Updated Oct. 24, 2008

NENSA Event Organizers’ Handbook

October, 2008 Edition

About NENSA

The New England Nordic Ski Association has been involved with the promotion of ski races in New England since 1996. At that time NENSA offered liability insurance to race organizers, a calendar listing service, a race hotline, and a one-page sheet of Race Organizer’s Guidelines. In the years since there has been a notable improvement in race quality and consistency, and number of athletes participating has grown dramatically. Along with this growth and improvement has come additional interest from race organizers in hosting major events. As interest has grown, so have expectations. These days a NENSA Eastern Cup, Marathon Series, Citizen Series, or Championship event entails months of hard work and organization. This handbook can be used to help organizers construct bids for major events, and to help run those events to the expectations of the skiing public.

NENSA events serve many purposes beyond providing a timed course for racers. Races are the primary vehicle through which NENSA can direct the development of ski racers and skiing communities. Eastern Cup, Marathon Series, Club Series and Championship race organizers are partners with NENSA in building success at all levels of the sport. Many of the specifics in this handbook reflect specific development goals and priorities, and the efforts of the organizing committee to meet those goals are paramount to the long terms success of xc ski racing in New England.

Overview

The NENSA calendar regularly lists over 50 events every season. Of those a handful are awarded to bidding organizers that meet NENSA specifications for running major events. This handbook is written to aid event organizers in running major events and to answer many of the questions that will arise during the bidding and event organization process.

Other event organizers may also find the general guidelines in this guide helpful in planning their events.

A bid by an organizer to host a major event constitutes an agreement to work with NENSA to produce an extremely high quality event. All bids are subject to the specifications outlined in this handbook. At a minimum, all Eastern Cup and Championship event organizers are expected to meet the following expectations.

Membership: NENSA Members receive a $10 discount at all Eastern Cup Events. NENSA Membership is required for Eastern High School and J2 Championship events. It is the responsibility of the race organizer to ensure that all racers pay the correct entry fee. See Entries & Registration section for details.
Seeding: All Eastern Cup and Championship events are seeded by NENSA and emailed to the timer and organizers.
User Fee, aka “head tax”: For Eastern Cup events, a $10 per racer user fee will be itemized and billed to the race organizer and is due no later than two weeks from the race date. The fee is $20 per skier for Championship Events. A User Fee will not be charged to BKL skiers or complimentary entries mandated by NENSA.
Elite Team Entries: NENSA Elite Team skiers receive complimentary entries to all Eastern Cup events. No user fee will be billed on these

entries.

BKL Events: All Eastern Cup events should try to accommodate athletes of all ages, including the Koch League. It is recommended that the local BKL club run the BKL portion of the Eastern Cup event.
Race Fees: The recommended maximum entry for for pre-registered athletes in an Eastern Cup event is $30. Many organizers charge $25. The recommended maximum entry for the Eastern High School or J2 Championships is $95 including the banquet. Entry fees are set when a

bid is accepted.

Entry Deadline: A mailed in entry deadline of three days prior to the event is recommended for Eastern Cup events, online registration should stay open until 3 days prior to the event. A late entry fee of $40 or more is recommended for late registrations or day-of-race entries.
Course Preview: Courses should be properly marked, groomed, and mapped by noon of the day before the race. There will be no charge for course inspection after 3:00 PM. In the event that the course is closed for grooming after 3:00PM, there will be no charge for course inspection after noon. No charge all day is preferrable.
PA System: Organizers must provide an announcer and a PA system for music, commentary, and announcements during race day. The PA system should be clearly audible from the entire stadium and surrounding area.

Sponsorship

Rights to Sponsorship

NENSA has four main sources of revenue: memberships, race sanctions, contributions and sponsorship. Sponsorship comprises over 50% of NENSA’s income. Without the support of sponsors, NENSA would be unable to provide anything more than a bare-bones listing service to race organizers and racers.

In order to secure sponsorship NENSA reserves the rights to Title and Associate Sponsorship of all Eastern Cup and Championship events. Event organizers may solicit supporting sponsors, but NENSA must be informed of any plans for solicitation and updated on negotiations. In cases of sponsorship conflict, NENSA commitments will be honored and race organizers must make alternative arrangements. In the event that NENSA negotiates a major sponsor in conflict with an existing event sponsor, every effort will be made by NENSA to accommodate the existing sponsor as appropriate.

NENSA has, and will continue to make every effort to work with race organizers on sponsorship issues. As long as all issues are communicated in a timely fashion, there should be no problem that can not be easily overcome.

Sponsor Accommodation

Race organizers are expected to accommodate NENSA sponsors by arrangement. NENSA representatives will communicate all sponsor needs to the race organizer in enough time to make arrangements. The following check list based upon existing sponsorship relationships will provide an understanding of the general requirements.

- Promotion Vehicles: A promotional vehicle may be scheduled at
- every NENSA Eastern Cup and Championship Event. Organizers are expected to help find suitable display sites for promotional vehicles.
Banners: For every Eastern Cup and Championship event Start and Finish banners will be provided, and must be used. A number of additional promotional banners will be available, and organizers are expected to help NENSA representatives make use of these banners.
Bibs: NENSA will provide bibs for all Eastern Cup and Championship events. These bibs must be used exclusively.
PA System Support: The announcer will be expected to make use of

provided promotional materials.

