Element 50km Trail Championship – Official Rules & Scoring

Please review the official rules, points breakdown and tiebreaker regulations below.
1.    The Series Schedule

The series consists of 5 distinct trail races. Runners will accumulate points at each event to determine the final overall series standings.

•    Race 1 – BigBeyond 16/01/27 South Downs National Park, West Sussex
•    Race 2 – BigMud 21/02/27 Meon Valley, Hampshire
•    Race 3 – BigSea 06/06/27 Isle of Purbeck, Dorset
•    Race 4 – BigHeat 18/07/27 Lurgashall, West Sussex
•    Race 5 – BigSky 19/09/27 New Forest National Park

2.    The Points System

Points are awarded to the top 10 male & female finishers in each race. To reward those who attack the course and hunt for the win, a significant “podium bonus” is given to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

1st Place – 15 points 
2nd Place – 12 points
3rd Place – 10 points
4th Place – 7 points
5th Place – 6 points
6th Place – 5 points
7th Place – 4 points
8th Place – 3 points
9th Place – 2 points
10th Place – 1 points

•    11th place or lower: no points
•    Did Not Start (DNS) / Did Not Finish (DNF): No points
•    Note: You do not need to run all 5 races to score points, but maximising your attendance gives you the best shot at the leaderboard

3.    Tiebreaker Regulations

With a short 5-race series, ties on the final leaderboard are highly possible. If two or more runners finish the series with identical total points, the tie will be broken using the following strict protocol:

•    Most Wins: The runner with the highest number of 1st-place  finishes wins the tie.
•    Most Podiums: If still tied, the runner with the most total podium finishes (1st, 2nd or 3rd) wins the tie.
•    The Grand Final Rule: If a tie still remains, the runner who crosses the line ahead of the other in the final (5th) race wins the tiebreaker

4.    Trail Etiquette & safety

•    Leave No Trace: Littering on the trail will result in immediate disqualification from the race and a score of 0 points
•    Passing: Yield safely to faster runners. If you are overtaking, call out “On your Left” or “Track” with plenty of warning
•    Bib Visibility: Your race bib must be securely pinned to the front of your torso and fully visible at the finish line for accurate scoring
•    Course Markings: Runners must follow the designated trail markers. Intentionally cutting the course or leaving the race course will result in disqualification

5.    Disclaimer
The course will be marked with branded direction arrows the day before the race. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the course is correctly established come race day, please be aware that course markers can be removed or tampered with by the general public. All runners are therefore advised to familiarise themselves with the course and to download the GPX File provided by BigFeat Events prior to the event. 
BigFeat cannot accept any liability for runners leaving the designated course.