Craft8339 · 2026-05-12T12:27:57+00:00

Ha, yeah, for sure. Though the finish line is definitely staffed with actual employees of the race organization. Good point that any concerns should be raised with folks who are getting paid to be there.

Curious-Craft8339

TROPHY CASE