• Corporate Presence: Sponsors may desire a corporate presence at selected events. This may include display items, corporate personnel and guests. Organizers are expected to help facilitate a corporate

presence.

• Presense of Non-Sponsors: Only sponsors may set up at NENSA events. Local organizing committees have full rights to selling sponsorships at the associate level and below that do not conflict with

NENSA sponsors.

Organization

Club Involvement

Organizing and running a big race requires the help of quite a number of people. A properly staffed race can require 50 workers (or more!) by the time registration, start, finish, course marshalling, timing and awards are all taken into consideration. It is unrealistic to run a race without the help of many, many volunteers.

NENSA has promoted the involvement of clubs in development for several years. One of the factors that figures most heavily into the strength of a club is its ability to organize an event. Clubs that regularly run strong events tend to be organized in other areas as well. One of the beneficial side-effects that NENSA expects from any race organization effort is a strengthened club organization.

Recognizing the need for staff and the benefits of club involvement all around, it is expected that all Eastern Cup and Championship organizers will be affiliated with a NENSA club and will make use of the club structure in staffing the race.

In order to receive a major event, any bidding organization - including a commercial touring center - must state a club affiliation and is expected to make use of the club structure to staff the race with volunteers. First preferrence in awarding events with be given to bidding organizations with club backing.

Organizing Committee

In order to ensure a realistic division of labor and level of organization, an organizing committee must be named with every race bid submitted. The organizing committee should begin working from the time it receives the event bid to ensure that timely preparations are underway. At a minimum, the following positions in the Organizing Committee should be filled. No person should hold more than one position on the Organizing Committee.

Chief of Competition - Ultimately responsible for all aspects of the

event.

Race Secretary - Responsible for the orderly flow of information including all paperwork, published race information, entries, running orders, and printed results.

Club Contact/Volunteer Coordinator - Responsible for organizing sufficient volunteer staffing for the event.

TD -A Technical Delegate and assistant TD will be named for the event by NENSA. The TD will communicate with the chief of Competition in advance of the race to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to ensure the quality of the event and fairness of the race.

Fees:

-NENSA pays per diem of $50.00 per day per TD.

-Race Site pays for food, lodging and mileage for each TD.

For Citizen Series events, TD’s are available for the same fee structure. Race site should contact NENSA for more information about getting a TD for their event.

Other members may be added to the Organizing Committee as necessary. The complexity of lead-up arrangements will vary from race to

race depending on the race facilities and the relationship between the

organizers and the race site.

Organizing Committee Checklist

Please see Organizational Chart on Organizer’s CD or more detailed

timeline and breakdown of tasks.

At least two weeks prior to the event the Organizing Committee should

be sure that:

__ Volunteers are solicited, assigned race duties, and trained.

__ Timing arrangements are made or timing service contracted.

__ Lead-up course preparation is supervised.

__ Sufficient toilets are provided (one toilet for every 50 at a

minimum).

__ Sufficient parking is provided and arrangements made for

emergency plowing. __ Awards/prize table donations are solicited & commitments

made.

__ Indoor space is arranged allowing for sufficient space for all

racers and spectators in the event of bad weather.

__ PA system & announcer are secured. __ Emergency medical plan is in place.

Race Officials

For the days leading up to the race and race day itself, race officials should be named to ensure that the various components of a good competition go smoothly. The core group of race officials, including the Chief of Race, reports to the TD.

Chief of Race – Likely to be the Chief of Competition, the Chief of Race is responsible for seeing that all race officials have their respective tasks under control.

Race Secretary - Responsible for start lists, information sheets, registration, distribution of bibs, and printed results.

Chief of Course – Responsible for course layout, grooming, and

marking.

Chief of Timing – Responsible for timing and calculation.

Race Jury – Each NENSA Eastern Cup and Championship Event is governed by a jury with at least three members. The jury is composed of: Race Director, NENSA Rep, and Technical Delegate (TD.) For sprint races, the jury is expanded to five members with two assistant Technical Delegates added to the jury. The TD will set meeting times for the Jury, normally one-half hour before the start of the race, and one-half hour after the finish of the race. The Jury decides by majority vote on changes to the course or race schedule, and on protests. The TD will not vote unless a tie-breaking vote is necessary.

Volunteers

If the organizing committee and race officials (usually volunteers themselves) provide the backbone to a successful event, the volunteers provide the lifeblood. Volunteers are asked to staff registration and start and finish crews, marshal the course, collect bibs, and more. In order to be effective, volunteers must have a clear understanding of what is expected of them and it is the ultimate responsibility of the Chief of Race to see that all race officials have their volunteer crews equipped and informed as necessary.

Course Preparation

Stadium Layout

The stadium should be constructed to provide an exciting, fair start and

finish. It should also allow for clean skier traffic flow to and from the start/

finish area. The stadium should be clearly marked by fences and barricades to

make the flow of traffic absolutely clear.

Start Area

__ The start area should be clearly marked with a start banner, should be easily accessible to the racers, and should be within earshot of the warm-up area. There should be enough space for racers to move around before their start and there should be designated places to leave warm-up clothes.

__ For individual start races, a single primary start lane should be prepared with a clearly marked second lane for late starts. __ For mass starts an appropriate number of start lanes should be

provided. An arrowhead start is preferred with the top ranked

skier seeded at the tip of the arrow.

__ For mass start freestyle events, a double-pole zone is recommended. This zone should be at least 50 meters long, clearly marked, and set with tracks spaced at least one meter

apart on center.

__ For mass start events, markers by bib number will be needed to set up the staging area of the start.

Finish Area

__ The finish line should be placed to allow for at least 50 meters of straight, relatively flat skiing before the finish. A finish zone of between 50 meters and 100 meters before the finish line should be clearly marked. There should be plenty of room for overtaking another skier without calling for track in the finish zone. At least three full lanes, preferably four, should be prepared and marked in the finish zone. Lane markings must be used, but should allow skiers to change lanes in case of

overtaking.

__ The finish line should be straight and clearly marked. A painted 2x4 set just below the snow surface and kept clear of snow provides a good finish line.

__ The finish pen should be large enough so that skiers can slow down after the finish without running into one another. The finish pen should be enclosed with only one exit through which skiers may pass after returning their race bibs.

Grooming

Grooming for race day should be scheduled to provide the best possible race conditions. At times this may mean grooming very late at night, or very early in the morning. The TD will work with the Chief of Course to determine

the best time for grooming.

Skate Races __ For skate races, no classic tracks should be set anywhere on the course, including downhills.

__ The course for a skate race should be groomed to maximum width (recommended minimum of 16 feet), and should allow for unimpeded passing everywhere.

__ For mass-start skate races and other head-to-head skate formats trail width is paramount.

Classic Races

__ For individual start classic races, the course should be prepared using a single “best-line track” for all but the finish zone.

__ For head-to-head classic formats, the course should be prepared with double tracks spaced at least 1.5 meters apart. Start and finish zones should have the appropriate number of lanes. Four to six tracks should be prepared if possible for the first kilometer of the course.

__ Tracks should be removed on any corner that cannot be negotiated in the tracks with relative ease. For head-to-head classic formats difficult downhill sections should have only one

track.

Course Marking

Race courses should be clearly marked for preview the day before the race and for race day. All intersections should be flagged or barricaded so that there is no question where the course goes. If different classes use different courses, then different colored markings should be used to designate those courses.

Racers appreciate kilometer markings at each kilometer of the course.

In the case of multi-lap races, the lap and finish lanes must be clearly marked. It is the responsibility of the racer to count laps, and course marshals should not physically prevent racers from taking an apparently wrong turn.

The stadium should also be marked to clearly direct racer and spectator traffic to appropriate areas.

Spectator Access & Course Control

Courses should remain open to spectator traffic during the race except in sprint competitions when racers are actually on course. If course conditions demand that the course be closed to all but racers the race organizer may close the course. Race organizers should limit race traffic to the forward direction of travel only. In general, coaches and spectators should be allowed on the course and free to move on the course in the proper direction. Course monitors can remind non-racers on the course to yield to racers.

In the event that the course must be closed to spectator and coach traffic, every effort must be made to provide alternative access to points on the course.

Entries & Registration

It is the responsibility of the race organizer to handle all race entries and to determine that all entries are in order before bib pick-up.

Online registration is handled through NENSA’s website and NENSA staff can help you set it up.

NENSA Membership

NENSA members receive a discount at all Eastern Cup and Championship events. NENSA will provide an up-to-date membership list to the race organizer during the week before the race. It is the responsibility of the race organizer to check the membership status of each entry, to make note of any entries who are not current members, and to collect appropriate fees from racers.

Any non-members or non-current members should be encouraged to purchase a membership at registration. It is the responsibility of therace organizer to set up and staff an area at registration where these memberships are sold. If an athlete chooses to purchase a membershipat registration, they should receive the discount for that event.

Membership Sales

NENSA will provide membership forms to the race organizers. These membership forms offer full membership. The race organizers should collect all payment for membership and pass all membership forms along to NENSA. NENSA will bill the race organizer for memberships sold as part of the user fee. The race organizer will be credited $2 on every membership sold.

Bib pickup/Registration

Day-of-race registration and bib pick-up should accommodate the needs of all competitors as efficiently as possible. Pre-registered racers who are current members and have paid their entry fee should be able to collect their bib with a very short wait in line. They should not be expected to wait in a line with day-of-race registrants or “problem” registrants.

Day-of-race registration is recommended, but not required. Race directors must declare registration expectations before the Winter Event Guide is published. Day-of-race registrants must show a current NENSA membership card as proof of membership or printed “Welcome Letter” from NENSA.

The customer is always right, but should be charged the higher non-member rate if they can not show proof of current membership as specified above.

Registration Set-up Checklist

__ Separate lines for pre-registration bib pick-up and day-of-race registration are required. __ A separate “problem desk” for unpaid entries and nonmembers is strongly suggested.

__ Pre-packaging school team bibs together so that they may be picked up by one person will save time for everybody. __ A start list and a race information sheet should be provided to every racer at bib pick-up.

Seeding

Draws must be conducted according to the following specifications.

NENSA Staff will seed all Eastern Cup events.

__ Men’s and women’s events are seeded, drawn, and run separately.

__ J2s will be run separately from the other age classes, seeded as a single, randomly ordered group EXCEPT when J2 Girls race same distance as Women in individual start races.

Seed Groups

__ Eastern Cup events are seeded according to NENSA, USSA, and FIS points, not age-groups. NENSA will seed all Eastern Cups and produce start lists with review by the race jury. Day of race and late

registrants are placed at the end of the start list.

__ Seed Group Running Order

Individual Starts -

The seed groups will normally be run in a B,A,C, D order. In the event that earlier or later start times are deemed advantageous because of snow conditions the organizer may consult with the TD and a NENSA representative and choose to run the seedgroups in a different order.

Mass Start and Sprint Events -In mass start and sprint events, the A-seed and B-seeds are run according to rank, with the best athlete starting first. The C-seed is sorted randomly and follows the B-seed. The D-seed is run in order of registration.

Start Lists

__ Start lists should list each racer’s name, NENSA #, class, club,

and start time.

o Start times should be listed as time-of-day.
o Start lists should not list seed groups.

__ For all events, 50 printed copies of start lists should be available for spectators and coaches at the beginning of bib pick-up.

Special Note on Seeding EHSC and J2 Champs

For mass start events in the Eastern High School Championships and the J2 Championships and National Invitational, seeding will be done according to NENSA points. Stadium will be set up in an arrowhead start format. Top 15 are seeded in a modified arrowhead. After that the

next row is 9 rows wide with 2 lanes for each state (one for NY) filled however the coaches desire.

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

ME NH VT MA NY ME NH VT MA

The Day Before

NENSA staff (and often Technical Delegate) arrive in time for course review and meeting with Chief of Competition and other chiefs the day before major events.

Online Virtual Team Captain’s Meeting (VTCM)

Note that most items on this list can be prepared weeks before the

actual event. NENSA staff is standing by to post information for your race as soon as you send it along. Staff is also prepared to make adjustments and add material in the days leading up to race day.

VTCM includes at minimum: __ Start Lists (created by NENSA Staff for all except SuperTours) __ Course maps __ Stadium map __ Team Captains Info Document Could also include: __ Profiles __ Site map __ Seed list

Topics to be included in the Team Captains Info Document __ Jury and Organizing Committee intro– race HQ location __ Weather __ Seeding description – age group relevance __ Stadium directions __ Course directions- course preparation – snow condition __ Warm up and testing arrangements __ Parking, registration, bib pick up

__ Specific instructions from TD __ General info from OC – prize giving, amenities for competitors __ General info from NENSA __ Acknowledgement of sponsors

Race Day

Scheduling the Day

The day should be scheduled to allow realistic time for bib pick-up, starts, race completions, results calculations and awards. The schedule should be published and distributed with start lists. The schedule should be followed as closely as possible with full use of a PA system to keep

racers and spectators apprised of the pace of events.

Start Times

__ Recommended start time for the first classes at Saturday Eastern Cup events is 11:00 AM. Recommended start time for Sunday Eastern Cup events is 10:00 AM. Exceptions may be made for Sprint races or those with exceptionally large fields like Super Tours.

__ BKL events run in conjunction with Eastern Cup events may start earlier than 10:00 AM.

__ Starts should be scheduled so that skiers of comparable ability are on the course at the same time. In case of a multi-lap event it may be necessary to run some classes to completion before

starting others.

__ Starts should be scheduled realistically, but breaks should be kept to a minimum.

Awards

__ A "flower ceremony" recognizing the top 3 finishers in each race should take place as soon as unofficial results are tabulated. A small prize such as flowers, food product, or local souvenir should be given.

__ Awards should be scheduled as soon as possible after the final race of the day. Skiers should be given ample prior notice. __ Awards should be presented based on unofficial results.

Start Procedures

Races should be started on schedule, with frequent PA announcements stating the official time of day.

Interval Starts

__ The start should be staffed by at least two start officials

o The starter will give each racer a countdown and allow the racer to start at zero.
o The assistance starter will ensure that the racers start in order, that no racers move up in the starting order to fill the gap left by a ghost or non-starter, and that late starters do not interfere with scheduled starters.

Mass Starts __ The start should be staffed by enough people to help stage the seeded racers and to ensure that all racers are lined up in an orderly fashion. __ The starter will give necessary instructions and start commands. __ For mass starts a countdown is not recommended. Instead, the starter should give racers appropriate instructions, a 10 second warning, and a single start command. __ For freestyle mass starts a double-pole zone is recommended. For classic mass starts skiers should be free to ski using whatever classic technique they choose right from the start line. __ Arrow start 5 to 9 lanes depending on stadium size and trail width as the arrow enters the trail. __ 30 m of tracks beond the start line before the first scrub zone. __ For classical, tracks should drop half the number as the arrow nears the start of the ski trail. . __ For freestyle ,after the first 30 m the tracks should end and skiers are free to use the freestyle technique

__ Some type of marking needs to be used to place the skiers at their start positions with the skiers bib number on it.

__ The mass start is a seeded start with the skier with lowest points at the point of the arrow and the skier with the highest points last.

Sprint Heat Starts __ The start should be staffed by at least two start officials __ Six start lanes are required __ Athletes choose lanes using the following: In Round 1, first choice goes to top-ranked athlete from qualifying. In subsequent rounds, first choice goes to the winner of the previous round with the top rank from qualifying; second choice to the other winner from the previous round; third choice to the second place finisher from the previous round with the better rank from qualifying; fourth choice to the other second place finisher from the previous round. __ Starter calls athletes to the pre-start line. When ready, starter calls athletes to the start line. As soon as all athletes are settled at the start line, the start command is given.

Late Starters __ In all individual start formats, a late start lane should be provided. The assistant starter(s) should stop any late starter at the start lane, make sure that they will not interfere with scheduled starters, and allow the late starter to start. __ The assistant starter should write down the actual start time for any late starter. __ The first set of unofficial published results should show a time based on the scheduled start time of all late starters. Elapsed time should only be adjusted to reflect actual start time for late starters if a protest citing “force majeure” as the reason for the late start is upheld by the race jury. __ Racers who miss their published start time should not be issued

new start times.

Finish procedures

__ The finish area, including the finish zone and finish pen, should be well marked and fenced so that only finishers cross the finish

line.

__ Racers must choose a finish lane at the start of the finish zone and should not change lanes unless they are overtaking a slower racer and not obstructing another skier.

__ Racers do not have to yield track once they have reached the

marked finish zone.

__ Racers should be met by finish personnel after crossing the line. Finish personnel should keep finishers moving away from the finish line to avoid congestion, and should help racers remove their bibs when they are ready.

__ Water or sports drink is very much appreciated by racers after crossing the finish line. It is the responsibility of the race organizer to provide any finish line refreshments, though NENSA sponsors may be in a position to provide a product. Organizers should check with a NENSA representative to determine whether finish line refreshments are available.

Special Notes for Mass Start Finishes

__ For classical three to four lanes should be used these lanes

should be divided and be 1.2m to 2m center too center. __ For freestyle at least three lanes 3m wide and divided. __ The finish zone should be at least 80m to 100m long and strait.

The finish zone must be marked with a painted line in the snow

and a sign.

__ Beyond the finish line there should be another line called the red line where once crossed a finisher may stop and remove

skis.

Course monitors/marshals

__ Marshals should be placed on the race course wherever necessary to ensure the safety of the racers and spectators.

__ If course marshals are expected to change course markings or blockades between classes of a race they should be in radio contact with the chief of course to ensure that no racers are

misdirected.

__ Course marshals should ensure that the course is properly marked, but should never physically block the progress of a racer, even if the racer appears to be making a wrong turn. It is the sole responsibility of the racer to stay on the marked course.

Emergency Medical Planning

An emergency medical plan should be presented in written form at all race sites. The TD will check to ensure that this plan is in place. It should include: __ Detailing the quickest and safest access and exit routes to various points on the course. __ Names of people who are on the EMP Team.

__ Location of first aid equipment. __ Location of nearest available medical facility. At least one snowmobile staffed by an EMT or medical personnel

should be stationed at/near the start/finish line.

Timing & Results

There is no requirement for electronic timing at Eastern Cup or Championship Events that are not NRL events, however, it is highly recommended. IF the event is an USSA NRL Scored event electronic timing with a start wand must be used. Note that all Eastern Cups are USSA NRL events. Results must be available in a timely fashion, and even preliminary results must be typed.

Timing procedures

Electronic Timing

__ When start wands and electric eyes are used to time races, backup hand-timing must be run parallel to the electronic system.

__ In the event that there is a malfunction of the start wand that affects the times of a significant group of racers, published start times should be used in calculation for the entire field.

__ In the event that there is a malfunction of the electric eye that affects the times of a significant group of racers, hand-timing should be used in calculation for the entire field.

Bracket Format for Sprints Final Format for Sprints

Reporting and Precision of Times __ Times should be reported to the tenth of a second. If times are calculated automatically to greater precision they should be truncated to the tenth of a second. Ties to the truncated tenth of a second should be reported as ties. If hand timing is being used, results should be reported to the second (no tenths).

Unofficial/Official results

__ Unofficial results should be posted for each race as soon as possible. Most timing systems can produce results within 10 minutes of the last finisher. Anything more than 30 minutes is

too long.

__ When there are different classes racing different distances, results should be posted as soon as possible after the last finisher in each class.

__ Unofficial results should be posted in several locations with the time of posting written on them. The results become official upon the successful completion of a protest period (see Protests). Results must be available in a timely fashion.

Results Format

__ For Eastern Cup and Championship events, all racers of the same sex racing the same distance should appear on results in the order of their placement. Age-class places may be published on results, but the results should not be sorted by age-class.

__ Results must be provided to a NENSA representative in an Excel compatible file. __ The results header should contain:

o The event title (including the title sponsor)
o The event date
o The event format (for example, “Men’s 10K Classic Interval Start”
o Temperature and Conditions

o The Race Jury __ The results list should contain:

o Overall Place
o Bib number
o Name (First name Last name)
o NENSA number
o Class
o Class Place (optional)
o Club
o Hometown and State (if space is too tight, a separate set of results may be generated for the NENSA Media Coordinator, including hometown and state and omitting bib number, NENSA number, and club as necessary)
o Time

Sample Results Format:

Rumford TD BANKNORTH Eastern Cup November 12, 2019

Men’s 10K Classic Race Jury: Ted Gardner, TD Individual Start Roger Arsenault, Chief of Race

Dorcas Wonsavage, NENSA Temperature: 18ϒ F Conditions: Clear, Calm, Powder Snow

Pl Bib Name NENSA# Cl Club Town Time

1 83 Russell Boswell 36871 SR PSC Putney VT 18:23.2 2 88 Dan Brodhead 02859 SR CNSC Craftsbury VT 18:25.1 3 47 Max Wonsavage 38746 SR MNSC Hanover NH 18:25.3 3 46 Everett Caldwell 86932 J1 PSC Windham VT 18:25.3 5 22 Bob Gray 01455 MXI PSC Newbury VT 18:29.4 6 80 Dave Smutok 03850 MI CSU Wayland MA 18:29.6

Results Web Posting

__ For Eastern Cup and Championships, results are posted to the NENSA website from the race site by NENSA staff. Please be prepared to transfer correctly formatted Excel files to NENSA staff immediately following the conclusion of the final race. A hard-copy is also helpful for writing press releases.

__ For Citizen Series, Marathon Series, and all other events on the NENSA Calendar, results and press releases are posted from the home offices of NENSA staff. Please email your results and write-up to staff@nensa.net as soon as possible following your event. The “staff” email address goes to all NENSA staff members. All staff members are able to post results to the web.

__ NENSA members expect to see results at NENSA.net on the same day as the event. Please make it a priority to email them to staff@nensa.net immediately following your event.

Protests

__ There will be a protest period of 15 minutes from the time that unofficial results are posted. During that time any athlete or coach with a grievance may present a written protest to the race director, TD, or race secretary.

__ If a protest is filed the TD will call a Jury meeting. The Jury will hear the protest, and then make a majority decision. The TD will not vote unless a tie-breaking vote is necessary.

__ If a protest results in a change to the posted unofficial results, the adjusted results will be re-posted as unofficial results and a new protest period of one-half hour will begin.

Prizes/Awards

An awards ceremony is an important means of closure to a day of racing. In order to bring the day to an orderly and timely close the awards ceremony should be held on schedule, as close to the end of the race as possible. If there is a protest pending that may change the distribution of awards, the race organizer may choose to delay awards. Otherwise awards can be distributed based on unofficial results.

__ The awards ceremony should begin within 45 minutes of the end of

the race.

__ The awards ceremony should be organized and brief.

Race organizers are responsible for providing appropriate awards. Most organizers provide a prize table with merchandise that racers can choose from as they are recognized. Other organizers reserve prizes for specific placings.

While it is important to recognize the accomplishment of all competitors, awards should be organized to recognize the fastest skiers first and foremost.

__ Prizes should be awarded to the top three finishers overall men, overall women, J2 men, and J2 women. Most hosts will also choose to recognize Masters top-three finishers.

__ In the event that racers have a choice from the prize table they should be recognized in the following order:

o First place overall (men & women)
o Second place overall (men & women)
o Third place overall (men & women)
o First place age group skiers

__ The race organizer may choose to conduct a bib raffle for some prizes which should not replace a standard awards ceremony.

The Participants’ Experience

Event organizers should always kep in mind that they are providing a paid service to customers. The ultimate success of any race will be determined by the quality of the racers’ experience. Most race days are 4-5 hours long, not including travel. The racers should be relatively comfortable while they are not

racing.

The Particpants’s Day

__ Arriving at the event site it should be clear that there is an event scheduled, and parking should be easy to find. __ From the parking lot the participant should be able to easily find registration, even if they have never been to the race site. __ Prior to standing in line at bib pick-up the participant should be able to locate him/herself on a posted start list, and confirm

that their registration is in order.

__ The wait in the bib pick-up line should be short. __ Start lists and race information sheets should be available to all

participants.

o A race information sheet should contain the schedule for the day as well as answers to any obvious questions that participants may have about the race day.

__ After collecting his/her bib the participant should be able to

change clothes indoors if he/she desires.

__ Toilets should be available. __ The participants should have access to race trails for testing skis and warming up.

__ PA system announcements should make it clear that the race is being conducted on schedule and should guide the participant to the start. PA should be staffed full-time with radio communication to the Chief of Competition. Music should be played through PA system during down times.

__ Once on course the participant should be relatively unimpeded and should have no questions about where to go. __ After finishing, the participant should be met by a volunteer who will help move traffic away from the finish line, and collect

bibs.

__ From the finish the participant should be able to easily reach

warm-ups discarded at the start.

__ Shortly after the last finisher the participant should be informed by the PA system that unofficial results have been posted.

__ In case of bad weather there should be sufficient indoor space to house participants while they wait for awards, or for their start.

__ Shortly after the last finisher of the day crosses the line, the participants should be informed by the PA system that the awards ceremony will be conducted on schedule.

__ After the awards ceremony the participants should be able to collect a set of results.

Race Organizer Checklist/Evaluation

This page can be used by organizers to check their preparations. It will also be used as an evaluation check-list by NENSA representatives upon the conclusion of the event.

Infrastructure

Sufficient parking provided
Sufficient indoor space provided
Sufficient toilets provided in appropriate locations
Sponsors appropriately accommodated
PA system and announcer provided
Emergency medical plan in place and on file

Course Layout and Preparation

Stadium well designed and marked
Start & Finish areas provide for effective traffic flow and fair

races

Course layout provides challenging and entertaining terrain
Course well marked
Course well groomed
Course preview available

Registration

❑ Separate pre –registration and day-of-race registration

provided

Registration staffed by competent and informed workers
NENSA memberships provided and sold as required

Start Lists

Running order seeded and drawn to specifications
Sufficient start lists available for all racers at registration

Schedule

Race day schedule well conceived and executed
PA system used to keep schedule on-track

Timing & Results

❑ Accurate results provided promptly at the conclusion of each

race

Results formatted to specification
Copies of results available to all competitors

Awards

❑ Awards ceremony started on schedule with sufficient warning

to racers

❑ Racers appropriately recognized

Sprints and Pursuits

Sprint races and pursuits (aka duathlon, skiathlon, continuous pursuits) have quickly gained acceptance and popularity at all levels of the sport. The FIS and national organizations continue to refine the rules both of these formats. These guidelines are designed to allow for continued growth and evolution of the format while recognizing the emergence of a standard on the international scene.

Sprint Event Structure

Elimination sprints are conducted in two stages. A qualifying round is held

during which athletes ski the sprint course as a time trial. A number of athletes

are selected based on time in the trial to race in head-to-head sprint heats. The

heats are arranged so that six athletes race against each other, and the top two

finishers move to the next heat.

Sprint Course Preparation

Start

__ For the qualifying round the start should be arranged as it is forany individual start event. A well-staffed late start lane is more crucial since starts typically take place at 15 second intervals.

__ For the elimination heats the start should be arranged so thateach racer has a start lane at least 3 meters wide. The course should be prepared to the full width of the start line for at least75 meters. However, there should be no lanes marked on the course beyond the start line.

__ Lane choice. In the first round, first choice goes to top ranked athlete from qualifying. In subsequent rounds, first choice goes to the winner of the previous round with the top rank from qualifying, second choice to the other winner from the previous round, third choice to the second place finisher from the previous round with the better rank from qualifying, fourth choice to the other second place finisher from the previous round.

__ For freestyle races the start should be arranged so that allstarters can skate directly from the start line. There should be no double-pole zone.

__ For classic sprints there should be sufficient tracks for allstarters for at least 75 meters.

__ Classic lanes to be between 1.2m and 2 m center to center.

__ Freestyle lanes to be 3m wide and where possible skiers should

be able to use freestyle technique right out of the start. __ Lanes should be divided up to 30 m from the start line. __ There needs to be a pre start line 5m behind the start line.

Finish

__ The finish should be prepared to the specifications of a normalfinish, with four lanes for both Classic and Freestyle. ___ Classic lanes need to be 1.2m to 2 m center to center, and

divided with whiskers.

____Freestyle lanes need to be 3m in width and divided.____The finish zone needs to be 80m to 100m long and strait witha line in the snow at the start of the finish zone and a up right

sign.

____The finish line needs to be marked in the snow and with a up

right sign.

*There needs to be a line called the red line 10m behind the finish line.This is where a skier may stop and take off his or her skis.

__ A high-speed video camera should be fixed in place in aposition that can be used to judge the finish. The most highly recommended placement is directly in-line with the finish line,but at least 10 feet off the ground. If the camera must be placedat eye-level it should be placed at an angle to the finish line so that the view of one finisher is not blocked by another finisher. For Eastern Cup purposes a common digital video camera is sufficient.

The Course __ The course should be 0.8K to 1.5K in length. __ For freestyle races the course should be prepared as wide as

possible.

__ For classic races there should be double tracks around the entire course, except for the start and finish, which should havefour tracks.

__ The course should demand the use of more than one technique,and should comprise turns in both directions. It must be

designed for high speeds.

Qualification

__ The running order for sprint qualification should be determined

as specified in the section on seeding. __ Racers should start one every 15 seconds. __ Sprint qualification must be timed using a start wand and

an electric eye. Times should be reported to the 1/100^th of a

second.

Heats

__ 50% of participants, or 30 athletes (12 in J2 Heats), whichever is lesser may advance to official heats in sprint competition. To determine the maximum number to advance to official heats divide the total number of participants by 2 and round up to the nearest even number.

For example, if 20 people register for a J2 sprint race, only 10 of those may advance to official heats. If 22 people register, 12 may advance (22 divided by 2 = 11 then round up to the nearest even number, 12.

__ If race organizers choose to have more athletes compete in heats, they must be isolated from the official heats; they may not be mixed with official heats.

__ The heats do not need to be timed. __ The following chart (where numbers represent the finish placing of qualifiers) may be used to construct heats for a 30racer scenario:

Heat 1	Heat 2	Heat 3	Heat 4	Heat 5
1 10 11 20 21 30	4 7 14 17 24 27	5 6 15 16 25 26	2 9 12 19 22 29	3 8 13 18 23 28

__ A consolation final may be provided for semifinalists who donot advance.

Sample Sprint Heat Schedule

Heat Class Name # in Heat Time

1 MJ2 Quarterfinal 1 6 1:30 PM 2 MJ2 Quarterfinal 2 6 1:33 3 MJ2 Quarterfinal 3 6 1:36 4 MJ2 Quarterfinal 4 6 1:39 5 FJ2 Quarterfinal 1 6 1:42 6 FJ2 Quarterfinal 2 6 1:45 7 FJ2 Quarterfinal 3 6 1:48 8 FJ2 Quarterfinal 4 6 1:51 9 MJ2 Semifinal 1 6 1:54 10 MJ2 Semifinal 2 6 1:57 11 FJ2 Semifinal 1 6 2:00 12 FJ2 Semifinal 2 6 2:03 13 MJ2 Final B 6 2:06 14 MJ2 Final A 6 2:09 15 FJ2 Final B 6 2:12 16 FJ2 Final A 6 2:15

__ The Start

o Heats should be started with a single start command. A start judge should be positioned within full sight of allstarters to determine whether there is a false start. In case of a false start, course marshals should block theskiers progress and return them to the start.
o Skiers should be allowed to ski feely from the startline, with no lane constraints or technique constraints(aside from the standard classic technique constraints

disallowing skating). __ On Course

o Racers are free to move on the course, but may notobstruct or impede the progress of other racers.
o When one racer is overtaking another racer, the slower racer must be able to continue to ski normally.
o Racers are not required to yield track anywhere on thesprint course.
o Any racer who is seen by course marshals to obstructanother racer may be sanctioned (ranked last place

of the relevant heat with written reprimand) or

disqualified from the competition by any jury memberwith no Jury meeting required. Disqualifications or sanctions should be announced immediately upon theconclusion of the heat in which the incident occurred.

o In the event that a racer is judged to be prevented from advancing to the next heat because of obstruction orinterference from another racer, the obstructed racer may be advanced by the jury into the next heat. That

racer will have the choice of start lanes behind all other

qualifying starters.

__ The Finish

o Standard finish rules apply.
o Four finish lanes must be provided with sufficientwidth and condition so that each lane provides fair, unimpeded use of all allowable techniques.

Results

__ Sprint results are determined as follows (all examples are basedupon a 30 racer field with five heats of six racers in the firstround, followed by 2 heats of 5 racers in the second round, and2 heats of 4 racers in the B-final and A-final):

o Order of finish in the A-final.
o If a consolation final is provided, then places 5-8 will bedetermined by order of finish in the B-final.
o Then:

___ 9^th Place: the faster qualifier of the two lastplace semifinal skiers. ___ 10^th Place: the slower qualifier of the two last

place semifinalists.

___ 11^th - 15^thPlace: ranked based on qualifying, the five 3^rdplace quarterfinal finishers ___ 16^th- 20^thPlace: ranked based on qualifying,

the five 4^thplace quarterfinal finishers ___ 21st - 25th place: ranked based on qualifying, the five 4^thplace quarterfinal finishers

___ 26th - 30th place: ranked based on qualifying, the five 4^thplace quarterfinal finishers __ Qualification times must be listed for each athlete, including racers who move on to the heats. __ Organizers should provide sprint results as follows.

Results Format:

Sprints Require 3 sets of results to be produced during the event. 1) Qualification Results 2) Bracket (filled in with bracket results) 3) Final Results

Qualification Results:

These look like results from any other event, sorted by time from

fastest to slowest.

Two important notes:1) Sprint Qualification times should be timed to the 1/100th

of a second

2) If there is a tie for the final qualification spot the athletewith the lowest bib number in qualification advances.

Bracket:

A bracket is set up after the qualification round. The initial bracket includes all of the qualified athletes filled in for the opening round. As the event progresses, brackets should be a) filled in on a large board and b) printed and posted between each round on the official results

board.

Final Results:

These results look like results from any other event except for the following:1) They include two “Place” or “Rank” columns; one for final rank, and the other for qualification rank. They are sorted by the final rank.2) They should show times to the 1/100th of a second.

Bracket and final results are provided to NENSA (and USSA if applicable) electronically after the event.

See Pages 20-21 for correct sprint results format.

Pursuit Event Structure

Pursuit events include classic and freestyle technique in one continuous

race. Athletes begin with a classic technique leg. Upon completing this leg,

they change equipment (with the clock running) and complete a freestyle leg

to the finish. Pursuit events use the mass start format.

Pursuit Course Preparation

Start

__ The start should be prepared as it is for any mass start classic

event

Finish

__ The finish should be prepared to the specifications of a massstart finish with as much width as possible and four finish lanes.

__ Like a mass start event, two high-speed video camera should be fixed in place in a position that can be used to judge the finish.One should look directly across the finish line, the other shouldface the racers coming to the line. For Eastern Cup purposes a common digital video camera is sufficient.

The Course __ The course should be prepared as it is for any mass start event __ For freestyle section of the course should be prepared as wide

as possible.

__ For the classic section there should be double tracks around the entire course, except for the start and finish. __ A seperate loop should be prepared for each technique

The Exchange Zone __ The exchange zone should have a clearly designated area foreach competitor to change equipment. __ All of a competitor’s equipment must stay within his or her

designated area at all times.

__ The exhange zone should be designed to allow competitor traffic to flow smoothly in and out of the zone. __ Coaches and spectators are not allowed in the exchange zone

while the race is in progress.